Prepare Tax Return Online and E-File Tax Returns for Fre

Although there are new online tax preparation sites popping up on the internet each year, it is advisable to use a company that has been around and has a track record of satisfied customers. That does not mean that you should necessarily limit your consideration to the big names that you see advertised on TV. These companies have huge advertising budgets, but may not provide the best value.

Some online tax companies advertise that you can do your tax returns for “free”, but then tack on fees for state returns, e-filing tax returns, or even a fee for printing the return. Other tax software companies offer free versions that can be used by everyone, but they omit some of the most commonly used federal forms. Make sure that you compare total costs, including any additional fees for printing, preparing and e-filing state returns, when necessary.

Other considerations in selecting the best online tax option to prepare and e-file your tax return online include:

The complexity of your tax return. If your tax documents only include a couple of W-2’s along with some interest income, a couple of kids and no big life changes, you can probably use a free online version. For those who need to file more complicated forms like Schedule C for self-employment income, you will need to upgrade to a paid version. If you want advanced guidance about things like the value of items donated to charity, or phone support, you should consider paying more for the deluxe, premium or homeAccountant Orlando business versions of tax software.
Whether you want data import compatibility. Paid versions online tax prep software can save you time by importing data from last year’s tax return. Free versions don’t include this ability.
Finally, you should be able to easily find the answers to all of your questions about what services and forms are included in a free package,on the website of the company that you will be using to e-file your taxes. You should carefully read through these specifics before starting your tax return. You don’t want to spend a lot of time answering all of the questions, only to find out that you have to buy the Premier Edition at a substantial cost.

As a CPA, and a professional tax preparer, I recommend CompleteTax. The Basic Edition is FREE for all federal tax filing, including free efiling! The FREE federal tax program includes most commonly used tax forms and schedules and the upgraded Premium MVP edition is FREE to anyone who lost a job or filed with a competing online tax service last year. To learn more about CompleteTax, visit my blog File Taxes Online for Free.