If you paid a professional to file a simple 1040 individual tax return in 2019, you are one of the millions of Americans who paid $203, on average, for this type of assistance.
This statistic is courtesy of the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP)’ in their 2019 Tax Professional Fee Report, which also reports that last year’s average hourly rate for tax preparation was $138.
That is a big price tag for what should be pretty easy. The good thing is that if you don’t want to, you don’t have to pay a pro to file your taxes, you can do it yourself. Up next are some of the top-rated websites where you can file taxes online!
TaxSlayer
If you’re confident in doing your own taxes and don’t want to pay for a bunch of handholding, shiny apps, TaxSlayer will save you a lot of mey.
TaxSlayer’s rates are not determined by the software package you get, but rather the service you get with the package.
This means the company’s cheapest payment plan as well as its most expensive provide tax management tools with itemizing, saving, rental revenue, self-employment returns and more.
The difference is that the more expensive the plan, the more help you can get.
How to Pay Tax Online with TaxSlayer
While telephone and email tech help is free, the more important kind of assistance of actually filling out your taxes – is only accessible as part of the premium and self-employed packages.
If you get the high-end packages you can send your questions to their Ask a Tax Pro program via your Taxslayer account and get answers. The tax pro will get back to you by phone or email within one business day.
(Self-employed kit consumers have access to tax professionals specializing in self-employment.) This is not as face-to-face as provided by other suppliers. You can access their website here.
Price
TaxSlayer again represents one of the best offers on the market. The interface is not far removed from those provided by providers that charge twice as much. Packages run $17 through $47. Filing a return from the State adds $39.
TaxAct
TaxAct provides most of the regular options, including importing last year’s returns, a W-2 import, and a donation assistant (for the paid packages), as well as some preparation tools and calculators.
Their self-employed kit will help you look for unique tax incentives in your line of work.
How to Pay Tax Online with TaxAct
TaxAct offers tax assistance (not advice) to paying users through phone and in-app email.
It also provides a fascinating screen sharing service for its Premier+ and Self-Employed+ users. It is not a face-to-face video connection, but rather the support agent can see what you’re doing on your computer screen and help you out.
Access their website here.
Price
TaxAct has worked overtime to compete against the bigger players, and their suite of tax prep packages this year proves that TaxAct is indeed a contender.
Packages range from $54.95 to $109.95. Filing a return for a state can add $54.95.
TurboTax
TurboTax Premier lets you measure investment and rental profits as it supports D, E, and K-1 plans.
TurboTax Self-Employed gets you the premier edition plus home office deduction support, additional deduction assistance, and special features for freelancers, independent contractors, and side hustlers.
It also comes with a one-year subscription to QuickBooks Self-Employed and offers a cool expense monitoring feature via QuickBooks, including the ability to store your receipts images and track your phone’s mileage.
How to Pay Tax Online with TurboTax
By taking a photo, you can import W-2 records, and 1099s. The Premier and Self-Employed packages often include ItsDeductible, a function – and stand-alone mobile app – that helps figure out the deduction value of donated clothing, household goods, and other things easily.
Access their website here.
Price
TurboTax is usually more expensive than anything else out there due to the extras it provides.
While optimistic filers do not need all the bells and whistles its software provides, many people in complicated tax circumstances may find the experience worth a few extra bucks.
Standard packages range from $60 to $120, and between $120 and $200 with TurboTax Live. Filing a state return with Live adds $50, or $55.
Conclusion
When comparing this year’s tax preparation software options, make sure you figure out what level of service you need. If you earn W-2 income and don’t qualify for a lot of deductions and exemptions, you don’t need to get complicated.
But you’ll actually need to opt for a more comprehensive package if you have a complex tax circumstance, are a homeowner or are self-employed.
