kate_sept2004/Getty Images
If you’re looking to do your taxes on your own, you want to choose the right software to fit your needs. We analyzed the top online tax providers to help you find the best tax software for your budget and situation, so you can file your taxes accurately and as easily as possible.
Our top picks are easy to use, and offer free filing options, educational resources and the ability to connect with tax experts if you need help.
Best tax software of 2025: Bankrate’s picks
These four tax software providers can help you prepare and file your taxes fast and accurately while ensuring you get all the credits and deductions you deserve, whether you’re a single filer with a simple W-2 form, a small-business owner, an investor, a parent — or whatever your situation might be.
-
Best tax software overall: H&R Block
-
Best tax software for beginners: TurboTax
-
Best free tax software: Cash App Taxes
-
Best tax software value for the money: TaxAct
-
For its 2025 best tax software guide, Bankrate analyzed 9 popular online providers: Cash App Taxes, ezTaxReturn, FileYourTaxes.com, FreeTaxUSA, H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, TaxAct, TaxSlayer and TurboTax.
- Free options: In choosing tax software companies to analyze, we focused on those that include a free tax preparation option for simple federal and state tax returns. Jackson Hewitt was the exception to this, but we included them in our testing because the company offers affordable, flat-fee pricing to file federal and state taxes online, even if you have a complex tax situation.
- Cost: We compared these tax-software companies based on their prices for do-it-yourself products, though some also sell versions where a tax expert prepares your tax return for you.
- Ease of use: When you’re doing your taxes yourself, you want an easy-to-follow process. We assessed each company on the ease of use of their tax preparation format.
- Tools: We researched each software package to determine whether it provided helpful tools for the tax filing process. Those tools include a content library, frequently asked questions, how-to guides and helpful videos.
- Tax forms: Our picks for best tax software offer access to a broad selection of tax filing forms and support a variety of tax situations.
- Accuracy: The top software providers offer an accuracy guarantee, which reimburses you for any IRS penalties or interest if the software causes an error on your return.
- Access to experts: The top tax software companies offer access to expert tax assistance — some offer that access for free, others charge a fee. There’s one exception in our lineup: Cash App Taxes primarily stands out for its free filing service for federal and state tax returns.
Best tax software overall: H&R Block
Highlights
- Competitive pricing
- Online assistance or in-person help
- Easy-to-use platform
-
H&R Block is one of the most established names in do-it-yourself tax preparation. The company’s tax software is comprehensive yet simple enough to handle all types of tax-filing profiles, from small-business owners to beginner filers to individuals with less common tax deductions. Read our H&R Block review.
H&R Block beats its competitors when it comes to live support. You’ll have many options for help if you’re stuck, including phone support, an online tax information center and live chat. You can also get free help from a tax expert with both the free and paid do-it-yourself options.
-
H&R Block’s prices are lower than TurboTax but still higher than other popular competitors. You have four plans to choose from: free, deluxe, premium and self-employed, which range from $0 to $85.
All of H&R Block’s tax prep plans have a $37 fee to file a state return, except for its free online tax-filing plan, which includes simple federal and state tax returns at no cost.
H&R Block’s $35 deluxe plan is a great deal because it covers all your tax basics, plus health savings account contributions, child and dependent care expenses and some itemized deductions. If you have crypto transactions, or if you have rental, self-employment or business income, you’ll need to pay more for one of H&R Block’s premium services.
-
Pros
- Option to file in-person or online
- Plenty of support features and add-ons, such as Tax Identity Shield
- Transparent upfront pricing through its No Surprise Guarantee
- Access to a mobile app to manage your tax return
Cons
- Pricier than many tax software providers
- May try to upsell you with additional premium features
Best tax software for beginners: TurboTax
Highlights
- Products for all types of tax situations
- Comprehensive live support
- Helpful tools
-
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 of your tax return as you go. Read our TurboTax review.
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 an 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. TurboTax is one of the most expensive tax software providers on the market, especially if you have a complex tax situation, but for good reason. Its easy-to-use platform and tax expertise eliminate any worries about filing your tax return correctly.
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.
-
TurboTax offers do-it-yourself tax products that range from $0 to $129. That doesn’t include the cost of filing a state return, which will set you back up to $64 per state. You may upgrade to premium products that include tax expert assistance. 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 should cover your needs. With TurboTax, you can start with the free package and TurboTax will bump you to a paid version if your situation requires it.
