
I've used this software myself and typically find it to offer a great overall experience. The first software I tried was market leader TurboTax. W-2 income unemployment income retirement distributions interest and dividend income earned income tax credit child tax credit
Upgradeable for instant access to a tax expert. Completely free option for simple tax situations at any income level (not all taxpayers qualify). It's especially valuable for self-employed filers who use QuickBooks integration. TurboTax is the most expensive option for filing taxes online, but offers a high-quality user interface and access to experts. Saving time when importing and uploading forms. But, if cost is your top concern, TaxSlayer is the winner. I found the TurboTax experience superior enough that I would be willing to pay more for it than TaxSlayer. I was surprised to find that TurboTax did save me quite a bit of time compared to TaxSlayer due to document upload capabilities and its connections to banks and investment companies. For those who don't mind doing a little more manual entry to save money on their tax return, TaxSlayer does the job just fine.īefore trying both platforms, I expected a fairly similar user experience.
If your focus is on doing your taxes as quickly and efficiently as possible with the smoothest user experience, TurboTax is definitely a better choice. Here's how TurboTax and TaxSlayer compare on costs, user experience, and refund or tax bill results.
I also like doing my taxes twice to make sure the results match, which they should regardless of which tax software you use. While TurboTax is a recognized market leader, it isn't the cheapest option and may not be perfect for everyone.Īfter doing my personal taxes with Credit Karma, TurboTax, and H&R Block over the last few years, I decided I'd try TaxSlayer as a low-cost option that I've seen recommended when browsing online forums on taxes and other financial topics. TurboTax and TaxSlayer both offer popular online products for doing your taxes.
See Personal Finance Insider's picks for the best tax software ». TurboTax is best for those who need more help, while TaxSlayer is great for those who are familiar with taxes. TaxSlayer is a smaller tax prep service that offers a similar product at a lower cost. TurboTax is the market leader in tax preparation but comes with a premium price. In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners however, our opinions are our own. Our experts answer readers' tax questions and write unbiased product reviews ( here's how we assess tax products).