Options, Costs, Execs and Cons

Submitting taxes is an annual ritual that the majority of us hope to complete shortly and cheaply.

TaxSlayer presents low-cost, on-line tax prep. Their free model isn’t as complete as different platforms, for instance it doesn’t help dependents. Nonetheless, their paid plans are cheaper than its opponents.

This TaxSlayer evaluate may help you resolve if that is one of the simplest ways to file your taxes.

🔃 This submit was up to date on 01/04/2025 with the brand new 2025 pricing.

Is TaxSlayer Actually Free?

TaxSlayer allows you to file these easy tax returns free of charge:

• Submitting single or married submitting collectively
• No dependents
• Taxable revenue beneath $100,000
• Customary deduction
• W-2 revenue
• Each spouses beneath age 65
• Unemployment revenue
• Scholar mortgage curiosity
• Schooling bills
• Taxable curiosity of $1,500 or much less

Principally, in case you solely have a W-2 or unemployment revenue, earn lower than $100,000, don’t have any dependents,m and are beneath age 65, you may file free of charge. This consists of each federal and one state.

TaxSlayer Pricing

The TaxSlayer submitting charges will be cheaper than most tax software program for federal and state returns.

Merely Free

• Federal value:$0
• State value:$0

The Merely Free plan presents one free federal and one free state tax return. You should use this plan in case your taxable revenue is beneath $100,000, you declare the usual deduction, and also you don’t have any dependents. You will need to additionally file both single or married submitting collectively.

It covers W-2, unemployment, and curiosity revenue as much as $1,500. When you have another sorts of revenue, corresponding to 1099, enterprise revenue, rental revenue, or funding revenue, you gained’t be capable to use this plan.

You will need to take the usual deduction, however you may deduct scholar mortgage curiosity funds and declare schooling credit.

You may add final yr’s return and get limitless cellphone and e-mail technical help, and TaxSlayer will auto-fill your W-2 kind to stop reporting errors.

This free submitting possibility helps fewer tax conditions than many different tax software program. For instance, different platforms allow you to declare widespread tax credit for dependents, just like the Earned Revenue Tax Credit score and Youngster Tax Credit score.

This plan doesn’t embody IRS audit help just like the paid plans. Nonetheless, these returns are unlikely to trigger an audit purple flag due to their simplicity.

Get began with the Merely Free Version

Navy

• Federal value:$0
• State value:$39.95

Federal returns are free in case you’re an active-duty servicemember, however every state return prices the usual $39.95.

All tax conditions are included. No restrictions. You’ll additionally stand up to at least one yr of IRS inquiry help.

Get began with the Navy Version

Basic

• Federal value:$22.95
• State value:$39.95

The TaxSlayer Basic covers all tax conditions with no restrictions. All revenue sorts, deductions, and credit are coated within the Basic plan.

You’ll additionally be capable to auto-fill your W-2 and 1099 info and e-file. You’ll additionally get a yr of limitless cellphone and e-mail help after you file in case you have further questions.

Get began with the Basic Version

Premium

• Federal value:$42.95
• State value:$39.95

With Premium, you’ll get all the pieces from Basic, plus:

• Ask a Tax Professional for one-on-one tax steering
• Reside chat technical help
• Precedence buyer help
• As much as three years of IRS audit help

The Ask a Tax Professional function will be one of the best purpose to improve in case you want private tax recommendation whereas making ready your return. Federal submitting charges can simply exceed $100 for on-demand tax knowledgeable entry from different suppliers. Nonetheless, the help is by way of e-mail solely and is simply basic tax info. In case you want private recommendation on your distinctive state of affairs, you could want to decide on one other software program.

You additionally stand up to 3 years of help if the IRS audits your federal tax return.

Get began with the Premium Version

Self-Employed

• Federal value:$52.95
• State value:$39.95

Freelancers, aspect hustlers, and the full-time self-employed can profit from the Self-Employed plan to file your Schedule C.

The service can even ship quarterly reminders for estimated taxes.