-
Pros
- Comprehensive, easy-to-use interface
- Helpful tools and add-ons, such as Tax Audit Defense
- Upload your W-2, 1099s and other tax documents
Cons
- Upsells more than other competitors
- One of the most expensive tax software providers
Best free tax software: Cash App Taxes
Highlights
- No cost to file all tax forms
- Mobile app available
- No hidden fees
-
Cash App Taxes is straightforward tax software that’s entirely free for federal and state returns. The company earns revenue from transaction fees charged by its peer-to-peer app, Cash App, which allows users to receive and send money. 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 leaders like TurboTax and H&R Block. Cash App Taxes doesn’t offer tax assistance support, and tax help content is limited. Cash App Taxes also can’t accommodate complicated tax returns. 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 a few tax software providers that allows you to file your federal and state returns at no cost. Despite being free, 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 — features you’ll have to pay for with many other tax software providers.
-
Pros
- Free filing for federal and state tax returns
- Simple, easy-to-use platform
- Access on mobile or your computer
- No hidden fees
Cons
- You have to download Cash App to file your taxes
- Can’t accommodate complicated tax situations
Best tax software value for the money: TaxAct
Highlights
- Helpful guidance
- Affordable pricing
- Plans for all tax filers
-
Between the completely free, do-it-yourself tax services and those that are pricier and come with robust expert-advice offerings and more, there are affordable tax prep companies that nonetheless help guide you through the tax-filing process. That’s where TaxAct comes in.
This popular online tax software can handle simple to complex tax returns. Priced lower than most competitors, TaxAct offers an easy-to-use platform that guides you step by step in completing your tax return, including offering ideas on potential tax savings to lower the amount you owe or help boost your tax refund.
TaxAct offers essential support and helpful tools with every tier product, such as its frequently asked questions library, to help you complete your income tax return. If you need more help and guidance, you can pay extra for a tax expert to get personalized tax advice and unlimited support.
-
TaxAct offers four different product tiers: free, deluxe, premier and self-employed. The prices range from $0 to $69 per federal income tax return. The program charges an additional fee of $39.99 for state income tax returns and, unlike other free tax software products, TaxAct charges that state filing fee even for its free federal version. Each product offers the option for additional help from a live tax professional for an additional fee of $60.
-
Pros
- Affordable pricing combined with helpful guidance
- Ability to handle simple to complex tax returns
Cons
- Free version doesn’t include state tax filing
- Doesn’t provide chat support
Tax preparation software: How to choose
When comparing tax software, you’ll want to consider cost, ease of use, access to tax expertise and support for your particular tax situation. For example, if you plan to itemize your deductions, you’ll want to make sure the software supports that decision — many free products don’t. To help narrow your options, look at your budget and determine a number you feel comfortable spending to prepare and file your taxes.
If you’re a W-2 employee with a simple tax return, you can likely file for free using the free products offered by the tax software providers on our list. Or, you may qualify to go through the IRS Free File program, which is a partnership between the IRS and eight tax software firms, available to taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $84,000 or less in 2024.
Another free option is the IRS DirectFile program, which provides support and guidance for taxpayers to file their federal income tax return at no cost. But the program is available in only 25 states for the 2025 tax season, and it doesn’t support all tax situations. For example, if you made deductible contributions to an IRA for 2024, Direct File won’t work for you.
Yet another free option is the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for taxpayers who are disabled, speak limited English and have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $67,000 or less.
If you’re on a tight budget and your tax situation requires filing various tax forms, you may want to consider Cash App Taxes. For no cost, you can file all tax forms, including self-employed income and expenses using Cash App’s platform. Although you won’t get the bells and whistles of other online tax products, such as TurboTax or TaxAct, the program offers a straightforward app to help you file your taxes without trying to upsell you.
Of course, cost isn’t the only factor that matters. Depending on your level of tax expertise, you may also want to consider how user-friendly the tax software is. If you need more guidance, compare features that make the process easier and faster, such as the ability to import tax forms. Also, it may help to weigh the customer support options, such as live chat, email, searchable FAQs and phone support. If your taxes are complicated, it can be worth using tax software that offers access to tax professionals if you’re likely to have a question or need more assistance.
The availability of tax forms is another important factor to consider when choosing tax software. Go with a provider that offers all the necessary tax forms and schedules. For example, TurboTax’s free filing option lets you claim certain tax credits — such as the earned income tax credit or the child tax credit — but TaxSlayer does not.
Important tax dates in 2025
As you prepare to file your 2024 tax return, here are some important tax dates to mark on your calendar:
-
Jan. 27: The 2025 tax season officially opens for 2024 tax returns.
-
Jan. 31: Deadline for employers to send Form W-2s; deadline for companies to send various 1099 forms (1099-NEC, 1099-MISC and 1099-K).
-
April 1: Required minimum distributions due if you turned 73 in 2024.
-
April 15: Last day to file your 2024 tax return or request an extension, pay taxes owed and make IRA and HSA contributions for tax year 2024. First estimated tax payment for 2025 due.
-
June 16: Second estimated tax payment for 2025 due.
-
Sept. 15: Third estimated tax payment for 2025 due
-
Oct. 15: Due date to file your tax return if you requested an extension.
Read the full article here
