Online Tax Preparation and Filing

Online Tax Preparation Reviews & Ratings


Services: Our Ratings: Bottom Line:
TurboTax Rating:stars
Easiest to use service with best online deduction finder tools
H&R Block Rating:stars
Best full service provider due to superior support and audit protection
TaxAct Rating:stars
The best overall value for online tax preparation and filing
CompleteTax Rating:stars
Reputable service provider but not highly differentiated
E-File Tax Returns Rating:stars
Bare minimum of service
TaxSimple Rating:stars
Very limited support and spotty service availability; not recommended

NextAdvisor Blog Headlines

eHarmony Free Communication Weekend 9/3 ? 9/6
Today through Monday (9/3 – 9/6) you can join eHarmony and communicate with matches for free.  And when they say "free", they mean it.  You don't even need to provide a credit card, and there is absolutely no obligation.  So go ahead and give it a spin – you never know who you might meet!

Poor money mule not so poor
Robert Siciliano is a NextAdvisor.com Expert Guest Blogger ?Money mules? may be unsuspecting Americans who act as shipping managers, do the dirty work for the bad guy, and open bank accounts, too. Sometimes the mule may be a foreigner, traveling to the United States specifically to open bank accounts. Mules often get hooked into a [...]

iTunes Ping privacy: Part 2
Yesterday we looked at the privacy settings of Apple's new social networking product Ping. One thing that we didn't discuss is how Ping handles usernames. It turns out that it handles them somewhat badly. Your Ping username is tied to to your account, meaning your actual first and last name. This name will replace the [...]

Apple iTunes: Ping privacy
It's "Facebook meets Twitter meets iTunes," that's how Steve Jobs explained Ping, Apple's new social networking addition to iTunes. When Jobs announced Ping yesterday, he made a big point about how easy the privacy is to manage. Having covered Facebook privacy on this blog before, we were curious to see how Apple's Ping would avoid [...]

Q: Do I have to leave my computer on for MagicJack to work?
The following is an actual user-submitted question: Q: Do I have to leave my computer on for MagicJack to work? A: Yes, you do. Alas, the MagicJack is not really magic at all (though it is a jack, so they're half right). While the MagicJack uses VoIP (Voice of Internet Protocol) technology, it's different from [...]

Exclusive Online-Only Trusted ID 10% Discount
NextAdvisor.com has partnered with Trusted ID to offer an exclusive 10% discount on their identity theft protection service.  This is an online-only, limited time offer, and there is no coupon code required.  All you need to do is click on any Trusted ID link on our site. Trusted ID is one of our top reviewed [...]

Does the Trusted ID family plan include my partner and myself? Also, does Tru...
Q.  Does the Trusted ID family plan include my partner and myself? Also, does Trusted ID offer monitoring of public records and the Internet black market? A. The Trusted ID family plan includes all household members living at the same address, related or not.  So you and your partner are eligible, as long as you [...]

I don't have a computer, is there a number I can call for a free credit report?
Q:  I don't have a computer, is there a number I can call for a free credit report? A: Yes, there is.  You can request your free annual credit report by phone or by mail, as well as online at annualcreditreport.com.  If you prefer to call, the number is 1-877-322-8228.  If you'd like to mail [...]

Kaspersky 2011 reviewed by NextAdvisor
We've spent some time with Kaspersky Internet Security 2011, the first of our Internet security vendors to release an update. We installed it on two machines and ran scans, did some web surfing, and played around with its special features. The verdict? Check our review of Kaspersky Internet Security 2011 to find out.

The great iTunes-PayPal hack that mightn't be a hack at all
Many iTunes customers are finding their PayPal accounts suddenly drained of cash due to unauthorized charges. No one knows the cause, but that doesn't stop people from guessing. Some blame Apple (because people love blaming Apple), some blame a Microsoft vulnerability, and some blame iTunes users themselves. We'll withhold judgment, but all are possibilities, and [...]

Q: I am interested in having Yahoo! host my website. I am currently using Ho...
Q: I am interested in having yahoo host my website.  I am currently using Homestead, or Intuit. Can you advise me? A: We think Yahoo! is a great choice for web hosting. If you're coming from Intuit, you'll be right at home with the interface. We were generally unimpressed with Intuit's web hosting, finding it [...]

My daughter is 21 years old and attending college out of state. Can she be in...
Q: My daughter is 21 years old and attending college out of state. Can she be included along with myself and wife on a single identity theft family plan?  Would there be additional costs or limitations? A: Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your daughter will need to sign up for her [...]

The NextAdvisor guide to parental control software setup
Parental control software allows parents to monitor the Internet activity of their kids, set online time limits, as well as institute blocking policies for forbidden content. Not all parental control software is created equal, of course, and our rigorous review process really sorted the good from the bad. But even the best parental control software [...]

Facebook will let your friends say where you are (whether you are, or not)
Facebook is entering the location-sharing game to compete with the likes of Foursquare, meaning you can now add your location to the list of things you're oversharing. But as with all Facebook features, the devil is in the details. Because Facebook wants to do more than just let you check into a location. They want [...]

I had to uninstall Carbonite, so I was not connected for a day. Will this cau...
Q:I had to uninstall Carbonite, so I was not connected for a day. Will this cause an issue with Carbonite when I reinstall? A: It shouldn't make any difference to Carbonite. When you reinstall, you will likely need to enter your username and password again. Other than that, it will be almost as if you [...]

Did you know?

Did you know that over 60 million American consumers file their taxes online every year? In fact, the IRS e-file program was launched back in 1986 to make the process of filing taxes easier and cheaper for consumers. Preparing your taxes online is secure, easy and much cheaper than using an accountant. You can e-file both your state and federal taxes with many online providers, but we have found a great deal of variance in the quality of service and features that different online tax preparation and e-file services provide.

Read our reviews to learn more about the best online tax preparation and filing services

How Does It Work?

Preparing your taxes online, also known as e-file, couldn't be easier. All of the providers we have reviewed have web based tax preparation tools that will walk you through each step of the tax preparation process. Most will help you identify deductions you are eligible for to help increase your tax return or decrease the size of your tax bill. No one likes paying taxes, but an online tax preparation and filing service will make the task much easier.
View all tax preparation and filing services.


Audit Protection

While nobody ever expects to get audited by the IRS, many people do each year. These tax audits can be stressful and costly. Several of the tax preparation and filing services we reviewed offer audit protection, which means they will provide guidance and support in the case that your tax return is audited. We strongly suggest that you consider audit protection when filing your taxes online.
View all tax preparation and filing services.