TaxAct Online Service

Pros

• Free version for simple filers
• Supports most federal tax forms
• Easy guided interview process
• Live professional access

Cons

• State returns are extra
• Cost structure can be confusing
• Import tools are limited
• Mobile app only for Android

TaxAct is a lesser-known name in the world of tax prep, but it’s one of the cheaper options on the market. If your return isn’t overly complex, there’s a good chance you can use TaxAct to file your return.

Tax Day is fast approaching, with 2025 returns due on April 15, 2026. But tax season is often a stressful time, particularly if you’re not used to interpreting IRS jargon. Making a mistake could result in IRS penalties, a bigger tax bill and greater risk of an audit. Errors could also lower the size of your refund if you miss out on valuable credits and deductions.

I get the frustration: I’m a certified financial planner and personal finance writer who’s been helping readers navigate their tax issues since 2016.

Choosing the best tax filing software can make tax season easier. That’s why I spent weeks testing seven major tax filing services, including TurboTax, H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt, plus some newer options. I rated each tax software option looking at price, affordability, eligibility, online experience, ease of use, features and access to tax professionals. 

Keep scrolling to find out what TaxAct does well, where it falls short and what filing situations it works best for.

TaxAct: Price and affordability (6/10)

Pricing is a top consideration when you’re choosing tax software, but you don’t want to simply choose a service just because it’s free or cheap. You want a service that delivers value and doesn’t make tax prep more painful than it has to be. You also don’t want to be surprised with hidden fees after spending hours on your return, so transparency was a major factor I considered in price and affordability ratings.

TaxAct gets a 6/10 on affordability because while its core pricing for federal returns is competitive, prices for state returns and add-ons are often high. Also, pricing can get confusing with the different tiers, add-on products and bundles.

Tier structure comparison

TaxAct has a free version that it says about 44% of filers qualify for. You can use the free tier in most simple filing situations if you have W-2 income, unemployment income or retirement income, but you can’t claim tax credits or deductions other than the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or student loan interest deduction. 

Paid tiers are cheaper compared to prices for big names like TurboTax and H&R Block, but there are less expensive options out there. TaxAct also offers desktop software that starts at $44.99 and includes five federal e-files (state additional).

State filing fees

Unlike many competitors, TaxAct doesn’t include a free state tax return in its free federal filing tier. Its state filing fees are fairly normal, though. 

Hidden costs and upgrades

TaxAct’s pricing can get confusing, with several services requiring an add-on. Some services can be bundled, but prices aren’t always clear and may change by the time you’re ready to file.

Services that cost extra include:

• Xpert Assist Unlimited Access: If you need unlimited help from a tax expert, you’ll need to add the XpertAssist feature. The feature costs an extra $45 on top of your online filing costs for federal returns (state additional).
• E-file Concierge: You can get updates about your federal return by phone, and related support.
• Audit Defense: If you want support and representation in case you’re audited, you’ll pay an additional fee. Prices start at $49.99.
• Refund transfer fee: You can have your filing fees deducted from your return, but this option costs an extra $59.99.

There’s also a bundled option that includes federal filing, one state return, E-File Concierge, audit defense and refund transfers. Again, pricing isn’t always transparent, though. When I tested TaxAct, the bundle was advertised for $137.99, but I had the option to add it at checkout for $74.99.

TaxAct: Eligibility and use cases (7/10)

Some services are difficult to use if you don’t have a simple return. To evaluate tax software, I looked at how each option compares for a wide range of situations, including those with investment income, self-employment income and some less common circumstances.

TaxAct gets a 7/10 for eligibility because it supports a broad array of tax situations, but it loses points due to the extensive manual entry required.

Simple filers (Standard Deductions)

If you only have W-2 and/or unemployment income, you should find TaxAct pretty easy to use. You can submit your W-2 by uploading a PDF or photo. The guided interview flow makes it easy to DIY your taxes using the free version. But if your tax situation is a little more complicated -- for example, if you contributed to a health savings account (HSA) -- you’ll need to upgrade to a paid version.

Investment income (Schedule D)

You’ll need to use the Premier version if you have investment income from stock or crypto transactions, but TaxAct is still easy to use in these situations. You can import 1099-Bs from your brokerage. Many major brokerages also sync with TaxAct, allowing you to directly import 1099-B information.

