Tax Services of 2026: TurboTax and H&R Block Tested

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Other Services We Want to Test

There are numerous online tax services, and we want to do the heavy lifting for you. We plan to test more tax services, and here are some that have caught our attention:

Cash App Taxes: A mobile finance tool similar to Venmo, Cash App has free federal and state filing and free audit defense if you received a 1099 from work, a bank, or anywhere else. Plus, it’s geared for people who use Cash App a lot, with free filing for people who are self-employed, have a side gig, do contract work, or own a small business. However, it doesn’t cover every state, so you’ll have to check if yours is included. You can do your taxes through your computer or phone, but it’s definitely more geared toward a mobile audience, where you can snap a photo of your W-2 within the phone app. Online reviewers have reported that it also doesn’t have as much support as many comparable services, and there is no expert tax help available if you need it. It’s missing many forms and tax topics, so it’s best for W-2 employees. Cash App will also deposit your refund faster if you choose to deposit it in your Cash App account rather than the bank. This is a good option if you already use Cash App and your taxes are extremely straightforward.

Liberty Tax: You can snap pictures of your tax documents and have an expert file your taxes remotely, or file your own taxes online. It offers three packages based on need. Basic starts at $48 and supports forms 1040 and 8853 and schedules A and B. Deluxe starts at $68 and supports forms 1040, 4562, 8829, 4136, 8839, 8853 and schedules A, B, and C. The Premium, most expensive tier, starts at $88 and is geared toward self-employed folks like freelancers but doesn’t list 1099 as a supported document, which gives me pause since it’s the most commonly used form for self-employed contract workers.

TaxSlayer: After reading reviews, this seems to be a solid budget tax software. It offers cheap packages and includes all forms, deductions, and credits at its lowest price tier. This service is still very cheap, considering freelancers are charged the most for filing, since their taxes are typically the most complicated. Package prices vary from $0 to $53 plus state if you’re self-employed, and price depends on how much help you require from a tax expert. If you have a simple filing and don’t need to claim any dependents or tax credits, it may work for you, but TaxSlayer is strict with income limits and filing status restrictions.

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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: wired.com