TaxSlayer
Product Identify: TaxSlayer
Product Description: TaxSlayer provides cheap tax prep. It is Basic 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 army can file federal returns without spending a dime. Nonetheless, you received’t qualify for the free plan you probably have dependents and the tax help doesn’t provide personalised recommendation.
Professionals
- One of many least expensive choices to file advanced tax conditions
- Energetic-duty army can file a federal tax return without spending a dime
- Can file scholar mortgage curiosity and training credit without spending a dime
Cons
- Doesn’t sync with banks and brokerage accounts
- Merely Free tier doesn’t help dependent tax credit
- Might be more durable to navigate than pricier companies
- Tax skilled received’t put together or assessment your return
At a Look
- The Basic plan covers all tax conditions for under $22.95 for federal returns and $39.95 for state returns.
- You should be below 65, earn below $100,000, and never have any dependents to qualify for the free plan.
- Energetic army can file a federal return without spending a dime.
- Tax help is electronic 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. Nonetheless, in alternate for this, you’ll hand over some bells and whistles the higher-priced companies provide, akin to personalised tax recommendation.
If you happen to count on to wish to talk to a tax professional, you’ll wish to select one other service. However in case you are assured that you may file with simply normal tax help, then TaxSlayer might prevent cash whereas offering an easy-to-use interface.
TaxSlayer Alternate options
Submitting taxes is an annual ritual that almost all of us hope to complete shortly and cheaply.
TaxSlayer provides 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 inexpensive than its rivals.
This TaxSlayer assessment can assist you determine if that is one of the best 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 permits you to file these easy tax returns without spending a dime:
- Submitting single or married submitting collectively
- No dependents
- Taxable earnings below $100,000
- Customary deduction
- W-2 earnings
- Each spouses below age 65
- Unemployment earnings
- Pupil mortgage curiosity
- Training bills
- Taxable curiosity of $1,500 or much less
Principally, should you solely have a W-2 or unemployment earnings, earn lower than $100,000, don’t have any dependents,m and are below age 65, you possibly can file without spending a dime. This contains 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 provides one free federal and one free state tax return. You should utilize this plan in case your taxable earnings is below $100,000, you declare the usual deduction, and also you don’t have any dependents. It’s essential 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 some other varieties of earnings, akin to 1099, enterprise earnings, rental earnings, or funding earnings, you received’t be capable of use this plan.
It’s essential to take the usual deduction, however you possibly can deduct scholar mortgage curiosity funds and declare training credit.
You possibly can add final yr’s return and get limitless cellphone and electronic mail technical help, and TaxSlayer will auto-fill your W-2 type to forestall 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 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 pink flag due to their simplicity.
Get began with the Merely Free Version
Army
- Federal value: $0
- State value: $39.95
Federal returns are free should 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 rise up to at least one yr of IRS inquiry help.
Get began with the Army Version
Basic
- Federal value: $22.95
- State value: $39.95
The TaxSlayer Basic covers all tax conditions with no restrictions. All earnings varieties, deductions, and credit are coated within the Basic plan.
You’ll additionally be capable of auto-fill your W-2 and 1099 data and e-file. You’ll additionally get a yr of limitless cellphone and electronic mail help after you file you probably have extra questions.
Get began with the Basic Version
Premium
- Federal value: $42.95
- State value: $39.95
With Premium, you’ll get all the things from Basic, plus:
- Ask a Tax Professional for one-on-one tax steerage
- Stay 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 motive to improve should you want private tax recommendation whereas making ready your return. Federal submitting charges can simply exceed $100 for on-demand tax skilled entry from different suppliers. Nonetheless, the help is by way of electronic mail solely and is barely normal tax data. If you happen to want private recommendation to your distinctive state of affairs, chances are you’ll want to decide on one other software program.
You additionally rise 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, facet hustlers, and the full-time self-employed can profit from the Self-Employed plan to file your Schedule C.
The service also can ship quarterly reminders for estimated taxes.
Plan advantages embody:
- Ask a Tax Professional entry
- Limitless cellphone, dwell chat and electronic mail technical help
- Estimated quarterly tax fee reminders
- As much as three years of IRS audit protection
- Self-employment earnings and deduction steerage
Receiving a 1099 type for facet hustle earnings doesn’t essentially imply it is best to select this plan. If in case you have minimal work bills, the Basic or Premium choice will be enough to your tax state of affairs.
If you happen to aren’t positive should you want the Self-Employed plan or if Basic will suffice, begin with Basic and improve to Self-Employed if it’s important to.