The process is a bit clunkier for less common types of investment income, like employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs), restricted stock units (RSUs) or K-1 partnerships. Guidance for ESPPs and RSUs is limited, and you may need to manually adjust your cost basis. You’ll need to manually input income and expenses for K-1 partnerships, as there’s no import option.

Self-employment/Small business (Schedule C)

TaxAct has decent tools for filers who are self-employed or own a small business, but overall, support is less robust than you get with big-name tax software. As of this writing, you can’t upload your 1099-NEC, which means you’ll need to manually input the information.

There are tools to calculate business expenses (including the home office deduction) and asset depreciation, but they rely on manual input. You can’t sync TaxAct with your business banking account or accounting software, which can make tax time easier for self-employed taxpayers and small business owners.

Rental properties and advanced forms

TaxAct lets you report rental income and expenses using Schedule E -- but as with many forms, you’ll need to manually enter the information. It uses a guided workflow to help you calculate your rental income, plus expenses like mortgage interest, insurance, repairs and depreciation. It also walks you through unique situations, like calculating income and expenses if you have a property used for both rental income and personal use. However, the manual entry can be time-consuming if you own multiple rental properties.

You can also file Form 1116 to claim foreign tax credits through TaxAct. The guided support includes multi-country reporting, calculations of allowable credits based on IRS limits and carryover of unused credits -- but again, manual entry is required. 

TaxAct: Experience and ease of use (6/10)

Filing taxes is confusing enough, so you want a tax software that doesn’t make things more difficult. Solid data import tools can save you lots of time, while a clean interface and effective flow ensures you get the guidance you need.

TaxAct gets a 6/10 for experience/ease of use because the platform is relatively easy to use, but it has limited import tools and is primarily designed for desktop.

Onboarding and data import

TaxAct lets you import a previous year’s tax return, but unless the past return was also filed through TaxAct, you’ll need to upload a PDF. TaxAct can then autofill the information it pulls. Keep in mind, though, that missing fields and formatting issues are common whenever you import data from a PDF, so check the information carefully.

You can directly import a few common tax documents like W-2s and some 1099 investment forms to TaxAct. For many other forms, you’ll need to manually input the information, though TaxAct says you’ll soon be able to import additional documents.

Interface and navigation

TaxAct doesn’t have the sleekest interface, but overall, it’s functional and pretty straightforward to navigate. The lefthand sidebar makes it easy to skip between sections of your return. If you’re logged out, you’re immediately directed to where you left off when you log back in.

Mobile and desktop filing experience 

TaxAct’s website states it has a mobile app, but it appears it's only available to Android users.  The filing process might be easier on mobile if you’re snapping a photo of your W-2 and importing it, but overall, the desktop version is a lot more stable and responsive. The condensed screens on the mobile site can make for a poor user experience. Also, if you’re filing forms that require lots of manual input, it’s generally easier to file by desktop to minimize the risk of errors.

TaxAct: Features (6/10)

Features like a final accuracy check and educational resources can set your mind at ease as you prepare your taxes. TaxAct has several helpful features, like a final accuracy check and maximum refund guarantee, but it gets a 6/10 for features because these are fairly standard in tax software.

Final review/Accuracy check

TaxAct has a double-check feature that scans your return for anything that could get your return rejected by the IRS, as well as any calculation errors before you submit it. TaxAct has a $100,000 accuracy guarantee: If an error in its software’s calculations causes a larger tax liability or smaller refund, it will refund your filing fees and pay you the difference in the tax liability or refund, plus any interest or penalties that result, up to $100,000.

Error checking

TaxAct will scan for missing information (like incomplete fields) in real time, but most of the error checking doesn’t occur until the final double-check at the end. The software uses the following system to highlight potential issues:

• Red Alert: Information is incomplete or inconsistent and could trigger an inquiry from the IRS or a state agency.
• Yellow Warning: An issue could lead to inaccuracies on your return, or you may need to provide more information.
• Green Deduction: The software has identified an opportunity that could save you money.

Audit risk assessment

TaxAct doesn’t assess your risk of audit when you prepare your return. However, TaxAct offers audit defense services for both the IRS and state taxes as an add-on starting at $49.99. Audit defense is provided by third-party company Protection Plus.

