Online tax preparation software reviews

Users expect real guidance from filing software. Instead, OLT. You have to search to find articles relevant to the required topic.

If you upgrade to OLT. The audit assistance looks like a good value at first. However, Credit Karma Tax offers a similar guarantee for free. The security of the site seems robust. This year, it has a specific series of questions to help users add their information.

Users are still responsible for looking up the basis in US Dollars for all their cryptocurrency transactions. Questions related to the stimulus money are found at the end of the software, so users need to wade through a lot before entering their information. While most of the competitors are more expensive than OLT. Import Last Year's Taxes.

Earned Income Tax Credit. Retirement Contributions. Retirement Income SS, Pension, etc. Self-Employed Tier Price. Despite the low price, OLT. Additionally, Credit Karma Tax offers free filing and a better user interface. Once again, tax filers should avoid OLT. Many software companies offer better experiences at lower prices. Online Taxes or OLT. You can learn more about him on the About Page , or on his personal site RobertFarrington.

He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes. Other Options. Get Out Of Debt. How To Start. Extra Income. Build Wealth.

Credit Tools. Quick Summary. Improved navigation but still bare bones Low price for audit assistance and support Pricing is one of the lowest for all tax forms included. Product Name. Online Taxes. Federal Price.

State Price. Preparation Type. Table of Contents OLT. How Does OLT. All filers automatically qualify for free, in-person audit support, which includes hands-on advice and assistance with audit preparation. Learn More. Moreover, customer support for anything but technical issues is more limited at this price point.

If you want to pay your tax prep fees with your federal refund, you must pay a hefty refund payment processing fee. The good news: TurboTax has several plans at multiple price points. See our full TurboTax review for a complete analysis. Once built to support tax situations across the complexity spectrum, the Simply Free plan is now for the simplest situations only. So if you call at a busy time, plan to get comfortable. See our full TaxSlayer review for a complete analysis.

There are some devils in the details. And the platform does have some functionality gaps that may impact filers with unusual tax situations for instance, those who earned income from foreign sources.

Like the rest of Credit Karma, the tax prep interface is colorful and mobile-friendly. See our Credit Karma Tax review for a full analysis. These qualification requirements are subject to change, so check with TaxAct before completing your return. See our full TaxAct review for a complete analysis. However, you must also consider your need to prepare complex returns and the time you could save with bookkeeping software and practice management integrations.

Find Timothy On LinkedIn. Tim Yoder is a subject matter expert at Fit Small Business focusing on small business bookkeeping, accounting, and tax content.

He received his Ph. He most recently spent two years as the accountant at a commercial roofing company utilizing QuickBooks Desktop to compile financials, job cost, and run payroll. She has owned a bookkeeping and payroll service that specializes in small business for over twenty years. She also regularly writes about travel, food, and books for various lifestyle publications.

Sign up to receive more well-researched small business articles and topics in your inbox, personalized for you. Fit Small Business content and reviews are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More. Published December 2, Intuit - ProSeries. ProConnect Tax Online. TaxAct Professional. Drake Tax. CCH Axcess Tax. ProSeries Professional. What We Like Offers multiple packages to fit your needs Choose to enter data through forms or quick-entry sheets Integrated billing clock.

What's Missing Pay-per-return pricing charges extra for a state return No upfront pricing for some plans Multiuser access is an additional fee for most plans. What's Missing Pay-per-return pricing is expensive for high-volume preparers No options for unlimited returns Cannot customize client letters and invoices. PricingProConnect Tax Pricing All users must pay per return on a sliding scale based on the total number of returns purchased. What's Missing Additional fee applies for state returns in Professional Federal Edition No tax research applications available No pay-per-return e-filing version.

What We Like Prepare any income tax return: forms , , S, , , , , and Pay per Return package converts to Unlimited after 85 returns All 50 states included. What's Missing No integrated tax research service No integrations with popular bookkeeping software Navigation between screens is not intuitive. What We Like Consolidate subsidiary tax returns Complete complex oil and gas returns High-end software that provides a pay-per-return option.

What's Missing No forms-based data entry No integrated billing clock No upfront pricing. Lacerte Tax Pricing Lacerte Tax only provides pricing information through a sales representative. The company offers three plans: Lacerte Federal Provides individual returns for a fixed price and business returns for a pay-per-return fee Lacerte Unlimited: Provides unlimited individual and business returns for a fixed price Lacerte REP: Provides pay-per-return pricing for individual and business returns, but also requires an annual license fee.

What's Missing No pricing available without speaking to a sales representative Many features require add-ons for an additional cost Cannot import data from QuickBooks files. Tim Yoder Tim Yoder is a subject matter expert at Fit Small Business focusing on small business bookkeeping, accounting, and tax content.