The Best Tax Software for 2025

• Federal filing fee: $0-$89/$39-$169/$89+
• State filing fee: $39
• Max refund advance: $4,000

TurboTax was ranked the best overall tax preparation software in our scoring model because it covers a wide range of tax situations and offers many options for help and assistance.

You have several good options for tax software, and some may fit your situation a little better, but TurboTax is a good choice for most people. It supports more tax forms than any other software package we reviewed (132), offers many support options, from in-app contextual help to live assistance, and many ease-of-use features like W-2 import and scanned document import. There’s even a mobile app.

Our researchers thought the in-app navigation and walkthrough experience were straightforward and helpful. However, we were put off by the intrusive upsells for higher-tiered packages and assistance options within the software. We also thought the shopping experience online was frustrating and confusing.

TurboTax is part of Intuit, which was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

• Federal filing fee: $0
• State filing fee: $0
• Max refund advance: Unlimited

Cash App is a remarkably robust tax software package for a free offering. If your taxes are simple, and even if you have side gig income, this may be a good choice.

Almost all the tax software companies we reviewed offer free filing options. But these have income caps and only support the simplest of tax situations. That’s not the case with Cash App Taxes. The simple, clear interface rides atop a deep collection of tax forms and situations. Not as many as TurboTax or H&R Block, perhaps, but enough to cover employment income, investments, side gig income, business income, and most other common situations. And it’s free.

Our researchers were impressed by the easy-to-follow interface (on the desktop version) and the practical walkthrough experience. Customer support and assistance aren’t as varied as the other options we researched, but there’s a knowledge base, in-app contextual help, and email help. W-2 imports are limited to W-2s processed by ADP or direct deposits to CashApp.

Finally, if you’re in a hurry to get your refund, you can have it delivered to your Cash App account up to five days faster.

Cash App was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in New York.

• Federal filing fee: $22.95/$42.95/$52.95
• State filing fee: $39.95
• Max refund advance: $0

If you’re a confident tax filer, willing to DIY it with contextual help and some knowledge-base articles, TaxSlayer’s “Classic” software is a good choice. It’s comprehensive and easy to use.

Tax software makers often sell their products in tiered packages, with the lower cost options limited to lower-complexity tax returns. As your tax situation grows more complex, you move to a higher-cost package.

TaxSlayer takes a different approach.

All three versions of the product it sells—Classic, Premium, and Self-Employed—cover the same range of tax situations. The extra cost at each tier gets you more intensive help and assistance. With Classic, you can take a DIY approach (and you can still get help via phone and email), and with the Self-Employed package, you’ll get priority help, including Ask a Pro, focused on your situation. This means that for the price of Classic, you have all the software you need to handle almost any individual tax situation.

Our researchers appreciated the application’s clear navigation, sleek design, and the absence of buttons or nudges to purchase add-on services or move to a higher level of service. Another nice touch: contextual help resides in an out-of-the-way box on the left side-rail rather than in a popup between you and your work. The shopping experience online is clear and direct.

TaxSlayer has been around since 1998 (its parent company has filed returns for people since 1965) and is headquartered in Augusta, Georgia. 

• Federal filing fee: $35/$65/$85
• State filing fee: $37
• Max refund advance: $4,000

Sometimes, tax filers have questions. H&R Block has answers, offering help and assistance via telephone, chat, email, video call, and even in person.

H&R Block has prepared people’s tax returns since 1955 and filed more than 20 million of them in 2024 alone. Its software offers more ways to get help and assistance than any of the other packages we reviewed. Options include contextual help within the app, a searchable knowledge base online, telephone, chat, email, and video call assistance. You can even start your return on your own and pass it off to an H&R Block preparer for review.

Our researchers thought the software was accessible and easy to navigate. The walkthrough process was easy to follow, too. Like TurboTax (and, to a lesser extent, TaxAct), the application prods and nudges you toward add-ons (like Tax Pro Review) and higher software package tiers, which is irksome. The shopping experience online is cluttered, but Block provides clear pricing and package details.

H&R Block was founded by brothers Henry and Richard Bloch in 1955 and is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Federal filing fee: $29.99/$49.99/$69.99
• State filing fee: $39.99
• Max refund advance: $0

TaxAct ran the table in our ease of use category, earning top scores in software navigation and filer walkthrough, and offers many ways to import your data. 

All the tax software we reviewed does a good job of walking filers through the process, providing cues about progress, and helping users navigate their returns. Our reviewers thought TaxAct stood out in this area, giving it the highest score in both the navigation and walkthrough categories. The software does nudge users toward add-ons or more complex (and more expensive) software, but it’s less intrusive than TurboTax or H&R Block.

The online shopping experience got high marks, too. It’s easy to see what each package costs and what you’re paying for. TaxAct offers tax filing advice and news, calculators, checklists, and more online to keep things manageable. 

TaxAct does not offer a mobile app if that’s how you prefer to do your taxes, but the online experience is compatible with smartphones and tablets. 

TaxAct was formed in 1998 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.