Online Tax Preparation and Filing FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Tax Preparation and Filing

    How did NextAdvisor.com review these online tax preparation services?

    We thoroughly researched all the tax preparation services in the category. We looked at their state and federal filing offerings for automated deduction tools, online (real-time) support and audit protection availability. We even used one of the services (TaxAct) to file our own taxes. In addition, we researched each provider by reading pertinent news and third-party research reports.

    After our initial tests, we continue to monitor the services and update our reviews as situations change. We also monitor the providers' sites for any service changes or specials.

    We only include online tax preparation providers on our site that we believe offer a good value proposition. If there is a provider you know of that is not on our site, you can be fairly certain we did not rate that provider good enough to include in our comparison. If you think we are missing a quality online tax preparation provider or have any other suggestions or comments, please visit our contact us page.

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Top Tax Preparation Services

H&R Block

Bottom line: Best overall service provider due to Free Federal Return, good support and audit protection; 15% discount on all plans
TurboTax

Bottom line: Easiest to use service with best online deduction finder tools
TaxACT

Bottom line: Great value for online tax preparation and filing but lacks audit protection
CompleteTax

Bottom line: Standard service with a few cool extras including a Maximum Refund Guarantee
TaxBrain

Bottom line: Solid, streamlined service but interface and pricing are a bit confusing
TaxSimple

Bottom line: Very limited support and spotty service availability; not recommended

Disclosure: NextAdvisor.com is a consumer information site that offers free, independent reviews and ratings of online services. We receive advertising revenue from most of the services we review. Our editors thoroughly research and whenever possible test each service we review and offer their honest opinions about each one. We are independently owned and operated and all opinions expressed on this site are our own.