5 Cheap Ways to File Taxes Online: Save Money This Tax Season

February is the month of love, tax return love, of course. After a year of waiting, of monthly paychecks, paying taxes, bonuses, and holiday shopping, it’s time for all of that hard work to finally pay off with, hopefully, an abundant return.

As of January 29, taxpayers have been able to rip open those tax forms, head to their local tax preparation offices, and get to filing. Usually, the IRS allows for taxes to be filed through early April, with an April 15 deadline.

However, this year taxpayers are getting additional time to file due to the 15th falling on a Sunday. And, even better, since Emancipation Day, a holiday celebration in Washington D.C., is observed on the 16th, taxpayers will technically be given two extra days to file taxes, moving the deadline to Tuesday, April 17.

According to the IRS, there will be more 155 million taxpayers to file 2017 taxes, and a suspected 70 percent of those taxpayers will be receiving refunds this year. Everyone wants to be included in that majority of those who will be getting a little gift from the government, rather than having to pay it forward. And often you may think that the best way to get the most out of your return is to have it filed professionally. While, in some cases, this may be true, there are dozens of other avenues to pursue when considering your tax return, many of which are all free.

Say goodbye to fees and sitting in an office waiting for someone to tell you how much you’re going to be getting back this year. Instead, file your taxes from the comfort of your home with these top 5 online sites to kick off your 2018 tax season.

Turbotax

Turbotax is no stranger to the world of online tax filing, and most everyone has heard of the beloved site. Though, while it may be widely recognized, there are still some who are skeptical of giving a site access to important, personal information and trust that nothing will happen to it. Plus, having your taxes filed incorrectly makes for a bad day all in itself. While the skepticism is understandable, rest assured that Turbotax is going to keep your information private, safe, and give you the biggest return possible.

For those who make less than $100,000 annually, don’t have sizeable medical bills to deduct, and don’t claim rental, business, or investment incomes, Turbotax offers basic federal and state e-filing options, all FOR FREE.

All you have to do is log on to the site, make an account, start entering your tax information, and within minutes your tax return will be filed. All you have to do is wait for the money to start rolling in. And if you don’t have access to a laptop or computer, or just prefer the convenience of mobile devices, Turbotax offers an app as well to file and keep track of your taxes this season. With both online and the app, filing is as simple as snapping a picture of your W-2, filling out a few key questions throughout the filing period, and have real-time access to your refund amount and status. Again, all free of charge.

Of course, there are other options available on the site if you want a little extra TLC when filing, but these offers cost money at the time of filing. There’s the Deluxe edition, for $39.99. The Premier edition for those with investments and rental properties, for $59.99. The Self-Employed edition for personal and business income and expenses for $89.99, and the site’s newest edition, Turbotax Live that offers on-demand CPA or EA advice and final review, for $149.99.

Free File

In years past, taxpayers have had to look elsewhere for free or affordable tax filing options, but this year the IRS is offering up its own free e-filing service for the 2018 tax season. Similar to other free or cheaper online tax filing sites out there, this service through the IRS may be more appealing than other sites to those who find the anonymity of online filing to be a little unsettling.

While this new service is definitely a step in the right direction, there are a few guidelines you must meet to qualify for the free online filing. This may cause problems for those who feel more secure about an IRS service and want to utilize free online filing options, but may not meet all of the qualifications. If your income is below $66,000, then there are no other qualifications to use the service. However, if your income is above $66,000, you must have your 2016 tax return on hand as well when filing.

Another fault in this new service is state filing. While the IRS e-filing will work just fine for federal taxes, it does not currently have the capability to file state taxes, which means you’ll have to go elsewhere to file those. But, if you’re looking to cut down on your tax filing expenses and use a service that is guaranteed to be secure, the IRS Free File is the way to go.

H&R Block

Similarly to TurboTax, H&R Block offers basic free federal and state tax return filing. Many are familiar with the company’s brick and mortar locations, with its bright green logo shining throughout cities all across the country. It’s a friendly face to thousands of taxpayers when tax season comes around again, and many let out a sigh of relief that they don’t have to trudge through figuring it out on their own.

But what many may not know is that the respected company also offers an online site to take the edge off even more this season, and you won’t have to brush your hair to do it.

Like many online filing services, H&R Block has guidelines that you must meet before you qualify to file online, but don’t worry they’re relatively easy and straightforward. To use the free edition online filing, for both state and federal, you must make $66,000 or less and be between 17 and 50 years old. If you meet those qualifications, all you have to do is log on to the site, create an account, and either snap a picture of your tax forms or manually enter the information and you’ll have your taxes completed in minutes. All for free!

Aside from the free filing, H&R Block offers other online tax return services for those who may not meet the criteria for the free edition, or maybe want something a little extra. These include the Deluxe Filing for $34.99, Premium Filing for $54.99, and the site’s newest service, Self-Employed Filing for $74.99.

TaxAct

Unlike the before mentioned sites and services, TaxAct isn’t quite as common and well known among taxpayers to use as a resource during tax season.

However, similarly to its great known counterparts, TaxAct is one of the best sites available to file taxes online, especially with its basic free filing service. Plus, unlike most of the tax filing services available online, TaxAct offer more free assistance and cheaper packages than most.

There are no spelled out requirements to have access to TaxAct’s free services, though the site does offer assistance about which filing would be most beneficial for you to get the largest return possible. Plus, once you’ve filed with TaxAct, you’ll have online access to tracking your tax refund so you can better prepare for the exact date you can expect that money either in your account or your mailbox.

And if for some reason you’re unable to use the site’s free tax filing services, TaxAct offers the cheapest rates in the business, with no service exceeding $55 to compete. That’s significantly lower than the average $75 for the most expensive filing service. If that doesn’t sell TaxAct, then we don’t know what will!

eSmart Tax

A product of brick and mortar tax company Liberty Tax, eSmart Tax is one of the best available online options out there for free tax filing. It’s secure, supported by a widely recognized larger company, and promises a completely affordable filing for yearly taxes. The only catch with eSmart Tax is you can only file your federal taxes for free, not your state taxes.

For those who want more than the standard free filing, eSmart Tax offers other packages like most other sites do, though theirs are lower in price simply because it only covers federal filing.

Their Basic service is $24.95, a Deluxe service is $38.95, and a Premium service is $49.95. While there aren’t free services available for state tax filing, if you live in a state with an income tax, you can still file with eSmart Tax for an additional fee. These vary, and there are forms for these filings in each package.

Comparatively, eSmart Tax may not hold a candle to TurboTax or H&R Block, but it gets the job done, for free, and provides security and ease for its customers during the hustle and bustle of the tax season.