What are 2012 Tax Software Products?

2012 tax software products are also be called 2011 tax software products because people will be filing their taxes during the 2012 tax season based on income earned during the 2011 tax year.  2011-2012 tax software products are the most up-to-date tax products on the market.

Our 2012 Tax Software Reviews

Here is a partial list of the tax software products we reviewed this year:

 
How Much Will It Cost to File with Online Tax Software?

Click on “What’s My Price?” in our comparison chart above to calculate the total cost of filing your taxes this year. The total price filing your return with online tax software ranges from free to $100+, depending on two main factors:

1. The complexity of your tax return. Most tax software companies offer multiple products, each of which is tailored to specific tax filers and supports specific tax forms. The price you pay to prepare and file your federal tax return gives you access to various capabilities, supported forms and deduction tools.

2. Whether you need to file a state tax return. To file a state tax return using online tax software, you must pay a fee in addition to the cost of filing your federal tax return. On one hand, online tax products require you to pay to access the state forms, but they let you e-file your state return for free. On the other hand, the tax software download products include access to the state forms, but they require you to pay for e-filing your state return. Whether you use an online product or a download product, the total price will be about the same.

Can I Use Free Tax Software Products?

We recommend that you start by signing up for the free tax product offered by TurboTax, TaxACT or H&R Block. These providers will allow you to upgrade your product at any time during the process of filling out your tax return. The software may even prompt you to upgrade your product after asking you a series of questions that determine the complexity of your return.

We do not recommend that you sign up for TaxSlayer's Free Edition (or TaxSlayer Classic Edition) before reading our reviews. The reason is that we've discovered that if you need to upgrade your product, you'll be forced to start your tax return over from the beginning. 

Do I Need to File State Income Taxes?

You must file state income taxes unless you live in one of the following exempt states:  Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, or Wyoming.  Typically, you must pay an additional fee (ranging from $10 to $50 for the products we’ve reviewed) to file your state taxes. Online tax software guides you through the relevant state forms in much the same manner as it guides you through your federal return. Some tax software companies will automatically import any relevant information from your federal return to your state return, saving you time and effort.

2011-2012 Tax Software Ratings

Our star ratings were calculated using various weighted criteria across four key categories:

• Ease of Use

Ease of Use includes the ease of navigating through and saving your return, the thoroughness of the error-checking system and other helpful features, such as audit triggers meter and refund calculator. Companies were rated relative to one another, with points awarded for features that stood out or were above average.

• Tax Support

Tax Support includes the help available to you when filing your taxes and the support offered in the event that you are audited. It is standard for tax companies to charge for tax support, but some companies offer free or discounted tax support at different tax product levels.  Read our full tax software reviews to see which companies offer helpful tax support.

• Tech Support

Tech Support focuses on how knowledgeable a company’s support techs were about their products, as well as the availability of support. We analyzed four main channels: phone support, live chat, email support and the online knowledgebase. We asked techs from each support line the same set of sample questions, and points were awarded for correct answers.

• Reliability

Reliability reflects the consistent quality of service of a given company. Criteria under this category include the number of years a company has been in business and whether they offer an Accuracy Guarantee and/or Maximum Refund Guarantee. An Accuracy Guarantee means that your tax software provider will pay penalties and interest caused by their system's calculation errors. A Maximum Refund Guarantee ensures you get the biggest tax refund possible.

Standard Features of Online Tax Software

Why Use Online Tax Software?

• Low Cost. Taking your tax return to an accountant can be costly. With online tax software, you can get help and support with filing your taxes at a fraction of the cost of hiring someone to prepare them for you.
• Convenient. You will be guided through forms that are often hard to understand. And, if you use the same provider every year, you'll be able to import data from a past year's return.
• Catches Errors. Filling out a form incorrectly can lead to added stress or even a penalty from the IRS. Online tax software helps you avoid these mistakes.
• Maximizes Deductions. You'll get help with claiming industry-specific deductions to help insure that you get the biggest refund available from your tax return.
• Easily e-file. Calculating your tax return online makes it easy to file your return online (e-file) or file for an extension.

Why Use Tax-Compare.com?

Tax-Compare.com was created to help people choose the best and lowest cost online tax software product for their needs. We have identified the top tax software providers on the market, which offer personal and business online tax software products.

We help you to fully understand the differences in price, ease of use, tax support, and other relevant data, so you can make simple choice, file your taxes and get your refund as soon as possible. We are committed to providing a quality resource to individuals and small business owners that will save time and money.