Best Tax Softwares of 2026

FreeTaxUSA is the Provo-founded value-leader tax-software platform launched 2001 by TaxHawk Inc, the editorial pick for filers wanting federal forms free including Schedule C with state filing at $14.99 per state. The wedge is total cost: a homeowner with rental property, investments, and Schedule C pays $0 federal plus $14.99 state where TurboTax charges $129.

Free Federal at $0 covers all federal forms including Schedule C, D, E, K-1, self-employed, and investments; the wedge that TurboTax and H&R Block both upcharge $69 to $129 to access. Deluxe at $7.99 adds priority support, Audit Assist, unlimited amended returns, and live chat. Pro Support at $39.99 adds tax-expert chat with screen sharing for live CPA help. State Return at $14.99 per state is the only required paid add-on for state filing.

The trade-off is the absence of a native mobile app (web-only), brand recognition far below Intuit, and a UI that is functional rather than guided-UX-polished. Pay FreeTaxUSA when total cost matters more than brand or hand-holding; the form coverage is identical to the Big Three for a fraction of the price.

Cash App Taxes is the Block Inc-owned (NYSE SQ) free tax-software product, acquired from Credit Karma in 2020 for $50M and rebranded under the Cash App parent product, the editorial pick for filers wanting truly free everything including state and self-employed returns. The wedge is the no-upgrade-path single tier: every other product on this page wants to upsell you somewhere.

The single Free tier at $0 covers federal and state returns with all major forms, self-employed Schedule C, investments plus Schedule D, and crypto reporting. There are no paid tiers, no premium add-ons, and no upsell pressure. Mobile-first UX inside the Cash App ecosystem means filing happens on the same device most users already have for peer-to-peer payments.

The trade-offs are real if your situation matches them. Multi-state filers are excluded; only one state per return is free. Live CPA help does not exist on Cash App Taxes. Prior-year PDF import is shallower than TurboTax. A Cash App account is required to use the product. For a single-state filer with a simple return, none of these matter; for anyone else, FreeTaxUSA is the next stop.

TaxSlayer is the Augusta-founded mid-tier tax-software platform launched 1998 by Rhodes-Murphy & Co, the editorial pick for value-conscious filers wanting included free state on the entry tier. The wedge is brand maturity: TaxSlayer has 25+ years of IRS-side relationships and infrastructure that newer products do not.

Simply Free at $0 covers simple returns with W-2 income, included free state filing (rare among major-brand free tiers), phone and email support, and the EIC. Classic at $22.95 covers all forms and schedules including itemizers, investors with Schedule D, and self-employed Schedule C; the cheapest paid tier in the major-brand lineup with full Schedule C support. Premium at $42.95 adds live chat, tax-pro phone support, and IRS Audit Assistance. Self-Employed at $52.95 adds Schedule C deductions guide, 1099 tools, quarterly estimate help, and year-round tax planning.

The trade-off is state filing on paid tiers. State is included only on Simply Free; Classic and above charge around $40 per state, which compounds for multi-state filers. Brand recognition trails TurboTax, H&R Block, and FreeTaxUSA. Pay TaxSlayer when free state on a simple return matters or when Classic at $22.95 makes Schedule C cheaper than anywhere else in the major-brand lineup.

H&R Block is the Kansas City retail tax-prep platform launched 1955 by Henry and Richard Bloch (NYSE HRB), the editorial pick for filers wanting in-person help backed by around 9,000 physical offices nationwide. The wedge is the start-online-finish-at-store hybrid path TurboTax cannot match.

Free Online at $0 covers simple returns including federal and state, W-2 income, student loan interest, EIC, and child tax credit. Deluxe Online at $35 adds HSA contributions, itemized Schedule A, real estate, and charitable contributions; the cheapest itemized-homeowner tier in the lineup. Premium Online at $65 adds freelance and gig income, Schedule C-EZ, rental income, crypto reporting, and investments. Self-Employed Online at $85 adds full Schedule C, asset depreciation, home office, and an optional Tax Pro Review at $60.