Get began with the Self Employed Version
Refund Choices
If you happen to’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 provides direct deposit, and a mailed paper verify should 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 technique to obtain your tax refund. The IRS sends most refunds inside 21 days utilizing direct deposit.
Paper Examine
The second method the IRS distributes tax refunds is by paper verify. There isn’t an additional price, however it might probably 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.
This can be a reloadable pay as you go debit card with no month-to-month service charges.
The cardboard additionally contains these options you should use after getting your tax refund:
- Free ASAP Direct Deposit
- No overdraft charges
- ATM entry
- Cell app
Further charges can apply while you reload your card at native shops or for expedited cellular verify deposits.
File and Go
For a further price of $39.99, you possibly can 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 steadiness is deposited into your linked checking account or pay as you go debit card.
You would possibly select this fee choice should you don’t have a bank card to pay the submitting charges or don’t have the upfront money.
Buyer Help
TaxSlayer provides the next help choices:
- On-line data base articles
- Cellphone and electronic 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 received’t be capable of obtain private tax steerage until you improve your plan, however you possibly can analysis your questions on-line.
Upgrading to the Premium or Self-Employed model permits 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 sharing. The solutions will even be normal tax data and shouldn’t be thought of private recommendation.
Another excuse to improve is to get precedence technical help. The TaxSlayer help crew will reply to you first when you may have problem navigating the platform.
Key Options
Listed here are among the finest options TaxSlayer provides to make submitting your return simpler.
Auto-Import
You possibly can 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 should you forgot something.
TaxSlayer also can 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 possibly can submit questions on-line to an IRS-certified tax skilled and obtain a solution by way of electronic mail or on the TaxSlayer platform.
Pricier companies might allow you to share your display with a tax skilled and schedule a session. Different platforms can also provide the skilled to assessment your return or full it for you.
TaxSlayer doesn’t provide full-service help, however its decrease value will be enough should you solely have to ask questions. Needless to say this service is electronic mail solely, and will not give personalised solutions. Tax professionals give normal tax recommendation. If you happen to assume you’ll want particular recommendation to your state of affairs, chances are you’ll wish to take into account a unique service.
IRS Audit Help
The TaxSlayer Basic 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 while you improve to Premium or Self-Employed. If the IRS audits your return, TaxSlayer gives audit preparation help.
Nonetheless, a TaxSlayer agent received’t present in-person illustration in the course of the audit course of.
Self-Employed Assist
Much 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 chances are you’ll 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 ideas in the course of the yr that may make it easier to 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 resulting from 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 Straightforward to Use?
The TaxSlayer platform will be straightforward to make use of, however you have to to manually enter extra tax paperwork than pricier platforms like TurboTax or H&R Block.
One other platform will be well worth the larger price 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 chance of information 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 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 finest for easy returns that require minimal knowledge 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 legit app to file your taxes at a low worth. The service has a 4.2 out of 5 Trustpilot rating, which is larger than most rivals.
One recurring optimistic TaxSlayer assessment is the clear pricing and the step-by-step walkthroughs for easy or advanced conditions.
Widespread destructive complaints embody not being the best app to navigate or being one of the best service you probably have investments as you could manually enter the entire funding earnings. This is usually a time-consuming activity should you bought a number of shares or use a number of brokers.
TaxSlayer Alternate options
TaxAct
TaxAct is probably going TaxSlayer’s closest competitor. Its paid plans are barely dearer, however the free model contains dependants and doesn’t have a most earnings restrict like TaxSlayer’s does.
You possibly can add life tax help to any plan for $60 and converse to a tax professional over the cellphone and obtain personalised recommendation, which you’ll be able to’t do with TaxSlayer.
Right here’s our full assessment of TaxAct for extra data.
Free Tax USA
Free Tax USA provides free federal returns for all tax conditions, and state returns are solely $14.99 every. You possibly can improve and add on tax help for $39.99 to obtain help from tax consultants who present personalised recommendation. You possibly can 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 assessment for extra data
Money App Taxes
Money App Taxes has free tax prep for all conditions, together with free state returns. Its largest limitation is that you may’t file in a number of states. So should you earned earnings exterior the state you at the moment dwell in, you received’t be capable of use Money App.
It additionally doesn’t present any tax help, so should you assume you might have questions, you received’t be capable of use Money App.
Right here’s our full Money App Taxes assessment for extra data.
Abstract
TaxSlayer is without doubt one of the finest low cost software program due to its aggressive costs for advanced tax conditions. The Ask a Tax Professional is an inexpensive choice too.
One other platform might make it simpler to file your taxes without spending a dime 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 avoid wasting time.