1: FreeTaxUSA
(100% free for AGI $45,000 or less through FreeFile, Federal + State)
(no income limit, free federal, $15 for state) https://www.freetaxusa.com/
2: Cash App Taxes (Formally Credit Karma Tax)
(no income limit, free federal and free state) https://cash.app/taxes
3: OnlineTaxes (OLT.com)
(100% free for AGI $45,000 or less through FreeFile)
(no income limit, free federal, $10 state) https://olt.com/main/home/default.asp
Download vs online tax software comparison[thefinancebuff.com]
- Download Deluxe supports nearly everything that Premium does, including investments, real estate, self-employment, etc. The marketing from H&R Block is confusing here.
- When using download/desktop software, your data stays local, which is probably more secure (but make sure you have a backup!)
- Download includes 5 federal e-files and virtually unlimited printed returns.
- Downloaded state software allows preparation of state tax forms, but state e-file is an additional $20 per state. You can print and mail for virtually nothing. It is $40 to download the software for each additional state.
- Some states[thefinancebuff.com] allow free e-file on their dept of revenue website
- Online allows you to work from any device
- Online stores a copy of your tax return in the cloud for archival purposes and also next year's taxes
One major advantage of H&R Block & TurboTax, download or online, is that they support importing 1099 forms from banks and brokerages. While this is definitely useful and can save some time, you often have to enter your passwords in their software, which some people are not comfortable with. With 1099 investment income, you can often enter aggregate data[hrblock.com] and not list each trade individually, which makes this much less painful that you might think.
Privacy concerns
Tax prep companies are required by law to get your consent before they can share your personal information with 3rd parties. If you are concerned about this, I recommend reading the privacy policies and/or license agreements from each company. Of course, you can avoid this issue altogether by using downloaded desktop software where your data stays on your local computer only. IRS FAQs Related to Strengthened Taxpayer Control over Tax Information[irs.gov]
"The general rule expressed in both the 1974 regulation and the 2007 regulation is that taxpayers – not the government - control their tax information. No tax information can be disclosed or used without taxpayer consent."
FreeTaxUSA Terms of Use[freetaxusa.com] "We do not and will not sell your information to third parties." OLT.com privacy policy[olt.com] "Specifically, we do not share, sell or rent your Personal Information to third-party advertisers, "spammers", or anyone else who we know will use it for their own advertising or marketing purposes." Cash App Taxes Privacy Policy[cash.app] - This one is a little more vague, read it carefully.
H&R Block and TurboTax online DO sell your personal information with your consent...but you can opt-out. See here[washingtonpost.com] for more details. Their free versions are quite limited and they also use deceptive marketing practices to try to upsell you to more expensive products. Both have been in trouble with the FTC for their deceptive marketing tactics.
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This suck. I recently used it for 2 tax years and the I.R.S flagged both. Said H&R calculations were incorrect and instead of a refund, I now owe money. H&R has been hanging up on me and not helpful at all. Check their reviews or Facebook. It doesn't get worse.
I hate TurboTax as a company but do love the ease of use of their software. Is this comparable in that regard?
It's a little clunkier than TT IMO, but gets the job done. UI hasn't changed in about 20 years. Some questions are poorly worded and the help text isn't as helpful. Seems that they have struggled to support several forms this year.
Can't tell the difference between Download version vs Key Card version. Is the Key Card a physical card snail mailed to you? That may cut it really tight for the tax day.
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My first post. Hope I did this right.. lol
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It's a little clunkier than TT IMO, but gets the job done. UI hasn't changed in about 20 years. Some questions are poorly worded and the help text isn't as helpful. Seems that they have struggled to support several forms this year.
H&R Block 2023 Deluxe Software - PC/Mac - Download [newegg.com] $19.99
H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe 2023 [Key Card] [newegg.com] $17.99