The trade-off is brand recognition; H&R Block trails TurboTax in tech-savvy demographics. Tax Pro Review is a paid add-on rather than bundled the way TaxAct's Xpert Assist is. Pay H&R Block when retail offices matter, when itemized at half the TurboTax price compounds across years, or when a Tax Pro Review at $60 is cheaper than TurboTax Live Assisted at $169.

TaxAct is the Cedar Rapids-founded mid-tier tax-software platform launched 1998 (acquired by Drake Software in 2022), the editorial pick for filers wanting Xpert Assist live CPA help included free across all paid tiers. The wedge is bundled live help: TurboTax Live Assisted is a $40 to $80 upcharge over the DIY tier, where TaxAct includes the live CPA chat at the base price.

Free at $0 covers simple returns with W-2, unemployment, EIC, and free Xpert Assist; state filing is a $39.99 add-on. Deluxe at $49.99 adds itemized Schedule A, child and dependent care, and student loan interest with Xpert Assist still free. Premier at $79.99 adds investments plus Schedule D, rental plus Schedule E, royalties plus K-1, with Xpert Assist included. Self-Employed at $99.99 adds full Schedule C, asset depreciation, industry-specific deductions, and year-round tax planning.

The trade-off is brand recognition: TaxAct sits below the Big Three. The UI is less polished than TurboTax. State on the Free tier is a $39.99 add-on, which TaxSlayer Simply Free includes. Pay TaxAct when bundled live CPA help matters and the return needs investments or rental coverage, where Premier at $79.99 with included help beats TurboTax Live Assisted at $169 on price.

TurboTax is the Intuit-owned mainstream default since the 1993 acquisition from Chipsoft, the editorial pick for US taxpayers wanting the deepest guided-UX product with the brand every CPA also uses. Intuit's interview engine catches edge-case deductions simpler products miss, which is why CPAs reach for it even when they could file by hand.

Free Edition at $0 covers simple Form 1040 with W-2 income, standard deduction, EIC, and child tax credit; Intuit estimates around 37% of taxpayers qualify. Deluxe at $69 adds itemized Schedule A for homeowners. Premium at $129 adds investments plus Schedule D, E, crypto, K-1, and Schedule C self-employment, consolidated in 2024 from former Premier and Self-Employed tiers. Live Assisted at $169 adds a CPA on demand; Live Full Service at $209 hands the return to a tax pro.

The trade-off is price. Premium $129 is the most expensive in the lineup; FreeTaxUSA covers the same forms for $0 federal plus $14.99 state. State filing is a separate $59 add-on per state on paid tiers. Pay TurboTax when guided UX and brand matter; default to FreeTaxUSA when they do not.

Keeper Tax is the San Francisco-founded freelancer-1099 tax platform launched 2018 by Paul Koullick and David Kang, the editorial pick for 1099 contractors and freelancers wanting year-round expense tracking bundled with tax filing. The wedge is the year-round model: every other product on this page is filing-season-only.

The single Premium tier at $192 a year covers AI auto-categorization of 1099 deductions throughout the year, Schedule C tax filing federal and state, live tax-pro chat, and audit defense. Modeled in the catalog at $192 in the monthly field to match the per-tax-season pricing convention. There are no add-ons, no upgrade tiers, and no per-state filing fees on top.

The trade-offs matter for the wrong audience. The annual cost ($192) is higher than FreeTaxUSA plus state ($55 total) for one-time filing. Form coverage is narrower (Schedule C focus, no rental Schedule E or deep K-1 import). The wedge requires Schedule C, so W-2-only filers do not benefit. Pay Keeper when year-round tracking surfaces deductions you would otherwise miss; for one-time filing without ongoing 1099 tracking, FreeTaxUSA is cheaper.