Online Tax Preparation & Filing Services
Each of these services will allow you to prepare your state and federal tax returns online and efile them with the IRS. Whether you have a complex return with many specialized tax deductions or you simply need a cheap and easy way to file your 1040EZ form, there is an online tax service that will fit your needs.


Tax Preparation Comparisons

Service/ Rating: H&R Block
Rating:
TurboTax
Rating:
CompleteTax
Rating:
TaxSimple
Rating:
Bottom Line: Best full service provider due to superior support and audit protection
Editor's Choice.
Easiest to use service with best online deduction finder tools. Reputable service provider but not highly differentiated Very limited support and spotty service availability. Not Recommended.
Suggested Package: Premium: Federal and State return with e-file for $44.95 Deluxe: Federal and State returns with e-file for $55.90 (Federal and State may be purchased separately) Federal and State returns sold separately. Both include e-file. Deluxe: Federal and State returns with e-file for $24.95 plus additional fees by state
Federal Only Fees: $14.95 separately or sold in bundle with State return Free if filing 1040EZ otherwise $25.95 $29.95 $24.95
State Only Fees: Only sold in bundle with Federal return $29.95 $14.95 Varies by state
Support Options: One time consultation with a H&R Block tax professional over phone or email; additional consultations are extra. Phone, Online Chat or Email plus access to live community Q&A Online Chat and Email Email only
Audit Protection Available?: Yes- 'Worry Free Audit Support' guarantees assistance from a H&R Block tax professional in the case of an audit. Yes None None

H&R Block Editor's Choice.

H&R BLOCK REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Top

You probably recognize the H&R Block name and their green block logo from the thousands of offline locations they maintain during tax season. They also have a very robust online tax preparation and filing service that offers many unique benefits. H&R Block is the only tax prep service that we reviewed which offers a direct consultation with a certified tax professional. Consumers recieve a single consultation with the purchase of H&R Block's Premium package and additional consultations can be purchased for a fee. H&R block also offers unmatched audit protection. Their 'Worry Free Audit Support' guarantees assistance from an H&R Block tax professional in the case of a Federal or State audit of your tax return. Given their superior customer support options and access to unrivaled information and protection, we strongly recommend H&R Block for all consumers. In particular, those that have more complex deductions or intricate questions regarding their taxes will benefit from H&R Block's industry leading tax preparation and filing support.

TurboTax

TURBOTAX REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Top

TurboTax is powered by Intuit, the software company that produces other popular personal financial management tools such as Quicken. Their online tax preparation and filing system is extremely easy to use and has the most robust automated deduction tools of any of the providers we reviewed. They also offer excellent support tools on their website and the ability to contact customer support representatives by phone, web based chat or email (although these customer support representatives are not tax professionals). TurboTax offers free preparation and e-file of some Federal returns, but only for those consumers who will be filing simple 1040EZ returns. Those consumers with significant deductions will likely require an upgrade to TurboTax's Deluxe package which costs $25.95 for Federal returns and $29.99 for State returns. We highly recommend TurboTax even though their pricing is slightly higher than H&R Block. TurboTax is perfect for consumers that don't need a lot of guidance and are comfortable using a robust online tool to prepare and file their taxes.

CompleteTax

COMPLETETAX REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Top

While CompleteTax is a decent overall service, they are fairly undifferentiated compared to other tax preparation and filing service providers we have reviewed. Their support is not as good at H&R Block and their tools are not as easy to use as TurboTax. They are a reputable provider and we invite you to visit their site to learn if they meet your specific needs. However, we would not recommend them over most of the other providers we have reviewed.

TaxSimple

TAXSIMPLE REVIEW:Go to Site | Back to Top

We do not recommend TaxSimple due to their limited email only support and non-competitive pricing plan. We also found their service to be spotty as far as availability and page load times.

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