It was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Augusta, Georgia. The service offers a 100% accuracy guarantee as well as a guarantee that it will get you your maximum eligible refund. Like TaxSlayer, certain tax filers might be eligible for free federal and state tax filing on TurboTax Free Edition. Additionally, akin to TaxSlayer, a few covered situations are included how to downgrade taxslayer in TurboTax Free Edition, like Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax credit, and student loan interest deduction. Note that this offer is only available for new customers and does not include state filing, though you can file your state tax return for an additional fee. TaxSlayer is just one tax software for filers who want to prepare and file their annual tax returns.
- TurboTax is one of the most comprehensive online tax software on the market.
- It also provides additional resources year-round, like tax and income tips and quarterly estimated tax payment alerts.
- Having limitless access to a tax professional who understands the nuances of business tax filing is also valuable.
- It lets you claim education-related tax benefits, like a student loan interest deduction and education credits.
- If you want to spend the least amount of time and money on filing your returns but don’t qualify for Simply Free, you’ll have better luck elsewhere.
I’m sorry, but the only way to downgrade your online product is by using the «Clear and Start Over» feature.
TaxSlayer Pricing
Although the price is right for this DIY tax preparation software, other user experience areas need refinement. There are friction points when searching through its online support article database, and you can’t downgrade a plan on your own. Overall, TaxSlayer can be a solid free option for those who have a simple, straightforward tax situation and are confident filing online.
TaxSlayer 2024 Review
Students using TaxSlayer Simply Free can claim the student loan interest deduction. To claim this deduction on TaxAct, you’ll need to upgrade to the Deluxe plan at $24.99 and pay the state filing cost which increases for paid plans to $44.99 per state. The plan is restricted to individuals whose income is less than $100,000 and other restrictions. It’s ideal for filers whose tax situation only requires a basic 1040 IRS tax return form. Yes, TaxSlayer has been around for more than 55 years and has supported more than 10 million electronically filed tax returns in 2022.
TaxSlayer Self-Employed
This offer is available for federal tax returns e-filed by April 15, which is the official deadline to file nationwide, unless you qualify for an extension. If you choose to DIY your tax filing, the cost for filing a federal return on TurboTax is up to $129, plus there may be an additional fee for state. If using TurboTax Live Assisted to have a live tax professional answer questions, fix mistakes and review your returns before filing, it’ll cost up to $219 for a federal return.
TaxAct’s Free plan only applies to filing your federal tax return, making its “Free” plan name a little misleading. TaxSlayer’s Simply Free plan includes a federal tax return and one free state tax return filing. 1099-workers or other self-employed filers who’ve filed their own tax returns in the past, and are comfortable with going through the online steps might also like TaxSlayer. The Self-Employed option is cheaper compared to competing DIY tax preparation software.
An alternative service might be better for those who want to file for free but claim more deductions and credits. Plus, if you want access to all tax forms, schedules, deductions and credits, TaxSlayer Classic fits this criteria. But you’ll need to opt for TaxAct’s Premier plan for more filing options. Overall, TaxAct might be best for filers who can claim dependents but otherwise have a straightforward tax situation. If you want to spend the least amount of time and money on filing your returns but don’t qualify for Simply Free, you’ll have better luck elsewhere.
One of our favorite tax software options, TaxSlayer, is offering first-time customers 15% off their federal tax filing. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including https://turbo-tax.org/ submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. The upside to TaxAct Free is that credits, like the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Credit can be claimed. On TaxSlayer, the Classic plan is the lowest tier where these credits are accessible.
Is TaxSlayer Worth It?
It provides all of the features included with the Premium plan, plus support from a tax professional who’s knowledgeable about the tax nuances of a self-employed filer. It also provides additional resources year-round, like tax and income tips and quarterly estimated tax payment alerts. TurboTax is one of the most comprehensive online tax software on the market. Its pricing varies, based on whether you prefer tackling your returns on your own, handing them off to a tax expert or a hybrid of both. It lets you claim education-related tax benefits, like a student loan interest deduction and education credits. Aside from education tax incentives, no other deductions and credits can be claimed using the Simply Free plan.
TaxSlayer has an upload and import tax document feature, but it’s only accessible under a paid plan. Simply Free filers need to manually fill out their return which adds extra time to the process. That said, salaried W-2 employees can also use this software to save some cash. The software itself has a simple interface, but should be fairly easy to navigate if you’re comfortable filing your returns on your own. Plus, there is some online or phone support available if you run into issues and need basic assistance.
Although you get unlimited phone and email support, outside of the software, TaxSlayer’s website lacks useful customer support resources. Also, navigating its knowledge base isn’t intuitive, and query results aren’t targeted as well as they should be. TaxSlayer can get simple returns filed without much fuss, but other areas are more murky. Newsweek Vault users can save up to an additional 20% off on TurboTax. For example, if you want to upgrade or downgrade your TaxSlayer plan, searching “how do I change TaxSlayer plans” yields completely irrelevant search results, mostly about 529 plans. This experience can be frustrating for those who expect a smooth, yet hands-off experience.
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Jennifer, a native Angeleno, is a writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering personal finance. Her work has been featured on Yahoo, Forbes, USA Today and other national publications. When she’s not educating readers about money-related topics, she’s writing her debut fiction novel and playing with her Shiba Inu, Katsu. Filed returns are sent to the IRS directly so it can be processed. Plus, third-party TaxSlayer review sites, like Trustpilot, show that its customers have had an overall positive experience. As of writing, the software earned an “excellent” rating with 4.3 stars out of five, across more than 24,000 reviews.
The downsides of TaxSlayer have to do with some user experience within its software. For example, it lacks transparency when it comes to your progress toward completion. Also, its Simply Free version doesn’t allow for uploading or importing tax documents to save time filling out your returns.
Having limitless access to a tax professional who understands the nuances of business tax filing is also valuable. TaxSlayer Classic includes a comprehensive suite of tax return forms, schedules, deductions and credits that you might want to claim. Its W-2 and 1099 upload feature helps you save time on your tax filing by auto-filling applicable fields for you. Its Deluxe Edition service provides front-of-the-line priority assistance from a live tax expert via online chat. Instead of having one-on-one support built into certain tiers and priced accordingly, Deluxe Edition is an add-on service for $7.99. It offers personalized tax advice from a tax professional and enhanced features like phone support and live screen sharing while getting assistance.