You only pay at the end when filing your federal and state tax returns. If you need help from a human, TurboTax offers additional virtual services via chat, phone, and video. As you prepare your return, you can connect to an expert virtually via the Bookstime Live Assisted service to ask questions and get a final review of your return. Pricing depends on your return’s complexity and the product version you’re using.
Tax filing options
TurboTax has everything from simple returns to advanced options for self-employed, freelancers, and small business owners. They also like the simple design that makes filing taxes a breeze. From my experience, the step-by-step prompts and FAQs were super helpful and made the whole process less scary. The availability of certified tax pros, including the option to connect with a CPA or EA for extra help is one of the features that puts TurboTax ahead of many others.
How to File Taxes with a Missing W-2
Remember that you have to pay a separate fee for each state you need to file in. However, there is also an intangible cost, which is the time you’re taking to prepare your taxes and the risk that you could still get something wrong, which could incur potential penalties and interest down the road. The backup withholding rate is currently 24% for tax years 2024 and 2025. Are you an independent contractor, freelancer, or business owner?
If you have a simple Form 1040 return only, you could be eligible to file for $0.
The final output produces star ratings from poor (1 star) to excellent (5 stars). For more details about the categories considered when rating tax software and our process, read our full methodology. One of TurboTax’s most notable features is its contextual help in the form of videos, expandable sidebar information, and embedded links throughout the program that offer tips, explainers and other resources. Help buttons can also connect you to the searchable knowledge base, on-screen help and more.
State Credits
- Keep in mind that these prices fluctuate, and tend to increase as the tax-filing deadline approaches.
- Being an online platform, TurboTax strives to make your tax filing process as seamless and easy as possible.
- The first thing you’ll see after you sign up for TurboTax is a screen with twelve options that you can select.
- We evaluate each tax software based on specific features and the actual experience of filing taxes using those features.
Many complaints revolve around the fees this platform charges for optional features that other tax software may offer for free. TurboTax offers several different pricing plans, from self-service to a full hands-on approach. Your pricing depends on the complexity of your return and which filing option you choose. TurboTax has debuted a new AI-powered Intuit Assist feature for tax season 2025. Among other time-saving tasks, the tool searches assets = liabilities + equity “millions of data points” to find deductions and credits you qualify for that could reduce what you owe or boost your refund. Individual filers are also guaranteed to receive their maximum refund with TurboTax.
- Many, or all, of the products featured on this page are from our advertising partners who compensate us when you take certain actions on our website or click to take an action on their website.
- TurboTax might be the right tax filing software for you—if you don’t mind navigating lots of invitations to upgrade or add on extra features.
- PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
- If you’re someone who wants the white-glove treatment and to be sure everything is correct, then perhaps TurboTax’s Full Service is the right option for you.
- TurboTax’s Deluxe plan searches for over 350 deductions and credits that you can benefit from.
- You’ll start by answering basic questions such as your name, address and Social Security number.
- Quickbooks software information can be directly imported into your TurboTax filing program since Intuit owns both programs.
Keep track of which docs you’ll need when it’s time to file taxes. TurboTax offers an AI chatbot that responds to you as if it were a real person. You can enter a question or phrase, and the bot responds directly. This tool seemed gimmicky when I first tried it a few years ago, but it has steadily improved over the years and now provides clear, focused responses. The site is conversant and uses casual and understandable language. When we were working through the 1040, we were rarely at a loss about what came next, thanks to helpful navigation cues on every page.
