The best tax software of 2023

H&R Block is one of the most established names in do-it-yourself tax preparation. It’s comprehensive yet simple enough to handle all types of tax-filing profiles, from small business owners to beginner filers to individuals with non-standard tax deductions.

H&R Block beats its competitors when it comes to live support. You’ll have many options for help if you’re stuck, such as phone support, its online tax information center or live chat. You can also pay an extra fee to speak with a certified tax professional through live video chat for help and to review your tax return before you submit it. Its prices are higher than many other tax prep providers on our list, but peace of mind could be worth the additional cost if your taxes are even slightly complicated.

H&R Block offers online software prices lower than TurboTax but still higher than other popular competitors on our list. You have four plans to choose from: free, deluxe, premium and self-employed, which range from $0 to $85. All of its tax prep plans charge $37 to file a state return, except for its free online tax-filing plan, which includes simple federal and state tax returns. Its $35 deluxe plan is one of the best on the market because it’s cheaper than other competitors and covers all your tax basics, health savings account contributions, child and dependent care expenses and some itemized deductions. If you have crypto transactions, rental income, earned self-employment or business income, you’ll need to pay more for one of H&R Block’s premium services.

If you don’t know the difference between a W-2, Form 1040 and a 1099, TurboTax offers a tax software platform that guides you from start to finish — ensuring you’re not missing any important sections as you go.

You can file your taxes online by yourself or get expert advice as you do your taxes, making it our top pick for beginners. While you can’t get in-person support for an online tax return, you can take advantage of its online live assisted add-on to have a tax expert help you and review your return before filing. You can also upgrade to its full service products and let a tax expert do your taxes for you. It’s one of the most expensive tax software providers on the market, especially if you have complex taxes, but for good reason. Its easy-to-use platform and tax expertise eliminate any worries about filing your tax return incorrectly.

TurboTax has a well-designed, interview-style platform that explains concepts as you go. You can keep track of where you are in the filing process while visiting help screens and FAQs. You can also auto-import many popular tax forms, including a PDF or photo of your previous year’s return, your W-2 and many types of 1099s. And if you use Quickbooks software, TurboTax can be integrated for a seamless tax-filing experience.

The tax prep company offers four different packages: basic, deluxe, premier and self-employed. These range from $0 to $409, plus the cost of filing your state return. Filing a state return costs up to $64 per state. The deluxe version, which is its most popular package, makes sense if you plan to itemize your deductions, have child or dependent care expenses, contribute to a health savings account or report types of income that aren’t listed on your Form 1040. If income from your employer is the extent of your finances, and you don’t have self-employment, complex investment or rental income to report, the free basic package may better cover your needs.

Cash App Taxes is a straightforward tax software that’s entirely free for federal and state returns. Unlike other tax software offerings, this provider won’t try to upsell you with more expensive plans or charge you hidden fees. Even though you can e-file your tax returns for free, the interface and functionality of Cash App Taxes is seamless and robust.

Its biggest pitfall is that it doesn’t include the extensive help and support of industry tax software leaders like TurboTax and H&R Block. Cash App Taxes doesn’t have tax assistance support, and tax help content is limited. Cash App Taxes also can’t accommodate all tax situations. For example, you can’t use the platform if you need to file multiple state returns, have foreign income, or you’re filing separately as a married person in community property states.

For these reasons, you should only opt for Cash App Taxes if you don’t need much hand-holding through the filing process and have simple taxes, such as a single source of income from an employer.

Cash App Taxes is one of few tax software that allows you to file your federal and state returns at no cost. Despite being free, it doesn’t skimp on all the extras that make tax filing easier. You can access almost every IRS form and schedule, whether you have freelance income, crypto transactions or retirement distributions. It also comes with free audit defense, accuracy and maximum refund guarantees — a feature you’ll pay for with many other tax filing options.

Freelancers have special tax requirements to meet, such as self-employment taxes — and a whole lot of tax deductions. Some of the best tax software on this list have self-employed or freelance plans, but Taxslayer provides the best value for the price.

With TaxSlayer, you’ll be able to enter all your deductions and review them with optional added support at no extra cost. Another freelancer-friendly feature is reminders for quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid unnecessary fees. Best of all, TaxSlayer has a 100 percent money-back guarantee if there are errors on your tax return due to a calculation error on a form prepared using the software.

TaxSlayer offers four tax prep plans — free, classic, premium and self-employed — but the latter stands out for freelancers. TaxSlayer’s self-employed package provides guidance on 1099 income, business expense deductions​ and support from a tax professional with self-employment expertise at a fraction of the price compared to competitors. With all your necessary tax forms, you can file your federal return for as little as $50 and your state return for another $40.

Some tax circumstances call for more than a simple guided software platform. Owning multiple businesses or having to file returns that include capital gains from investments and real estate income are just a couple of examples.

Jackson Hewitt’s online software provides a number of tools such as calculators to determine depreciation, earned income tax credits and other complex calculations. You can also download your W-2 and employer information to ensure accuracy. Once you’re done, you can drop off the completed filing at one of the nearly 6,000 locations (many are in Walmart) so a tax professional can review it before you file for free.

Jackson Hewitt provides a lifetime accuracy guarantee — you’ll be reimbursed for any liabilities the tax professional missed. In addition, a Jackson Hewitt tax specialist will handle your case on your behalf if you get audited.

Jackson Hewitt allows you to file for one price, no matter how complicated your taxes are. You’ll spend no more than $25 to file your federal tax return, and your state tax return is free of charge. Plus, you can file as many state tax returns as needed. At a low price, you’ll get simple, step-by-step instructions to file, free live chat support, robust security features to protect your data and built-in automatic error-checking.