Find the tax software that actually fits your filing situation
Answer three questions about your income and budget and see what type of software people in your situation actually need — free filer, simple W-2, self-employed, or complex. We are not a tax preparer and this is not personalized tax advice.
What does your tax situation actually need?
Six ways into the decision
Pick the question closest to where you actually are right now.
Free vs paid — what's the real difference?
What free tiers actually leave out, and when paying is worth it.
Read the guide →I'm self-employed or 1099
What freelance and gig income actually requires from your software.
Read the guide →I have rental or investment income
Where Schedule E and capital gains push you into a higher tier.
Read the guide →What will state filing actually cost?
The fee almost everyone misses until checkout.
Read the guide →Compare software by situation
See how free filers, W-2 filers, self-employed and complex filers typically differ.
Compare →Work out what you actually need before you pay for anything
Three tools: compare two software options' real cost, sort your situation, and check you're ready to file.
Tax software cost comparison
Answers whether the cheaper-looking software option actually costs less once state filing and add-ons are included.
Assumptions this uses
- Assumes both figures are the full price you'd actually pay at checkout, including state filing
- Assumes tax software is a once-a-year purchase, not a subscription — the 'annual' framing in the result is just what a full tax season costs you
- Assumes no promotional first-year pricing that changes in future years
- Assumes you have the actual prices from each provider's site, not an estimate
Limitations: This tool shares a calculator engine built for monthly subscriptions, so its output is labeled in annual terms — for a one-time tax-prep purchase, treat that annual figure as simply what you pay per tax season, not a real recurring subscription cost. It does not account for differences in features, support quality, or accuracy between the two options, only the price you enter.
Runs entirely in your browser.
Free filing isn't always the cheapest — or the right — call
Every major provider advertises a free tier, but they qualify for it differently. Self-employment income, rental income and most investment activity usually push you out of the free tier regardless of which software you pick, so budget for a paid tier before you get attached to a 'free' promise.
Ask about your specific filing situation
Describe your income sources and budget and get a plain-English read on what type of software people in your situation typically need.
Have a question about your situation?
Send us a note about your income sources and what's making this year's filing feel complicated — we'll point you toward the right guide or tool.
This isn't a request for tax advice and it won't be treated as one — it's a starting point for pointing you to the right resource.
Partner link — we may be paid a fee at no cost to you. How we make money.
Compare your real options
Once you know your situation, seeing the actual current pricing side by side is the next step.
Compare tax software →Things that make tax season less painful, not tax advice
Physical products that help with the paperwork side of filing. We are not paid by the software providers to recommend these, and none of them file your taxes for you.
How we make money: some links here are partner or affiliate links and we may be paid a fee at no cost to you. It never changes what we write or how options are ordered — see our disclosure and methodology.
Document organizer / accordion folder
Somewhere to keep W-2s, 1099s and receipts together before you sit down to file.
Check price →Receipt scanner
For self-employed and rental filers tracking a year of paper receipts for deductions.
Check price →Label maker for filing folders
Cheap way to keep prior-year returns and supporting documents findable when you need them.
Check price →The Tax Filing Readiness Kit
Pulls together the documents checklist, a worksheet for comparing software by your actual situation, and the questions worth asking before you pay for anything.
Where we make money on this page
These are the tax software providers we have affiliate relationships with. Being listed here does not mean we found it to be the cheapest or the best fit for you — read the comparison and guides for that.
How we make money: some links here are partner or affiliate links and we may be paid a fee at no cost to you. It never changes what we write or how options are ordered — see our disclosure and methodology.
TurboTax
The most widely used US tax software, with tiers for W-2, self-employed and investment filers.
See TurboTax →H&R Block
Software with the option to add in-person help at a physical office if your return gets complicated.
See H&R Block →Tax software questions people actually ask
The questions we hear most, answered without the upsell.
Is free tax software actually free?
Federal filing can be genuinely free if your return is simple — one W-2, standard deduction, no self-employment or rental income. The moment you add a 1099, itemized deductions, or investment sales, most "free" products push you into a paid tier. State filing is often a separate charge even on the free federal tier.
What's the difference between TurboTax, H&R Block and TaxAct?
All three cover the same IRS forms; the differences are in interface, in-person support options, price tiers, and how aggressively each pushes upsells. H&R Block has physical offices for in-person help. TaxAct is typically the cheapest paid option for similar coverage. See our comparison page for how they typically stack by filing situation.
Do I qualify for IRS Free File?
IRS Free File is available to filers under an income threshold set annually by the IRS, through a set of partner software providers. Above that threshold you can still file free federal forms directly through the IRS, but without guided software. Check the current threshold on irs.gov before assuming either way.
Is tax software good enough for self-employed or 1099 income?
For straightforward freelance or gig income, yes — most paid self-employed tiers handle Schedule C, quarterly estimated tax reminders, and common deductions well. Once you have multiple business entities, inventory, or payroll, a human preparer is usually worth the extra cost.
Why does state filing cost extra?
Federal and state returns are built on different forms and different tax code, so most software prices them separately even when bundled in one product. This is the fee people miss most often — always check the state fee before comparing headline prices.
Is audit protection worth paying for?
Audit protection add-ons typically cover professional representation if the IRS contacts you — most filers never use it, but it can be worth it if your return has real audit triggers like large deductions relative to income or significant self-employment expenses. It is optional, not required to file correctly.