TaxSlayer
Product Identify: TaxSlayer
Product Description: TaxSlayer presents cheap tax prep. It is Traditional plan covers all tax conditions for under $22.95 for federal and $39.95 for state returns.
Abstract
TaxSlayer has cheap plans and covers all tax conditions, plus energetic navy can file federal returns totally free. Nevertheless, you received’t qualify for the free plan you probably have dependents and the tax help doesn’t provide personalised recommendation.
Execs
- One of many most cost-effective choices to file advanced tax conditions
- Lively-duty navy can file a federal tax return totally free
- Can file scholar mortgage curiosity and training credit totally free
Cons
- Doesn’t sync with banks and brokerage accounts
- Merely Free tier doesn’t assist dependent tax credit
- May be more durable to navigate than pricier companies
- Tax skilled received’t put together or evaluate your return
At a Look
- The Traditional plan covers all tax conditions for under $22.95 for federal returns and $39.95 for state returns.
- You should be beneath 65, earn beneath $100,000, and never have any dependents to qualify for the free plan.
- Lively navy can file a federal return totally free.
- Tax help is e mail solely and doesn’t present personalised recommendation.
- Audit inquiry help is included in all paid plans.
Who Ought to Use TaxSlayer
TaxSlayer is sweet for many who need a simple to make use of, premium expertise for a decrease value. Nevertheless, in change for this, you’ll hand over some bells and whistles the higher-priced companies provide, comparable to personalised tax recommendation.
Should you anticipate to wish to talk to a tax professional, you’ll wish to select one other service. However in case you are assured which you can file with simply basic tax help, then TaxSlayer may prevent cash whereas offering an easy-to-use interface.
TaxSlayer Options
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 assist dependents. Nevertheless, their paid plans are cheaper than its rivals.
This TaxSlayer evaluate can assist you determine 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.
Desk of Contents
Is TaxSlayer Actually Free?
TaxSlayer enables you to file these easy tax returns totally free:
- Submitting single or married submitting collectively
- No dependents
- Taxable earnings beneath $100,000
- Normal deduction
- W-2 earnings
- Each spouses beneath age 65
- Unemployment earnings
- Scholar mortgage curiosity
- Schooling bills
- Taxable curiosity of $1,500 or much less
Principally, if you happen to solely have a W-2 or unemployment earnings, earn lower than $100,000, don’t have any dependents,m and are beneath age 65, you may file totally free. 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 earnings is beneath $100,000, you declare the usual deduction, and also you don’t have any dependents. You have to additionally file both single or married submitting collectively.
It covers W-2, unemployment, and curiosity earnings as much as $1,500. If in case you have every other varieties of earnings, comparable to 1099, enterprise earnings, rental earnings, or funding earnings, you received’t be capable to use this plan.
You have to take the usual deduction, however you may deduct scholar mortgage curiosity funds and declare training credit.
You’ll be able to add final yr’s return and get limitless telephone and e mail technical assist, and TaxSlayer will auto-fill your W-2 kind to stop reporting errors.
This free submitting choice helps fewer tax conditions than many different tax software program. For instance, different platforms allow you to declare frequent tax credit for dependents, just like the Earned Earnings Tax Credit score and Little one Tax Credit score.
This plan doesn’t embody IRS audit help just like the paid plans. Nevertheless, these returns are unlikely to trigger an audit purple flag due to their simplicity.
Get began with the Merely Free Version
Army
- Federal value: $0
- State value: $39.95
Federal returns are free if you happen to’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 Army Version
Traditional
- Federal value: $22.95
- State value: $39.95
The TaxSlayer Traditional covers all tax conditions with no restrictions. All earnings varieties, deductions, and credit are lined within the Traditional plan.
You’ll additionally be capable to auto-fill your W-2 and 1099 data and e-file. You’ll additionally get a yr of limitless telephone and e mail assist after you file you probably have further questions.
Get began with the Traditional Version
Premium
- Federal value: $42.95
- State value: $39.95
With Premium, you’ll get every little thing from Traditional, plus:
- Ask a Tax Professional for one-on-one tax steering
- Stay chat technical assist
- Precedence buyer assist
- As much as three years of IRS audit help
The Ask a Tax Professional characteristic will be the most effective motive to improve if you happen to want private tax recommendation whereas getting ready your return. Federal submitting charges can simply exceed $100 for on-demand tax skilled entry from different suppliers. Nevertheless, the help is by way of e mail solely and is just basic tax data. Should 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 a few 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, facet hustlers, and the full-time self-employed can profit from the Self-Employed plan to file your Schedule C.
The service may ship quarterly reminders for estimated taxes.
Plan advantages embody:
- Ask a Tax Professional entry
- Limitless telephone, stay chat and e mail technical assist
- Estimated quarterly tax cost reminders
- As much as three years of IRS audit protection
- Self-employment earnings and deduction steering
Receiving a 1099 kind for facet hustle earnings doesn’t essentially imply it’s best to select this plan. If in case you have minimal work bills, the Traditional or Premium choice will be ample on your tax state of affairs.
Should you aren’t certain if you happen to want the Self-Employed plan or if Traditional will suffice, begin with Traditional and improve to Self-Employed if you need to.
Get began with the Self Employed Version
Refund Choices
Should 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 monitor your refund standing.
Direct Deposit
All on-line tax software program presents direct deposit, and a mailed paper examine if you happen to pay your tax prep charges upfront. These are the 2 default supply choices from the IRS.