Tax Guidance and education

Overall, I found TaxAct’s tax guidance and education helpful. The material includes brief in-line explanations and tips, plus some longer educational articles. It mostly focuses on specific tax forms to provide the information you need as you complete your return. It doesn’t go nearly as deep as the content offered by major services like TurboTax and H&R Block, but it provides helpful information as you’re working through any given tax form.

Maximum refund guarantee

If you receive a larger tax refund (or a smaller tax bill) using another preparation service, TaxAct will refund the relevant federal or state filing fees. The maximum refund guarantee only applies if you provided the other service the same information you used to file with TaxAct.

Additional features 

TaxAct doesn’t have a ton of additional features, like AI-powered tax assistance or real-time error tracking, that many services offer. However, it does have a few helpful features, like tax calculators and a tax credits and deductions finder.

TaxAct: Expert support/Tax professional access (9/10)

TaxAct offers solid access to experts, whether you need to ask a question or want a professional to prepare and file your return, which is why it earns a 9/10. TaxAct gives all filers access to customer support and technical assistance, but be prepared to pay extra for guidance from a tax professional.

Review of live support options

If you need help from an expert, you can add the Xpert Assist Unlimited Access package. All TaxAct experts are CPAs, enrolled agents (EAs) or tax attorneys.

Prices start at $45 for federal help (plus an additional $40 per state return) for Xpert Assist, which gets you help with DIY tax filing. You can contact experts via live chat or by scheduling a phone call. You can also opt for Xpert Full Service to have an expert prepare and file your return. Prices start at $99 and include one free state return. You can add either level of support at any time in the filing process. One thing I like is that you also have the option to purchase a single 20-minute session of expert help for $30 through the Xpert Assist - Xpress Connect feature, which is more flexible than buying a package.

Experts and product support are available from 8 a.m to 9 p.m. CST Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST Saturday and Sunday from Jan. 26 to April 12. Hours on April 15 are 8 a.m. to midnight CST. Off-season hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Monday-Friday from April 16 to Jan. 25, and closed for major holidays. 

Final verdict

TaxAct supports most federal filing situations, though complex returns require lots of manual entry. One of the best things about it is its access to tax pros. You can get help whether you have a one-time question or want an expert to handle the entire process for you. TaxAct is relatively affordable, but watch out for costly add-ons.

TaxAct Score Breakdown

Methodology: How we test and evaluate tax software

We tested each platform on mobile and desktop using the same basic tax scenarios. Here’s what we considered for each of the five categories:

Price and affordability

We looked at each price tier and how it stacked up against competitors’ similar offerings. Availability of a free option was important, but we also considered the likelihood that a user could actually file for free without being forced to upgrade. We also looked at how transparent each service was with its pricing. Services lost points if they didn’t clearly disclose costs of add-ons upfront. 

Eligibility and use cases

We tested each software using the same basic filing scenarios, including simple filing with a W-2 and the standard deduction, itemized returns, investment income, rental income and small-business/self-employment filings. We gave maximum points when a service could handle a broad range of filing situations without requiring extensive manual input or calculations. 

Experience and ease of use

The best tax filing services make preparing your return as simple as possible. To evaluate experience and ease of use, we looked at the setup process (including whether you could simplify the setup process by importing last year’s tax return or uploading your W-2). We also considered whether the service makes filing easier with an easy-to-understand interview process. Each software lost points for things that make for a poor user experience, like a confusing navigation or requiring users to start over if they downgraded to a less expensive tier.

Features

Many tax software programs have an array of tools to ensure your return is accurate and maximize your refund. We have top ratings in this category for services with robust error-checking tools, audit defense services, a maximum refund guarantee and an option to receive an advance on your refund.

Expert support and tax professional access

Pretty much every filing service lets you DIY your return, but sometimes you need professional guidance. We gave top points to services that offer access to a CPA, EA or other tax pros, as well as those that provide easy access to customer service and technical support.

Scoring approach

Each category received a score on a scale of 1 to 10. The overall score was an evenly weighted average of each category, based on performance relative to competitors and the needs of typical DIY filers, as well as those with common filing situations that require extra guidance or access to a tax professional.