Plan advantages embody:

• Ask a Tax Professional entry
• Limitless cellphone, dwell chat and e-mail technical help
• Estimated quarterly tax fee reminders
• As much as three years of IRS audit protection
• Self-employment revenue and deduction steering

Receiving a 1099 kind for aspect hustle revenue doesn’t essentially imply it is best to select this plan. When you have minimal work bills, the Basic or Premium possibility will be enough on your tax state of affairs.

In case you aren’t positive in case you want the Self-Employed plan or if Basic will suffice, begin with Basic and improve to Self-Employed if it’s a must to.

Get began with the Self Employed Version

Refund Choices

In case you’re eligible to obtain a federal tax refund, there are a number of methods to obtain it. TaxSlayer e-files your return and helps observe your refund standing.

Direct Deposit

All on-line tax software program presents direct deposit, and a mailed paper verify in case you pay your tax prep charges upfront. These are the 2 default supply choices from the IRS.

Direct deposit will be the quickest and best method to obtain your tax refund. The IRS sends most refunds inside 21 days utilizing direct deposit.

Paper Verify

The second approach the IRS distributes tax refunds is by paper verify. There isn’t an additional charge, however it may well take as much as eight weeks (56 days) to obtain your fee.

TaxSlayer Visa Debit Card

You may additionally select to obtain your refund on a TaxSlayer Visa Debit Card Powered by GreenDot.

It is a reloadable pay as you go debit card with no month-to-month service charges.

The cardboard additionally consists of these options you need to use after getting your tax refund:

• Free ASAP Direct Deposit
• No overdraft charges
• ATM entry
• Cellular app

Additional charges can apply whenever you reload your card at native shops or for expedited cellular verify deposits.

File and Go

For an extra charge of $39.99, you may deduct your TaxSlayer charges out of your tax refund with the File and Go possibility. The IRS deposits your refund into an escrow account run by Civista Financial institution (FDIC #12982).

TaxSlayer withholds your tax prep charges and the remaining stability is deposited into your linked checking account or pay as you go debit card.

You would possibly select this fee possibility in case you don’t have a bank card to pay the submitting charges or don’t have the upfront money.

Buyer Help

TaxSlayer presents the next help choices:

• On-line data base articles
• Cellphone and e-mail technical help
• E-mail entry to a tax skilled

These important instruments will be enough for many tax conditions and assist navigate the tax interview. You gained’t be capable to obtain private tax steering until you improve your plan, however you may analysis your questions on-line.

Upgrading to the Premium or Self-Employed model allows you to ask written inquiries to a tax knowledgeable. This entry is cheaper than different platforms, however the competitors might provide real-time video streaming and display sharing. The solutions can even be basic tax info and shouldn’t be thought-about private recommendation.

One more reason to improve is to get precedence technical help. The TaxSlayer help group will reply to you first when you could have problem navigating the platform.

Key Options

Listed below are a number of the greatest options TaxSlayer presents to make submitting your return simpler.

Auto-Import

You may auto-import final yr’s tax return by importing a PDF doc from any tax software program. The corporate compares your credit and deductions for this yr and final yr to see in case you forgot something.

TaxSlayer can even autofill your W2 tax kinds, which reduces the probability of overlooking a field or mistyping a quantity.

Sadly, TaxSlayer doesn’t add funding paperwork.

Ask a Tax Professional

The Premium and Self-Employed plans include limitless “Ask a Tax Professional” entry.

You may submit questions on-line to an IRS-certified tax knowledgeable and obtain a solution by way of e-mail or on the TaxSlayer platform.

Pricier companies might allow you to share your display with a tax knowledgeable and schedule a session. Different platforms may additionally provide the knowledgeable to evaluate your return or full it for you.

TaxSlayer doesn’t provide full-service help, however its decrease value will be enough in case you solely have to ask questions. Understand that this service is e-mail solely, and should not give customized solutions. Tax professionals give basic tax recommendation. In case you assume you’ll want particular recommendation on your state of affairs, you could need to contemplate a distinct service.

IRS Audit Help

The TaxSlayer Basic and Navy plans provide one yr of IRS inquiry help. Protection begins when the IRS accepts your e-file return.

