Free Online Tools to Help You Survive Tax Season

IRS.gov offers free filing software if you make below $60,000 a year and free electronic forms if you have an income above $60,000. Even if you plan to file elsewhere, the site offers a host of tools and resources for gathering your information.

“A lot of people might discredit [the website] because it’s the big, scary IRS, but it’s in their best interest to make this easy for people,” says Meredith Tucker, the manager of entrepreneurial services at Kaufman Rossin, a South Florida accounting firm based in Miami.

Tools on the IRS site include a withholding calculator, a “Where’s My Refund?” status checker and an instant issuer of employer identification numbers. You can also search for authorized IRS e-file providers, tax forms and free in-person help from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program and IRS taxpayer assistance centers. The IRS2GO mobile app for on-the-go tools is available for downloading.

Your local library may offer free tax services, including tax preparation, assistance with filing and opportunities to talk with tax professionals. Libraries may also have printable tax forms and instruction booklets available for free or a small fee.

“My library is quite rural, but we offer patrons the chance to Skype with a volunteer tax preparer for free. It’s a great service and a good value for taxpayers,” says Natalie Binder, a public librarian in Monticello, Florida.

You can find public libraries near you using the library search tool from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Expense reporting apps                                                                                             

Consider expense reporting apps an upgrade from your usual method of stuffing receipts in a shoebox. You can use the tools to upload receipts and save them to expense entries, and they include mobile features that let you snap receipt photos on the go.

“It’s the ability to touch it once and capture critical documents in real time versus socking it away in a desk drawer until the paper chase begins the following year,” says Jared Siegel, a partner with Delap, an accounting firm in Portland, Oregon.

Shoeboxed is a receipt-digitalization app that offers “painless bookkeeping” for free. User-submitted receipts are changed into images the IRS will accept. This allows anyone to simplify tax filing and maximize deductions. The service is integrated with QuickBooks, FreshBooks, Xero, Evernote and other tools. You can send receipts via email using the Shoeboxed app or sync with your Gmail account.

Expensify, which is free for individual use, offers unlimited upload and storage capabilities. You can organize and customize categories, tags and comments so you never misplace a receipt again. It is integrated with Dropbox, Evernote, Google Apps, your inbox and more, making it possible to import receipts from anywhere.

Web-based software

For all simple federal returns, there are a number of web-based software products you can use. Depending on the product, you might have to pay a fee for federal and state returns combined. If you want premium services, you’ll always pay a fee.

“The thing that’s nice about those tools is they’ll walk you through, question by question, so it makes it a really palatable, digestible process,” Tucker says. “Having access to all this information helps those who aren’t super tax savvy and don’t have a passion for this stuff.”

TurboTax offers a free state and federal return. It facilitates preparation and can import your W-2 income data. If you want additional features, including a deduction search, you’ll have to pay an additional fee, with the lowest priced at $34.99 per individual.

H&R Block offers free federal returns and charges $9.99 per state filing with its simplest product. You can receive free, unlimited tax advice in real-time chat if you buy H&R Block Basic ($19.99 for federal returns) or Deluxe ($29.99).

TaxAct offers a free federal return and charges $14.99 for the first state filing. TaxAct imports data from the previous year’s returns and includes unlimited tax and technical help by email. The deluxe edition is $12.99 for a federal return and $7 per state, and includes advanced data imports and extra guidance. Although all three companies’ software tools offer a free smartphone app for calculating and estimating your return, only TaxAct includes free filing via mobile devices.

Filing earlier in the tax season can often get you cheaper rates. While you have until April 15 to file your taxes, you can often find tax deals — like free returns — early on. Once it gets closer to the deadline date, rates will go up.

When to use a professional

No matter what tools are available, there comes a time when you may need to hire a professional.

“I think any time you get past having maybe a W-2 and potentially some itemized deductions, you need to consider conferring with a tax professional,” Tucker says. She says there are many times you might need to consult a professional, such as when you inherit property, when you run a small business, when you receive a 1099 for consulting work or when you move out of state.

Siegel says that when you introduce other elements into play, like rental properties or different sources of income, you should consult a professional. Make sure you find a certified public accountant and confirm their status with your state’s board of accountancy.

The average cost you can expect from a professional tax preparer is $273, according to the National Society of Accountants. That price includes a 1040 tax form with itemized deductions, plus a state tax return.

If you’re worried about spending the extra dough, Siegel says that when it comes to not missing opportunities for refunds or to save, “professionals will pay for themselves with a single good idea.”