Compare TurboTax® 2022-2023 Online Software Products, TurboTax Online Comparison

If you made less than $73,000 in 2022, you can file for free with the IRS Free File program. You must start at the IRS Free File site to access the truly free version of the tax software. PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology. You enter a few details about your financial life to get an estimate of your tax refund.

Its help knowledge base seemed to have changed in 2021, but not for the better. Without clarity on what it supports or doesn’t support for state returns, we can’t recommend it this year. There’s also Tax Pro Review, a paid service where a tax professional will review your return for you before filing. The least-expensive paid tier of service is TurboTax Deluxe, for which the list price is $59 for federal returns. Deluxe adds Schedule A to the free version, allowing you to itemize or take the standard deduction.

TurboTax Self-Employed Review: A Leader for Good Reason

After testing nine online tax apps, we can say with confidence that TurboTax Free Edition is the most sophisticated, accurate, and straightforward tool for the job. It may cost less to file your taxes with H&R Block for complicated tax situations. For those with itemized deductions, rental property income, or business income, it could cost less to use H&R Block than TurboTax. If you have a simple tax return, meaning that you just have W-2 income to report and are taking standard deductions, TurboTax’s free version could be the right fit for you. The free version includes free federal and state filing. You really can’t expect personal tax prep websites to be as all-encompassing as official tax documents.

Importing data is straightforward with API and CSV connections for over 30 exchanges. If your exchange isn’t listed, send an email and they will add it within a week. Calculate your capital gains and losses, as well as your tax liabilities, for each bitcoin transaction in seconds. ZenLedger has a resolution center to confirm that your data has been successfully imported.

TaxSlayer 2023 (Tax Year

With all the changes that affect filing your tax return in 2023, you’re responsible for any errors on the forms you submit. Tax professionals take on liability for any mistakes they make in filing their clients’ forms, but as a tax-prep software user, you’re on the hook for what you submit. Most mistakes resulting from the use of software are input errors, which means the turbotax options taxpayer is responsible. The software company will only be accountable for mistakes when it has a glitch or malfunctions, which isn’t expected. Most tax situations won’t require TurboTax’s expert help upgrades. The main strength of TurboTax is that it’s accessible and comprehensive, meaning the process offers enough information that you don’t need to dig to find it.

He has in-depth experience writing about banking, credit cards, investing, and other financial topics, and is an avid travel hacker. If you live in one of the majority of states that require you to do state income taxes as well, you’ll have to pay an additional $49 per state. If you lived or worked in more than one state, you may have to pay for multiple state returns.

TaxSlayer options

If you earned income from a side hustle, you will need to claim it on a Schedule C. If you have a more complicated return, then you will need one of the paid versions. She has written about personal finance topics for AARP Magazine, Bankrate, Credit Karma, NextAdvisor, U.S. News & World Report, Reviewed, Credit Karma and more. When she’s not writing, you can find her training for her next race, reading, or planning her next big trip.

• Next, I was asked a few questions about my business and its structure that hadn’t been addressed earlier.
• Depending on your income, you may be eligible to use these services for free and to have guidance and help in filing.
• There are a couple of big differences between the options in the forms that they support.
• This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Even still, as folks here at Appcues filed our 2018 taxes, we couldn’t help but admire the thoughtful details that Intuit’s product team had put into the TurboTax experience. TurboTax managed to turn the hugely complex processes of deciphering our archaic tax code into a step-by-step, intuitive flow. If there is a bug in the app, I’ve no idea how to proceed. I found it impossible to report the issue through the app itself. And there was nowhere that explains what to do if the user experiences a problem with the app itself. The only help options built-in are for live tax advice or searching FAQ/forums.

Other DIY software

There’s also the possibility that you’ll file the wrong deductions or credits, which could land you in hot water. This is an optional tax refund-related loan from Pathward, N.A.; it is not your tax refund. Loans are offered in amounts of $250, $500, $750, $1,250 or $3,500. Approval and loan amount based on expected refund amount, eligibility criteria, and underwriting. If approved, funds will be loaded on a prepaid card and the loan amount will be deducted from your tax refund, reducing the amount paid directly to you.

H&R Block’s history dates back earlier than TurboTax, although DIY tax filing hasn’t always been a part of the business. H&R Block was founded in 1955 when brothers Henry and Richard Bloch decided to franchise ttps://turbo-tax.org/ their tax preparation business. In 2017, TurboTax Live was launched, allowing customers to reach out for help from a credentialed tax expert if they get stuck or have questions while preparing their returns.

Handy features

We ran into a couple of problems trying to hunt down stray forms, and the automated chat help was ineffective. For those reasons, we recommend using H&R Block Free Online to save money only when you’re filing a basic return with a student loan interest deduction or tuition credits. Like H&R Block, TurboTax has a free filing option that allows you to file your federal return and one state return at no cost. However, the free option only supports simple returns with form 1040. If you want to itemize your deductions with Schedule A or if you need to use any other forms, you will need to upgrade to a paid plan.

• All created forms are stored for easy future access, though you will have to purchase the most recent version of TurboTax Self-Employed in order to access forms created in a prior year.
• TurboTax Premier can be upgraded to TurboTax Live Premier.
• The free version is very powerful (it includes taking a photo of your W-2 to get the information in) but it’s very basic.
• The company spent millions of dollars on lobbying to restrict the IRS from creating its own free filing system, all while growing its multibillion-dollar franchise.
• I love the site and I have used it faithfully for a few years now.