Direct deposit will be the quickest and best solution to obtain your tax refund. The IRS sends most refunds inside 21 days utilizing direct deposit.
Paper Verify
The second method the IRS distributes tax refunds is by paper examine. There isn’t an additional payment, however it will possibly take as much as eight weeks (56 days) to obtain your cost.
TaxSlayer Visa Debit Card
You may additionally select to obtain your refund on a TaxSlayer Visa Debit Card Powered by GreenDot.
This can be a reloadable pay as you go debit card with no month-to-month service charges.
The cardboard additionally consists of these options you should use after getting your tax refund:
- Free ASAP Direct Deposit
- No overdraft charges
- ATM entry
- Cell app
Additional charges can apply whenever you reload your card at native shops or for expedited cellular examine deposits.
File and Go
For a further payment of $39.99, you may deduct your TaxSlayer charges out of your tax refund with the File and Go choice. 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 cost choice if you happen to don’t have a bank card to pay the submitting charges or don’t have the upfront money.
Buyer Help
TaxSlayer presents the next assist choices:
- On-line information base articles
- Cellphone and e mail technical assist
- Electronic mail entry to a tax skilled
These important instruments will be ample for many tax conditions and assist navigate the tax interview. You received’t be capable to obtain private tax steering except you improve your plan, however you may analysis your questions on-line.
Upgrading to the Premium or Self-Employed model enables you to ask written inquiries to a tax skilled. This entry is cheaper than different platforms, however the competitors might provide real-time video streaming and display screen sharing. The solutions can even be basic tax data and shouldn’t be thought of private recommendation.
One more reason to improve is to get precedence technical assist. The TaxSlayer assist crew will reply to you first when you may have issue navigating the platform.
Key Options
Listed here are a number of the greatest options TaxSlayer presents to make submitting your return simpler.
Auto-Import
You’ll be able to 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 if you happen to forgot something.
TaxSlayer may autofill your W2 tax kinds, which reduces the chance 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’ll be able to submit questions on-line to an IRS-certified tax skilled and obtain a solution by way of e mail or on the TaxSlayer platform.
Pricier companies might allow you to share your display screen with a tax skilled and schedule a session. Different platforms can also provide the skilled to evaluate your return or full it for you.
TaxSlayer doesn’t provide full-service help, however its decrease value will be ample if you happen to solely must ask questions. Take into account that this service is e mail solely, and should not give personalised solutions. Tax execs give basic tax recommendation. Should you assume you’ll want particular recommendation on your state of affairs, you could wish to contemplate a special service.
IRS Audit Help
The TaxSlayer Traditional and Army 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 gives audit preparation help.
Nevertheless, a TaxSlayer agent received’t present in-person illustration in the course of the audit course of.
Self-Employed Assist
Just like different on-line packages, selecting the Self-Employed tier gives particular instruments that cheaper ranges don’t.
For instance, the TaxSlayer tax interview wizard can assist 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 assist you maximize your self-employment earnings.
Ensures
Two accuracy ensures can present peace of thoughts. These ensures are just like different on-line tax prep companies.
100% Accuracy Assure: TaxSlayer reimburses any federal or state penalties and curiosity on account 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 data.
Is TaxSlayer Simple to Use?
The TaxSlayer platform will be simple to make use of, however you will have to manually enter extra tax paperwork than pricier platforms like TurboTax or H&R Block.
One other platform will be well worth the greater payment you probably 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 Cell App
The TaxSlayer app is out there for Android and Apple gadgets.
App options embody:
- W-2 import
- Tax assist articles
- Cellphone technical assist
- 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 greater than most rivals.
One recurring constructive TaxSlayer evaluate is the clear pricing and the step-by-step walkthroughs for easy or advanced conditions.
Frequent destructive complaints embody not being the best app to navigate or being the most effective service you probably have investments as you could manually enter the entire funding earnings. This generally is a time-consuming activity if you happen to 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 earnings restrict like TaxSlayer’s does.
You’ll be able to add life tax help to any plan for $60 and communicate to a tax professional over the telephone and obtain personalised recommendation, which you’ll be able to’t do with TaxSlayer.
Right here’s our full evaluate of TaxAct for extra data.
Free Tax USA
Free Tax USA presents free federal returns for all tax conditions, and state returns are solely $14.99 every. You’ll be able to improve and add on tax help for $39.99 to obtain assist from tax specialists who present personalised recommendation. You’ll be able to contact the tax execs by way of video name, telephone, or chat.
You too can add on audit protection for $19.99.
Right here’s our full Free Tax USA evaluate for extra data
Money App Taxes
Money App Taxes has free tax prep for all conditions, together with free state returns. Its greatest limitation is which you can’t file in a number of states. So if you happen to earned earnings outdoors the state you at present stay in, you received’t be capable to use Money App.
It additionally doesn’t present any tax help, so if you happen to assume you’ll have questions, you received’t be capable to use Money App.
Right here’s our full Money App Taxes evaluate for extra data.
Abstract
TaxSlayer is likely one of the greatest low cost software program due to its aggressive costs for advanced tax conditions. The Ask a Tax Professional is an reasonably priced choice too.
One other platform might make it simpler to file your taxes totally free you probably have dependents. Buyers with many tax paperwork might desire spending the additional cash and utilizing TurboTax that syncs with most monetary establishments to save lots of time.
