FILE TAXES ONLINE

The average cost of hiring a professional to prepare your tax return is about $275, at least if you have anything other than the simplest tax situation. That’s a lot of money to part with and it’s often unnecessary.

You can save yourself some money if you identify your tax-time priorities in advance and find software that will address them for you. Some programs are pricier than others, but they’re still generally cheaper than hiring a professional, and you’ll spare yourself having to cram all those tax documents into your briefcase or a box and head off to your accountant’s office.

These software options have you covered. Some of them are actually free  yes, free, at least for filers with simple returns.

1. Turbotax

TurboTax is arguably the name in personal tax preparation software, and its developer Intuit charges accordingly. You’ll pay top-dollar for this one, but users and experts alike seem to think it’s worth it. It scores kudos in almost every category, from user experience to being able to import many employer tax IDs. You can take pictures of your W-2s and 1099 forms rather than type in all the information they include, risking typos and mistakes. There’s an “Expense Finder” feature if you’re self-employed and must file Schedule C. It can lift potentially tax-deductible expenditures directly from your bank account and categorize them, add them up and input them accordingly.

The software engages you much as a professional would with questions and guidance, although some pop-up messages can be a bit chirpy and possibly jarring when you’re concentrating. Think comments like “You’re doing great!” interspersed with questions designed to dig your tax data out of you.

If you get confused or otherwise hit a brick wall, TurboTax offers experts to chat with if you use the online version. It also has a “SmartLook” feature that will put you face-to-face with a tax expert, and it offers audit support.

So how much will all this cost you? If your tax situation is extremely simple and you’re just filing Form 1040EZ or Form 1040A, you can use the TurboTax Absolute Zero version for free. But each time you need to do something that falls outside the “extremely simple” range, you’ll be asked to pay for it. If you want to itemize, you’ll have to purchase the Deluxe version. If you own anything in the way of investments, you’ll pay more, as well as if you’re self-employed. State returns are extra except with the free version.

2. H&R Block

H&R Block Premium does just about everything that TurboTax does at a slightly less cost. So why does it drop to second place? It’s mostly a matter of opinion. Reviewers and users tend to clap for TurboTax first, but it’s a very close race.

H&R Block is chatty and friendly, too, asking questions and deciphering your answers as you prepare your tax return. But H&R Block isn’t always as efficient at deciphering your answers. You might hit that brick wall more often, but you can either dig for informational answers in the Help window or solicit unlimited live professional tax advice through the website.

You can pay extra to have an expert review your finished return for an added measure of confidence before you file or just back up your file and head off to one of the thousands of H&R Block offices in the U.S. if you really run into problems. You can then sit down with a professional for free if you’ve purchased the software. When it comes to this sort of handholding, H&R Block is said to be the best.

H&R Block also has a free version called More Zero and it’s more accepting than TurboTax’s freebie of slightly complicated tax situations. The Premium version is less than $100 with all its bells and whistles. One state return is included.

3. Liberty Tax

If this isn’t your first rodeo you’ve been preparing your own tax returns for years using one method or program or another  Liberty Tax might be for you. It’s more suitable for experienced filers. The interface isn’t pretty. It’s sort of a let’s-just-get-this-job-done display that involves a lot of manual clicks and a bit of searching sometimes, but that’s OK if you know what you’re doing and what you’re looking for.

Liberty Tax also lets you decide what aspects of a return you want to work on when you want to work on them, presented in chronological order, and it offers recommendations. This program will effectively tap you on the shoulder and ask if you want to file this, that or the other tax form to potentially save some tax dollars. It helps if you already understand what those tax forms are. Otherwise, you might be left a little in the dark.

If you enter information that might provide an audit trigger for the IRS, Liberty Tax will warn you. Audit support is included in the price, and you can purchase an upgrade for actual audit representation. It will also e-mail you if you begin your tax return and don’t come back to it for a while, a little reminder that you’re not quite ready for the filing deadline yet.

Liberty Tax isn’t technically software like many of the other programs. You can’t download it to your computer, and it doesn’t offer apps for phones and tablets. You can purchase the online code for the EZ edition for $15, or the Basic edition for $20. The Deluxe edition is $40. If your tax situation is more complicated, the Premium edition online code will cost you $70.