TaxSlayer
Product Title: TaxSlayer
Product Description: TaxSlayer provides 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 army can file federal returns without cost. Nevertheless, you gained’t qualify for the free plan when you have dependents and the tax help doesn’t supply personalised recommendation.
Execs
- One of many least expensive choices to file complicated tax conditions
- Energetic-duty army can file a federal tax return without cost
- Can file scholar mortgage curiosity and schooling credit without cost
Cons
- Doesn’t sync with banks and brokerage accounts
- Merely Free tier doesn’t assist dependent tax credit
- Could be more durable to navigate than pricier providers
- Tax knowledgeable gained’t put together or assessment 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 have to 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 cost.
- 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 nice for individuals who need a simple to make use of, premium expertise for a decrease value. Nevertheless, in alternate for this, you’ll surrender some bells and whistles the higher-priced providers supply, resembling personalised tax recommendation.
When you anticipate to want 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 common tax help, then TaxSlayer may 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 assist dependents. Nevertheless, their paid plans are cheaper than its opponents.
This TaxSlayer assessment might help you resolve if that is one of the best ways to file your taxes.
🔃 This put up 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 cost:
- Submitting single or married submitting collectively
- No dependents
- Taxable earnings below $100,000
- Normal deduction
- W-2 earnings
- Each spouses below age 65
- Unemployment earnings
- Scholar mortgage curiosity
- Schooling 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 may file without cost. 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 provides one free federal and one free state tax return. You need to use 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. When you’ve got every other sorts of earnings, resembling 1099, enterprise earnings, rental earnings, or funding earnings, you gained’t be capable of use this plan.
It’s essential to take the usual deduction, however you may deduct scholar mortgage curiosity funds and declare schooling credit.
You may add final 12 months’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 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 Earnings Tax Credit score and Little one Tax Credit score.
This plan doesn’t embrace IRS audit help just like the paid plans. Nevertheless, 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 stand up to 1 12 months 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 coated within the Traditional plan.
You’ll additionally be capable of auto-fill your W-2 and 1099 info and e-file. You’ll additionally get a 12 months of limitless telephone and e mail assist after you file when you have further questions.
Get began with the Traditional Version
Premium
- Federal value: $42.95
- State value: $39.95
With Premium, you’ll get all the pieces 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 function will be the very best cause to improve should you want private tax recommendation whereas getting ready your return. Federal submitting charges can simply exceed $100 for on-demand tax knowledgeable entry from different suppliers. Nevertheless, the help is by way of e mail solely and is simply common tax info. When you want private recommendation to your distinctive scenario, 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, 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 embrace:
- 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 is best to select this plan. When you’ve got minimal work bills, the Traditional or Premium possibility will be ample to your tax scenario.
When you aren’t positive should you 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
When 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 provides direct deposit, and a mailed paper test 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 option to obtain your tax refund. The IRS sends most refunds inside 21 days utilizing direct deposit.
Paper Test
The second manner the IRS distributes tax refunds is by paper test. There isn’t an additional charge, however it may possibly take as much as eight weeks (56 days) to obtain your cost.
TaxSlayer Visa Debit Card
You might also 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
Further charges can apply once you reload your card at native shops or for expedited cellular test 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 may select this cost possibility should you don’t have a bank card to pay the submitting charges or don’t have the upfront money.
Buyer Assist
TaxSlayer provides the next assist choices:
- On-line data base articles
- Cellphone and e mail technical assist
- E-mail entry to a tax skilled
These important instruments will be ample for many tax conditions and assist navigate the tax interview. You gained’t be capable of 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 permits you to ask written inquiries to a tax knowledgeable. This entry is cheaper than different platforms, however the competitors could supply real-time video streaming and display sharing. The solutions may also be common tax info and shouldn’t be thought-about private recommendation.
Another excuse to improve is to get precedence technical assist. The TaxSlayer assist staff will reply to you first when you’ve issue navigating the platform.
Key Options
Listed here are among the finest options TaxSlayer provides to make submitting your return simpler.
Auto-Import
You may auto-import final 12 months’s tax return by importing a PDF doc from any tax software program. The corporate compares your credit and deductions for this 12 months and final 12 months to see should you forgot something.
TaxSlayer may autofill your W2 tax types, 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 Pro” 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 providers could allow you to share your display with a tax knowledgeable and schedule a session. Different platforms may additionally supply the knowledgeable to assessment your return or full it for you.
TaxSlayer doesn’t supply full-service help, however its decrease value will be ample should you solely have to ask questions. Remember that this service is e mail solely, and should not give personalised solutions. Tax execs give common tax recommendation. When you suppose you’ll want particular recommendation to your scenario, you could wish to contemplate a unique service.
IRS Audit Help
The TaxSlayer Traditional and Army plans supply one 12 months of IRS inquiry help. Protection begins when the IRS accepts your e-file return.
You get three years of IRS audit help once you improve to Premium or Self-Employed. If the IRS audits your return, TaxSlayer gives audit preparation help.
Nevertheless, a TaxSlayer agent gained’t present in-person illustration throughout 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 might help you discover industry-specific deductions you could overlook by selecting a less expensive plan.
You can too print off types for estimated taxes and obtain quarterly reminders you don’t miss a submitting deadline.
TaxSlayer additionally sends tax suggestions throughout the 12 months that may enable you to maximize your self-employment earnings.
Ensures
Two accuracy ensures can present peace of thoughts. These ensures are much like different on-line tax prep providers.
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 a better 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 will want to manually enter extra tax paperwork than pricier platforms like TurboTax or H&R Block.
One other platform will be well worth the greater charge when 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 cut back the likelihood of information enter errors.
TaxSlayer Cell App
The TaxSlayer app is accessible for Android and Apple gadgets.
App options embrace:
- 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 finest for easy returns that require minimal knowledge entry. You can too 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 greater than most opponents.
One recurring constructive TaxSlayer assessment is the clear pricing and the step-by-step walkthroughs for easy or complicated conditions.
Frequent destructive complaints embrace not being the best app to navigate or being the very best service when you have investments as you should manually enter all the funding earnings. This is usually a time-consuming process 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 consists of dependants and doesn’t have a most earnings restrict like TaxSlayer’s does.
You may add life tax help to any plan for $60 and converse 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 assessment of TaxAct for extra info.
Free Tax USA
Free Tax USA provides 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 assist from tax consultants who present personalised recommendation. You may contact the tax execs by way of video name, telephone, or chat.
You can too add on audit protection for $19.99.
Right here’s our full Free Tax USA assessment for extra info
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 outdoors the state you at the moment stay in, you gained’t be capable of use Money App.
It additionally doesn’t present any tax help, so should you suppose you could have questions, you gained’t be capable of use Money App.
Right here’s our full Money App Taxes assessment for extra info.
Abstract
TaxSlayer is likely one of the finest low cost software program due to its aggressive costs for complicated tax conditions. The Ask a Tax Professional is an reasonably priced possibility too.
One other platform could make it simpler to file your taxes without cost when you have dependents. Traders with many tax paperwork could favor spending the additional cash and utilizing TurboTax that syncs with most monetary establishments to save lots of time.
