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📂 **Category**: Gear,Gear / Buying Guides,Gear / Products / Online Services,Death & Taxes
📌 **What You’ll Learn**:
Other services we want to test
There are many online tax services out there, and we want to do the hard work for you. We plan to test more tax services, here are some that caught our attention:
Cash App Taxes: A mobile financing tool similar to Venmo, Cash App has free federal and state filings and free audit defense if you receive a 1099 from a business, bank, or elsewhere. Additionally, it’s geared toward people who use Cash App a lot, with free filings offered to people who are self-employed, have a side job, do contract work, or own a small business. However, it does not cover every state, so you will have to check whether your state is included. You can do your taxes through your computer or phone, but it’s definitely geared more towards the mobile audience, as you can snap a photo of your W-2 within the mobile app. Online reviewers report that it also doesn’t have the same amount of support as many similar services, and there’s no specialist tax help available if you need it. It misses many tax forms and topics, so it’s best for W-2 employees. Cash App will also deposit your refund faster if you choose to deposit it into your Cash App account instead of the bank. This is a good option if you already use Cash App and your taxes are very straightforward.
Freedom tax: You can take photos of your tax documents and have an expert file your taxes remotely, or file your own taxes online. It offers three packages based on need. Basic starts at $48 and supports Forms 1040, 8853, and Schedules A and B. Deluxe starts at $68 and supports models 1040, 4562, 8829, 4136, 8839, 8853, and Schedules A, B, and C. Premium, the most expensive tier, starts at $88 and is geared toward self-employed people such as freelancers but is not listed. 1099 as a supported document, which gives me pause because it is the most commonly used form for self-employed contract workers.
TaxSlayer: After reading the reviews, it seems like this is a solid budget tax software. It offers cheap packages and includes all forms, discounts and credits at the lowest price. This service is still pretty cheap, considering that freelancers pay the most to file, since their taxes are usually the most complicated. Package prices vary from $0 to $53 plus if you’re self-employed, and the price depends on how much help you need from a tax expert. If you have a simple filing and don’t need to claim any dependents or tax breaks, this may be right for you, but TaxSlayer is strict about income limits and filing status restrictions.
Different types of tax services
This blanket statement will apply to everything here: You’ll need to keep in mind what tax documents you have, including various factors like your filing status (e.g., married or single), assets, and investments. I’ll be honest, if you have a complex tax situation or a huge gross income with many investments, I would advise you to approach an expert. For most of these tax services I’ve tested, they will provide you with a simple 1040 return, with additional filings for additional costs. The majority of online tax services also offer additional help from tax preparers.
What you’ll need is on hand
Be sure to gather all tax documents, including W-2 or income reports, health insurance information, education-related tax documents, and any other tax or financial documents related to purchases or payments on cars or property. I also had receipts for freelance writing-related transactions on hand for expense purposes. If you are using a new service this year, you will also need last year’s service to transfer any relevant information.
When do you need to submit a supplement?
For individuals, if you feel you cannot file your state and federal taxes by April 15, you will need to file an extension by Tax Day (April 15). This extends the filing deadline to six months: October 15, 2026. Whether you get an extension or not, you may be required to pay penalty penalties and interest on any unpaid balance (more on that below).
What happens if you can’t pay the full amount?
As someone who regularly owes over $10,000 in taxes each year thanks to freelance writing, here’s my experience. If you can’t pay the full amount, you’ll likely need to set up a payment plan with the IRS to pay in increments throughout the year. If you don’t file an extension (and the taxes are due), you could face a late filing penalty of a percentage of the unpaid tax (for late filing and late payment). The government also charges interest on unpaid amounts, which varies depending on how much you owe and when you owe it. You’ll have to pay your balance in full to prevent interest from accruing on daily low payments. If you’re a gig worker who constantly owes money, I would definitely start a quarterly payment plan at the beginning of the year with the IRS to split the amount, so you won’t have $15,000 due by April 15 like I did last year.
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{💬|⚡|🔥} **What’s your take?**
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