Best Tax Software of 2025: Compare Features, Prices and Free Filing Options

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Tax software evolves year to year, and your needs may have too. Whether you’re filing a simple W-2 return or managing freelance income and deductions, there’s a platform that fits.

This guide compares top tax software for 2025, including TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, TaxSlayer, FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes.

What To Look for in Tax Software

No matter your needs or how much you can spend, the best tax preparation software offerings all have a few things in common.

• They’re user-friendly: The best tax software programs are easy to navigate, have intuitive layouts and guide users through a familiar interview format.
• Fees and features are organized into logical tiers: Avoid a tax provider that locks you out of some features with their pricing tier, while making you upgrade just to unlock the features you do need.
• They offer tech and tax support: The best providers offer reliable assistance, customer service and, if needed, professional help with preparing and filing your taxes.

What Is the Best Tax Software?

The best tax software for self-employed contractors won’t be the same as the best tax software for small business owners, professionals or even tax preparers. Here’s a look at some of the biggest and best names in the tax software game.

Best Software for Most Taxpayers: TurboTax

TurboTax is probably the best-known tax preparation company and arguably the best all-around for most taxpayers in most tax situations. However, it’s also among the most expensive. It’s the only entry in this list that has three-figure pricing.

That premium pricing does buy you intuitive features that make it easy to use, like photo upload of documents, easy previous-year import, excellent customer service and professional assistance. Its comprehensive coverage can handle most tax situations.

TurboTax guarantees you’ll receive the maximum refund, or it will refund the purchase price. The company also guarantees that all calculations will be 100% accurate, or it will pay any IRS penalties and interest. Year-round audit support is part of the purchase price. Another helpful feature of TurboTax is TurboTax Live, which allows you to talk to an expert live on screen.

TurboTax Features:

• Guided interview interface with tax expert live chat (TurboTax Live)
• Max refund and accuracy guarantees
• Full-service options with audit defense
• Great for complex returns, including investments, crypto and side hustles

TurboTax Pricing:

• Free: $0 for simple 1040 only, $0 for state
• Basic: $0 to $139, plus up to $64 per state return
• Assisted: $79 to $209, plus up to $69 per state return
• Full Service: $129 and up, plus up to $69 per state return

Best for In-Person Help: H&R Block

Another familiar name in the tax-preparation game, H&R Block’s online software offers helpful features, such as importing your income information from your prior year’s tax return, even if you used a different tax preparer. There’s no need to enter all of your information again.

H&R Block also guarantees that you’ll receive the maximum refund possible. It allows you to use its software to amend your return without any additional charges. Plus, it will pay up to $10,000 if you incur extra penalties or interest because of a software miscalculation, and will support you in case you are audited.

H&R Block’s standout feature is its nationwide network of brick-and-mortar offices that users can lean on for face-to-face assistance with filing their taxes online.

H&R Block Features:

• In-person filing support
• Free online amendments
• Audit support with up to $10,000 in penalty coverage
• Allows import from any prior year software

H&R Block Pricing:

• Free online: $0, plus $0 per state return 
• Deluxe online: $60, plus $49 per state return 
• Premium online: $100, plus $49 per state return
• Self Employed online: $125, plus $49 per state return
• Virtually: Starting at $99, plus state tax return fee
• In-person: Starting at $99, plus state tax return fee

Best Budget Option: TaxAct

TaxAct offers a range of online and downloadable tax prep products, from free filing up to its most comprehensive premium versions, all of which offer comparatively good rates for guaranteed accuracy.

You have unlimited access to support when filing your return, but you must call when TaxAct is open. TaxAct doesn’t have around-the-clock customer support, but it is open for service on weekends.

TaxAct Features:

• Affordable pricing for all filing tiers
• Step-by-step guidance with built-in accuracy tools
• Covers complex tax situations, including self-employment and investments
• Max refund and $100K accuracy guarantees

TaxAct Pricing:

• Free: $0, plus $54 per state return
• Deluxe: $54.99, plus $64.99 per state return
• Premier: $94.99, plus $64.99 per state return 
• Self-Employed: $109.99, plus $64.99 per state return 
• All Inclusive Bundle: $176.97 total

Best for Self-Employed and Freelancers: TaxSlayer

TaxSlayer offers four different online products for filing your income tax returns, including one designed specifically for the self-employed that’s cheaper than TaxAct’s comparable price tier.

For its Simply Free option, as long as you use Form 1040, you don’t have to pay for your federal and first state return. All products offer live phone support. If you want features like audit assistance, Ask a Tax Pro, priority support or live chat support, you’ll need to use the Premium version.

With Simply Free, you can also compare your return to last year’s to see how your numbers have changed and make sure you didn’t miss anything.

