TaxAct review

TaxAct sits between the premium brands and the budget programs. Its online lineup runs from a Free tier for simple federal returns through Deluxe, Premier for investors and Self-Employed for freelancers and small business owners, and the company also sells downloadable desktop software. Xpert Assist adds live access to tax experts and is available on the consumer 1040 products, including the Free tier, so you can get help without moving to a higher edition. TaxAct also runs a free federal and state filing offer for active duty military. The interview is clear but less polished than TurboTax or H&R Block. TaxAct's pages blocked our requests from this location, so we could not confirm current prices and have marked them as pending rather than estimated. Its own pages show paid federal tiers well above TaxSlayer Classic, with state priced separately, so compare totals before you commit.

Who it is for

Filers who want a cheaper mainstream alternative to TurboTax with optional expert help.

Price

See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Free tier for simple federal returns
• Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed paid tiers
• Xpert Assist add-on with live tax experts on consumer 1040 products
• Downloadable desktop software as an alternative
• Free federal and state filing offer for active duty military

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Xpert Assist works across Free, Deluxe, Premier and Self-Employed
• Strength: Separate tier for self-employed filers
• Strength: Military filing offer
• Weakness: State returns are not included in federal prices
• Weakness: Paid tiers cost more than FreeTaxUSA and TaxSlayer
• Weakness: We could not fetch current prices from here

Key facts

• Online tiers: Free, Deluxe, Premier, Self-Employed
• Expert help: Xpert Assist add-on
• Military: Free federal and state for active duty

Where it ranks

TaxAct is No. 7 in our Best Tax Software verdict.