Why Use Online Tax Software?

Preparing taxes with a booklet, a pile of receipts and pay stubs and a blank tax form can be a confusing and frustrating experience. While paying a tax professional to prepare your returns can get extremely expensive. However, a top-notch tax service can gently guide you through the process of preparing your taxes and offer financial and tax advice.

A complete tax service offers far more than just tax forms and information, but may also provide:

Tax Software, including:

• Online filing
• State forms
• Error and deduction checks
• Imports information from popular accounting programs
• Full-text IRS publications
• Phone contact with professional tax preparers

• Retirement planning
• Family tax strategies
• Home ownership/rental information
• Stock, bond and mutual fund tax counsel
• Small business advice

In this site, you'll find articles, on tax subjects, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which online tax service is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS-We do the research so you don't have to.™

What to Look for in Online Tax Software

Since many people have panic attacks on tax day, tax programs need to be easy to use and satisfy every area of potential anxiety and doubt. The service should provide helpful and accurate customer service as well as financial and tax advice.Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank Tax Software:

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank Online Tax Software:

• Intuitive Navigation – Preparing and filing taxes is intimidating enough without having to deal with a complicated and illogical program. The website should have helpful drop-down menus, useful icons and assessable definitions and help.
• Novice-Friendly – The interface should be easy to use, the first time, even for new computer users and inexperienced tax filers. Tax services should be all-inclusive, provide information on current tax laws and offer clear terminology for tax jargon. They should also offer error-proofing to limit possible mistakes or omissions by the novice tax preparer.
• Ease of Installation/Setup – An application, if needed, should install quickly and easily. An online service should be easy to access and provide quick service.
• Feature Set – The feature set is the collection of tools and capabilities the program offers. A good service offers everything needed to file a complete and accurate return. Some offer state tax forms and financial advice as well. An exceptional service offers all of the previously mentioned plus IRS publications, imports from other programs, checks error and deductions and provides audit defense.
• Help/Documentation/Search – Tax preparation services should provide in-depth, easy to understand help. Well-documented services provide definitions, complete text IRS publications, tax tips, search capabilities and help tools or icons. The company should also provide other methods of support such as tax advice and technical support by phone, email or chat.

Click here to read our review of the #1 service, TurboTax.