TaxSlayer Features:

• Designed with self-employed users in mind
• Includes Schedule C and 1099 support at lower tiers
• Offers phone and email tax support
• Deduction finder tool to help maximize write-offs

TaxSlayer Pricing:

• Simply Free: $0, and $0 for state returns
• Classic: $42.95, plus $47.95 per state return
• Premium: $62.95, plus $47.95 per state return
• Self-Employed: $72.95, plus $47.95 per first state return

Best Free Federal Filing: FreeTaxUSA

FreeTaxUSA never charges to file federal returns. However, unlike most no-cost competitors that support only the most basic documents like Form 1040, it can process even the most complex returns.

You can use the software to report income from real estate, investments, wages, crypto, businesses and self-employment. You can also use it if you have dependents, spent money on education, sold a home, collected unemployment or have an HSA. This is remarkable flexibility for free filing software. Some competitors can’t even handle basic needs like claiming the Child Tax Credit.

However, premium features like professional support and unlimited amended returns are an extra cost, and you have to pay to file a state return. The free version is fairly bare-bones and requires users to manually input a significant amount of data.  

FreeTaxUSA Features:

• Always free federal tax filing, regardless of complexity
• Low-cost state filing at $14.99
• Audit assist is available as an optional add-on
• Supports advanced tax situations like rental income and itemized deductions

FreeTaxUSA Pricing:

• Basic: $0 federal, plus $14.99 per state return
• Deluxe: $7.99, plus $14.99 per state return
• Pro Support: $49.99, plus $14.99 per state return

Best Truly Free Option for Federal and State: Cash App Taxes

Like FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes provides free federal returns even for complex tax situations — but unlike its no-cost competitor, it lets you file state returns for free, too. 

You must be more comfortable with technology to use Cash App Taxes. As the name implies, you must download Cash App to use the software. There is no familiar desktop version, but a user-friendly interview format guides users through the process and populates the app’s many available IRS forms and schedules. However, since significant manual input is required, the service is probably best for filers with relatively simple tax situations.

Cash App Taxes Features:

• 100% free federal and state filing, and no upsells
• Easy import of W-2s and prior returns
• Covers most tax situations, including self-employed and student income
• Backed by Square for extra credibility and security

Cash App Taxes Pricing:

• $0 federal and state, with no paid versions available.

Tax Software Pricing Comparison

Common Mistakes To Avoid

Tax mistakes can be frustrating, time-consuming and expensive. The IRS cautions taxpayers to avoid the following common and costly tax mistakes.

• Don’t file too early when important documents are still on the way.
• Don’t procrastinate and force last-minute errors in haste.
• Avoid errors by checking and double-checking your important personal data like birthdays, addresses, filing status, bank account data and Social Security numbers.
• Don’t leave money on the table — calculate itemized deductions before you choose the standard deduction.

Tips for Maximizing Deductions

Many taxpayers can deduct a range of everyday expenses to reduce their taxable income. According to Intuit, the following actions can help you squeeze every possible dollar out of your deductions.

• Group deductions into IRS-approved categories like housing deductions, investing deductions, business deductions and health care deductions. 
• Maintain a checklist of qualifying expenses within each group to avoid overlooking potential deductions.
• “Bunch” deductions by saving deductible purchases and expenses for a year you choose to itemize.

Who Can Benefit Most from Free Tax Software?

There are more than a dozen software providers that are free or offer a free tier of services. Most of them target a similar kind of taxpayer, such as those with fairly simple returns.

While some are more comprehensive, most support only the most basic documents like Form 1040. Therefore, W-2 wage earners with basic, less complicated returns are most likely to benefit from using free software.  

Tips for Maximizing Refunds

The goal of every savvy taxpayer is to limit what they owe and get back every dollar they overpaid in the form of a maximum refund. Here’s how you can maximize your refund with any software:

• Calculate itemized vs. standard deduction before choosing. If you’re using the standard deduction, you might be able to use free tax software and still get a maximum refund.
• Use the correct filing status — don’t default to married filing jointly. Make sure to evaluate your tax situation and choose the best filing status for you. Most software allows you to switch between different filing statuses, if you qualify, to see how it affects your return.
• Maximize contributions to HSAs and IRAs before the deadline. You can contribute to Individual Retirement Accounts and HSAs up until tax day each year. Contributing to these accounts can increase your refund and build wealth at the same time.
• Input all eligible credits, including child tax, EV and clean energy. Make sure to explore every tax credit that you may qualify for. Buying an electric car, upgrading windows or your HVAC system, and having children can net you hundreds or thousands in tax credits.
• Track business expenses if self-employed. Be diligent about tracking your business expenses to ensure you can maximize your deductions on your business income.

Conclusion: The Best Tax Software of 2025

Tax software can help make filing your tax return easy, find hidden deductions and credits you didn’t know about, and keep you from getting audited by the IRS. But everyone has a different tax situation.

Here’s the best tax software available for different types of tax situations:

• Use TurboTax if you want ease of use and expert support.
• Use H&R Block if you want in-person help and strong audit support.
• Use TaxAct if you want affordable, reliable software.
• Use TaxSlayer if you’re a freelancer or have side hustle income.
• Use FreeTaxUSA or Cash App Taxes if you want the cheapest way to file.

Information is accurate as of May 13, 2025, and is subject to change.

Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article.

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