You get three years of IRS audit help whenever you improve to Premium or Self-Employed. If the IRS audits your return, TaxSlayer supplies audit preparation help.

Nonetheless, a TaxSlayer agent gained’t present in-person illustration in the course of the audit course of.

Self-Employed Assist

Just like different on-line applications, selecting the Self-Employed tier supplies particular instruments that cheaper ranges don’t.

For instance, the TaxSlayer tax interview wizard may help you discover industry-specific deductions you could overlook by selecting a less expensive plan.

You too can print off kinds for estimated taxes and obtain quarterly reminders you don’t miss a submitting deadline.

TaxSlayer additionally sends tax suggestions in the course of the yr that may enable you to maximize your self-employment revenue.

Ensures

Two accuracy ensures can present peace of thoughts. These ensures are much like different on-line tax prep companies.

100% Accuracy Assure:TaxSlayer reimburses any federal or state penalties and curiosity because of a calculation error.

Most Refund Assure: You may get a refund of your TaxSlayer charges if one other tax software program calculates the next refund or smaller tax legal responsibility utilizing the identical info.

Is TaxSlayer Straightforward to Use?

The TaxSlayer platform will be simple to make use of, however you’ll need to manually enter extra tax paperwork than pricier platforms like TurboTax or H&R Block.

One other platform will be well worth the larger charge in case you have a number of brokerage statements to enter or have a number of funding gross sales to report. The auto-import comfort can prevent time and scale back the likelihood of knowledge enter errors.

TaxSlayer Cellular App

The TaxSlayer app is out there for Android and Apple gadgets.

App options embody:

• W-2 import
• Tax assist articles
• Cellphone technical help
• Tax refund estimator

As a result of TaxSlayer doesn’t import tax paperwork from banks and low cost brokers, the app could also be greatest for easy returns that require minimal information entry. You too can begin your return utilizing the app and full the return on a pc that may be simpler to make use of.

Is TaxSlayer Legit?

TaxSlayer is a reputable app to file your taxes at a low value. The service has a 4.2 out of 5 Trustpilot rating, which is larger than most opponents.

One recurring constructive TaxSlayer evaluate is the clear pricing and the step-by-step walkthroughs for easy or advanced conditions.

Widespread destructive complaints embody not being the simplest app to navigate or being one of the best service in case you have investments as you will need to manually enter the entire funding revenue. This is usually a time-consuming activity in case you bought a number of shares or use a number of brokers.

TaxSlayer Options

TaxAct

TaxAct is probably going TaxSlayer’s closest competitor. Its paid plans are barely dearer, however the free model consists of dependants and doesn’t have a most revenue restrict like TaxSlayer’s does.

You may add life tax help to any plan for $60 and communicate to a tax professional over the cellphone and obtain customized recommendation, which you’ll be able to’t do with TaxSlayer.

Right here’s our full evaluate of TaxAct for extra info.

Go to TaxAct

Free Tax USA

Free Tax USA presents free federal returns for all tax conditions, and state returns are solely $14.99 every. You may improve and add on tax help for $39.99 to obtain help from tax specialists who present customized recommendation. You may contact the tax professionals by way of video name, cellphone, or chat.

You too can add on audit protection for $19.99.

Right here’s our full Free Tax USA evaluate for extra info

Go to Free Tax USA

Money App Taxes

Money App Taxes has free tax prep for all conditions, together with free state returns. Its largest limitation is that you would be able to’t file in a number of states. So in case you earned revenue outdoors the state you at present dwell in, you gained’t be capable to use Money App.

It additionally doesn’t present any tax help, so in case you assume you could have questions, you gained’t be capable to use Money App.

Right here’s our full Money App Taxes evaluate for extra info.

Go to Money App Taxes

Abstract

TaxSlayer is without doubt one of the greatest low cost software program due to its aggressive costs for advanced tax conditions. The Ask a Tax Professional is an inexpensive possibility too.

One other platform might make it simpler to file your taxes free of charge in case you have dependents. Traders with many tax paperwork might desire spending the additional cash and utilizing TurboTax that syncs with most monetary establishments to save lots of time.