Most people file their taxes online nowadays. I have for the past 4 years. The fact that I actually enjoy doing my own taxes is icing on the cake.
If you have a fairly simple tax return that has a low chance of being audited, filing online is a lot cheaper and easier than going to an accountant. All you have to do is wait for all of your paperwork to come in, prepare your beverage of choice and take an hour or so to complete your return.
And if you are owed a refund or owe Uncle Sam some money, you can usually take care of that right away online. In today’s streamlined and app friendly world, filing online is just the most convenient option for most people.
And when there are so many people filing online, competition will increase. Everyone knows the big players like TurboTax and H&R Block. How can you not know them since they are advertised everywhere? I’ve used both TurboTax and H&R Block and both do a great job. But they are also both on the pricier end of the tax software spectrum.
As technology and software becomes more sophisticated, more players have been appearing on the tax software scene. Some are pretty bare bones but can offer very competitive pricing (sometimes even free!). While others are just TurboTax clones that fizzle out after a while. Time has filtered out some of the weaker companies, so there are a number of good options out there.
This year, I did my taxes with a company called FreeTaxUSA. It sounds like a spammy company name, but they’ve actually been around for a while and this year they have taken their tax software to the next level. And their pricing is incredible.
Federal returns are free. State returns are $12.95. And this is the case no matter how simple or complex your tax situation is (though if I had a full fledged business as my main income source, I would probably use an accountant.)
Here’s my review of my experience with FreeTaxUSA
Disclaimer: I have no financial affiliation with FreeTaxUSA (FTU). I wish I did but maybe next year. This will actually be one of the few non-biased tax software reviews you will see on the internet.
Navigation
TurboTax is known for its easy to navigate menus and streamlined interface. They ask you tax questions interview style and you enter your numbers as you go along. Ease of navigation is one of the big reasons TurboTax is the most popular tax software out there. But FTU is very close behind.
There is actually very little difference between TurboTax and FTU when it comes to navigation. FTU asks very similar style interview questions and will flag you when something doesn’t seem right. It’s easy to find what number should go into what box on each form and then move on to the next section.
The menu is very clean and easy to navigate as well. Income, deductions and filing options are clearly separated. The only restriction I found is that you can’t jump ahead to the next section before completing your current section. I didn’t find this as a big problem though since it helps keep you on track. You can jump back to previous sections you have completed of course.
I actually found the interface a little easier and cleaner than TurboTax. So ease of navigation is a huge plus.
Support
Having customer support is an important part of doing taxes. When you have your own personal accountant, you can pepper them with as many questions as they have time for. This support is what causes many people to hesitate doing their taxes with software.
Nowadays, online tax programs really excel in customer support. You can always email an expert and get an answer, but many companies even have live chat or the option to have your return reviewed by a CPA. So you’re never alone.
FTU has email support, but unfortunately no live support options. I can’t comment too much on this because I didn’t really use the support services. Our return is easy enough and I live and breathe this stuff anyway so I can find my answer pretty quickly if I needed too. But for those that really value someone being available to help you throughout the filing process, TurboTax and HR Block are better options than FTU.
Pricing
Where FTU really shines among the competition is the pricing. It’s a flat rate of $0 for your federal return and $12.95 for state. No matter how complicated your return may be. If you have out of the ordinary things like foreign accounts or large investment income in your kids name, you may be out of luck. In cases like that I would want to see an accountant anyway.
But for the vast majority of Americans, the pricing would stand. And it makes a huge difference. Since we own a home and have some stock sales, the total with TurboTax would have been $59.99 for federal and about $35 for state. That’s a total of $94.99 for TurboTax compared to $12.95 with FTU. That’s a no brainer of a decision to me.
There is one totally free filing service I know of with Credit Karma. But their interface seems clunky and they haven’t gotten very good reviews. FTU is a very good product that has gotten great reviews, so $12.95 is an absolute steal.
Conclusion
With technology getting more and more sophisticated and streamlined, filing taxes online has never been easier. While the big boys like TurboTax and H&R Block are always a great option, it’s worth it to see what other companies are up and coming in the tax software world.
FreeTaxUSA is definitely one of those companies. I was able to do my taxes with no problem and it was a great experience all around. I was able to get my refund direct deposited into my checking account very easily as well. It’s not much different than TurboTax but it is much cheaper. Very hard to beat $0 for a federal return and $12.95 for a state return.
It may not be the ideal solution for people who need live support or have very complicated returns. But I believe the vast majority of people could save a lot of money having their taxes done with FTU.
Again, I have no financial affiliation with the company. Just giving my honest review. Click here to go to their home page and check it out.
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