Tax refund programs

A simple return generally includes W-2 income, limited interest and dividend income, standard deductions and unemployment income. If your finances are more complicated and you don't qualify for a simple tax return, you'll need to file a complex tax return, and most tax software programs will charge you fees to file.

Complex tax situations typically include anyone with freelance income tax forms , small business owners and landlords, as well as anyone with earnings from investments and stock sales. The tax program you use will notify you if you can't file a free simple tax return and instead need to upgrade and pay to file a more complex return.

And even if you can file a simple tax return, you may want to pay for the next-tier plan to benefit from more deductions. To determine which tax software offers the best way to file your taxes online, Select analyzed 12 programs. We compared each program on a range of features, including:. Cost was one of the most important factors. While many of these services offer free versions, many people have complicated finances that require them to pay to file their taxes.

We evaluated the price per plan and weighed the features you receive, like the ability to maximize deductions and credits. The more bang for your buck, the higher a service ranked. Whether you're new to filing taxes or a seasoned pro, user experience is crucial to filling out and submitting your return quickly and with little frustration.

The services we chose had to be relatively user friendly. The ability to speak with a tax expert or support representative was a big plus. Four out of five of the best tax software offered some form of support. And if a service supported consumers with a generous accuracy and maximum refund guarantee, it was ranked higher. We also considered the Better Business Bureau rating associated with the software. BBB ratings help determine whether a business is operating responsibly and if it helps to resolve customer complaints in a timely manner.

Customer reviews were also taken into consideration. After reviewing the above features, we sorted our recommendations by best for overall tax filing, runner-up, free tax software, most affordable and best accuracy guarantee.

The federal and state filing fees for the software programs mentioned above are subject to change without notice. Many programs don't charge you until you file, so there's a chance the fees can change from the time you start your return until you submit it.

Skip Navigation. Select Logo. Follow Select. Our top picks of timely offers from our partners More details. Upstart Personal Loans. LightStream Personal Loans. SoFi Personal Loans. Tax software programs automate nearly every aspect of preparing and filing tax returns.

Most offer a simple interface that walks users step-by-step through filling out forms, determining deductions, recording income, and more, and then electronically files it for a fee. As a result, most software offers some level of live support to ensure that a return is completed and filed properly and back it up with accuracy and maximum refund guarantees, reimbursing customers for any loss up to a certain amount.

The first is to ensure that every required expense and form are recorded and filed properly. The second thing tax software can do is maximize tax returns. Since tax software gets updated constantly, users are guaranteed to find the latest opportunities to get more money back on their returns.

Most major tax software programs allow users to file very simple tax returns for free. From there, they offer tiered plans that can handle more complex types of filings and often include additional levels of support live chat, one-on-one consults, etc. Every provider we reviewed allowed users to start and work on their returns for as long as they want for free and only charged them when it was time to file a return.

Tax software often picks up where accounting software leaves off. Most accounting software is used to keep track of income and expenses throughout the year. By providing an accurate financial breakdown, this information can be used by small businesses to maximize their deductions and ensure accurate filing at tax time. Many accounting software geared for small businesses can provide certain forms that tax software needs.

We looked at close to a dozen tax software programs for this review. At the top of our list was software that was easy to use since most people using these programs have little to no tax experience.

Support was also an important consideration, so providers that offered more than online guides like live chat or one-on-one phone support ranked high. Price was also an important issue.

Because users inevitably absorb some risk by preparing their returns themselves, the software would have to cost considerably less than hiring a professional to make it worth the risk. Finally, it was important for us to find software that offered generous accuracy and maximum benefit guarantees.

While nothing can replace the personal expertise of an experienced accountant or tax professional, tax software companies willing to back up their products with real dollars is the next best thing. Jackson Hewitt. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.

Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Taxes Tax Planning. By Michael Kurko.

Michael Kurko has over 15 years of experience writing and editing for a variety of publications including Investopedia, Fit Small Business, U. News and World Report, and more. His expertise lies in insurance, small business marketing and technology, and finance. Michael graduated from Hartwick College with a bachelor's in English.

Learn about our editorial policies. Reviewed by Ebony J. She has been in the accounting, audit, and tax profession for more than 13 years, working with individuals and a variety of companies in the health care, banking, and accounting industries. Learn about our Financial Review Board. Fact checked by Madeline Simpson. Maddy Simpson is a journalist based in St.

She studied at journalism and finance at Bethel University, and worked as a financial analyst at a consulting firm before attending Columbia Journalism School. She's worked on projects at the Columbia Journalism Review, Detroit Free Press, and currently is a fact checker and reporter at various publications.

Best Tax Software Programs. Final Verdict. Compare Providers. Best Overall : TurboTax. Sign Up Now. Why We Chose It. Cons Limited tax support unless you pay Expensive state filing fees Most expensive plan overall. Cons Limited tax support unless you pay More expensive than some competitors. Best Value : TaxSlayer. Pros Free filing for all tax returns Imports from other tax software Free audit defense support.