Tax Software
TaxAct: features, pricing and who it fits
A lower-priced US option with a Schedule C Self-Employed edition at $109.99 federal plus $64.99 per state, and separate online products for 1065, 1120-S and 1120 returns. Xpert Assist is an add-on. Reviewers often mention upsell prompts near the end of filing.
Who TaxAct is for
Best for
- Self-employed filers who want a lower federal price than the biggest brands
- Small business owners who want to file 1065, 1120-S or 1120 in online software with an expert-assist upgrade
Look elsewhere if
- Filers who object to upsell prompts near the end of filing, a recurring complaint in reviews
- Anyone needing the Self-Employed tier for free (it is not part of the free offer)
TaxAct features
- Tax market
- US federal and state returns
- Self-employed return support
- Yes: Self-Employed edition with full Schedule C support for income and expenses; Schedule SE is not mentioned on the page
- Business entity returns
- Yes: separate online products for 1065 (partnerships and LLCs), 1120-S, 1120 and 1041, plus a download 990 edition
- E-filing to IRS or ELSTER
- Authorized IRS e-file provider; state returns $64.99 each in Self-Employed
- Data import
- W-2 import mentioned
- Expert or Steuerberater help
- Xpert Assist ($45 on 1040 plans, higher on business returns) and Xpert Full Service where experts file for you
- Pricing model
- Per return: federal price by edition, state fee on top, expert help as add-on
- Target company size
- Individuals, freelancers, sole proprietors; partnerships, S corps and C corps
TaxAct pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | federal return | Qualifying returns only |
| Deluxe | from $59.99 | federal return | Starting price |
| Premier | from $99.99 | federal return | Starting price |
| Self-Employed | from $109.99 + $64.99 per state | federal return | Full Schedule C support |
| Xpert Assist | $45.00 | add-on | Unlimited sessions with credentialed experts |
| Partnerships & LLC (1065) online | $159.99 + state | per return | Xpert Assist $248.99, Xpert Full Service $249.00 (plus $69 all states) |
| S-Corporations (1120-S) online | $169.99 + state | per return | Xpert Assist $258.99, Xpert Full Service $299.00 |
| C-Corporations (1120) online | $169.99 + state | per return | Expert-assist prices not listed |
| Sole Proprietor (1040 Schedule C/F) online | $109.99 + state | per return | Xpert Assist $154.99, Xpert Full Service $219.00 |
Prices as shown on the vendor's pages in the 2026 filing season; federal and state are priced separately. The self-employed page also shows a new-customer offer of $55 total for federal and state filing if filed by 5/1.
Prices as published by TaxAct on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Worth knowing before you buy
- TaxAct publishes online prices for 1065 ($159.99), 1120-S ($169.99) and 1120 ($169.99) returns, a wider entity range than TurboTax's expert business products.
- Self-Employed is $109.99 federal plus $64.99 per state, and it is not part of the free offer.
- Adding Xpert Assist to a Schedule C return costs $154.99 total on the business page, and Full Service is $219 (plus $69 for all states).
- Owned by Cinven (agreed 2022 for about $720 million), which planned to combine it with Drake Software.
TaxAct alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Software | Strong fit | Strong fit | No data | No data |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying TaxAct works
- How you buy
- Buy online
- Free plan
- Yes
- Contract
- Start free, pay when you file
About the company
- Founded
- 1998
- Headquarters
- Cedar Rapids, US
- Ownership
- private equity (Cinven, agreed 2022)
- Employees
- about 300 (2021)
- 2011
- H&R Block agreed to acquire TaxAct parent for $287.5 million; DOJ sued and the deal was terminated
- 2012
- Acquired by Blucora for more than $287 million
- 2022
- Cinven agreed to acquire TaxAct for about $720 million, to combine with Drake Software
Support and integrations
- Support
- Xpert Assist add-on with unlimited sessions with credentialed experts; E-File Concierge phone support for federal e-file status
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and TaxAct and its alternatives quote against the same facts.
- Which country will the return be filed in, and are you also filing in a second one?Tax software serves one market, so a two-country setup usually needs two products.
- Are you a sole proprietor, freelancer, LLC, partnership or corporation?Entity type decides which edition and which forms are required.
- Is your VAT or Umsatzsteuer status small-business exempt or regular?Some German products cover only exempt or simple cases and treat VAT-liable users separately.
- How many returns and how many states or businesses do you need to file?Per-state fees and limits on returns per license change the total price.
- Do you want a person to review or prepare the return, or only software?Expert tiers cost more and can be priced per entity or as a share of a refund.
- If you run a tax firm: how many clients and staff do you have, and do you keep DATEV?Client bands, included users and the DATEV interface decide which plan and which add-ons are needed.