TaxSlayer review: A low-cost pick for experienced filers and simple tax situations

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• Tax Software offers four plans for filing taxes online, with varying levels of customer support.
• Plans range from $0 to $54.95 for a federal return, plus $36.95 for a state return.
• TaxSlayer is our top value pick for self-employed filers, and a good option for others with straightforward taxes.
• Tax Software

Filing your taxes can be a bit like your first trip to the gym — you don’t want to spend the money, you aren’t sure how everything works, and you keep putting it off. But if you use the right equipment, the process isn’t as terrible as you expected.

Tax Software is a tax preparation company for people filing their taxes online from home. But does it include the right equipment for your tax needs?

Here’s a look at how TaxSlayer works, how much it costs, and who it’s best for.

Editor’s rating	4.6 / 5
Review summary	TaxSlayer is cheaper than competing tax prep services. It’s best for people who either have a simple tax situation or are comfortable with the tax-filing process.
Cost of DIY filing	$0 – $54.95 +$36.95 per state return
Details	4 different plans  Completely free option for simple tax situations at any income level Interface isn’t as intuitive as H&R Block or TurboTax Requires attention to detail
Free version covers	For AGI above $72,000: W-2 income; unemployment income; tuition and fees deduction; student loan interest deduction For AGI below $72,000: everything

Who should use TaxSlayer?

TaxSlayer’s biggest draw is price. If you know what you’re doing, don’t need much assistance, and have all your information ready to go, TaxSlayer is a strong low-cost option for filing taxes.

Anyone who doesn’t have either a straightforward, simple tax situation (i.e. someone who earns only W-2 income) or experience filing more complicated taxes (i.e. a longtime self-employed filer) might run into trouble with TaxSlayer.

Tax Software customer support is somewhat limited. Yes, you can access customer service through email or phone with the Simply Free and Classic plans. But to receive live chat support, priority support, or Ask a Pro support, you’ll have to upgrade to the Premium or Self-Employed plans.

How much does TaxSlayer cost?

How much you pay will depend on your employment situation, life circumstances, and customer support preferences. 

You don’t enter your payment information until the end of the process. This means that if you realize halfway through preparing your return that you don’t want to use Tax Software, you can quit with pretty much zero hassle.

Cost of DIY options and what they cover

• Simply Free: $0. For simple returns, including W-2 income, unemployment income, tuition and fees deduction, and the student loan interest deduction. One downside is that you can’t import your W-2 digitally. You’ll have to either enter the information manually or upgrade to the Classic plan.
• Classic: $24.95. TaxSlayer’s most popular plan because it can be used for almost any tax situation. If you feel confident filing your taxes with minimal guidance, this is the most cost-efficient package. It includes W-2 import or PDF upload.
• Premium: $44.95. Everything included in the Classic plan, plus access to advanced customer support features, including live chat technical support, front-of-the-line privileges for email and phone support with tax professionals, and three years of IRS audit support. This is great for people with complicated situations who need a little help along the way. 
• Self-Employed: $54.95. Self-employed filers can use the Classic or Premium plans to file, but this plan sets up the interface to take you through self-employment taxes specifically. This plan is much cheaper than self-employed products from other large tax prep companies and includes one-on-one help from a tax professional.

Extra fees will apply if …

• You need state filing. If you live in one of the majority of states that require you to do state income taxes as well, you’ll have to pay an additional $39.95 per state. If you lived or worked in more than one state, you may have to pay for multiple state returns.

How does TaxSlayer work?

Tax Software is a subsidiary of Rhodes-Murphy & Co, which is one of the oldest players in computerized tax preparation services.

Signing up for TaxSlayer is easy. After you set up an account with your email address and personal information, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your finances for the tax year in question. You’ll need things like W-2s, 1099s, 1098-Ts, and any other receipt of income or expenses that may be deductible. TaxSlayer has a document upload feature, but it supports a limited number of forms and doesn’t always work.

After you’ve answered all the questions, TaxSlayer will calculate your refund or tax due.

Is TaxSlayer reliable and safe?

Tax Software keeps your information safe with a variety of security measures, outlined on its website here. It also requires multi-factor authentication every time you log in to verify your identity.

As for reliability — it is possible to enter some expenses more than once, leading to incorrect calculations, so it’s important to double check your work to ensure accuracy. 

Are there any downsides to using TaxSlayer?

You may encounter some inconveniences on TaxSlayer’s platform. The interface is clunky. While you can jump around and edit information, you’ll have to click through a few screens to find the appropriate income, credit, or deduction information.

Also, the free plan doesn’t allow you to upload or import tax documents. Even when these features are available for higher-tier plans, they don’t always work.

If you know enough about your taxes to catch potential data-entry errors, you may feel comfortable using Tax Software. Just bear in mind that while it is less expensive than some other companies, it’s not a plug-and-go platform — it may take longer to prepare and file your taxes.

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