How to find the cheapest tax prep software that’s right for you.
Every January, it starts again.
TurboTax battles H&R Block for dominance in tax preparation, while smaller players fight over the rest of the market. Despite the fierce competition, your return should end up looking more or less the same, no matter which service you use. Unless you're wealthy and have a complicated tax situation, your refund should be the same size, too, whether you secure it with a do-it-yourself online service, a storefront preparer, or a fancy accounting firm.
(This assumes that your tax preparer is competent or, if you go online, you don’t make costly mistakes using tax software—not necessarily safe assumptions.)
So the main battleground is price. In 2017, the word of the year is “free.” There are, in fact, good deals to be had, especially if you file your taxes early. The Internal Revenue Service officially began processing returns on Monday.
Ben Steverman | Bloomberg