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Using tax services yourself to file is often the cheapest and most straightforward way to get your taxes finished—and get that refund on its way. Rather than going in person to a tax professional, which can be costly and time-consuming, online tax services are made with the consumer in mind. The best tax services have an easy-to-use interface, expert help available, auto-upload for documents, additional information about requirements, and transparency with cost.
With my utter lack of experience and complicated mess of documents, I might be the best guinea pig to see which online tax services are best for most types of filers. This year, I was a freelance writer for three different publications, across three states, with three types of tax documents. I also had two W-2s, the most common type of tax document, from two different employers. Oh, and I was also enrolled in a university, which brought a separate slew of education-related documents. The majority of my income did not have any taxes withheld, meaning I owe a lot of money. To add insult to injury, I had never done my taxes myself, either.
With no previous experience, nine tax documents across three states, and a dream, I bravely spent over 15 hours testing various online tax services to find which are truly the best for your buck. Still feeling lost? I’ve also written a handy guide, “How to Pay Your Taxes Online.”
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Different Types of Tax Services
This blanket statement will apply to everything here: You will need to keep in mind what tax documents you have, including various factors like filing status (e.g. married or single), assets, and investments. I’ll be honest, if you have a complicated tax situation or a huge gross income with many investments, I’d advise you to file with an expert. For most of these tax services I tested, they will just file a simple 1040 return for you, with additional filings for additional costs. The majority of online tax services also offer extra assistance from tax preparers.
Do You Need Extra Assistance?
Many of these services offer in-person or virtual assistance from a “tax expert,” whose dubious credentials can range from a certified CPA to someone who completed an hours-long training. TurboTax, for example, has AI guidance with Intuit Assist, which answers any questions throughout the process. You can also add Live Assisted for an extra fee, where you get help from live tax experts throughout the process and have the expert review it before submitting. You can also get your taxes done completely from a local tax expert. Most services have a tier system like this, which is helpful for adjusting services based on your individual needs.
What You’ll Need on Hand
Be sure to gather all tax documents, including W-2s or income reports, health insurance information, education-related tax documents, and any other tax or financial documents relating to purchases or payments on motor vehicles or property. I also had receipts for transactions related to my freelance writing on hand for expensing purposes. If you are using a new service this year, you’ll also want last year’s return in order to transfer any relevant information.
When Do You Need to File an Extension?
If you feel you can’t get your state and federal taxes filed by April 15, you’ll need to file an extension by tax day (April 15). This extends your filing deadline to six months later: October 15, 2025. No matter whether you got an extension or not, you may be asked to still pay penalty fines and interest on any unpaid balance. (More on that below.)
What Happens if You Can’t Pay the Full Amount?
Ah, yes, as someone who regularly owes more than $10K in taxes every year (thanks, freelance writing!), here’s where my expertise comes in. If you can’t pay the full amount, you’ll most likely want to set up a payment plan with the IRS to pay in increments over the year. If you didn’t file for an extension (and owe taxes), you can 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 your amount and time owed. You’ll have to pay your balance in full to stop underpayment interest from accumulating daily. If you’re a gig worker who consistently owes money, I’d definitely start up a quarterly payment plan at the beginning of the year with the IRS to break up the amount, so you aren’t hit with $15K owed by April 15 like me.
