Tax Software
TaxSlayer: features, pricing and who it fits
US online filing with Simply Free, Classic, Premium and Self-Employed tiers. Self-Employed costs $74.99 federal and matches you with a tax pro, while each state return adds $47.99, so one state totals $122.98. The free tier excludes Schedule C income, and no business entity returns are listed.
Who TaxSlayer is for
Best for
- Self-employed filers who want a tax pro matched to 1099 and Schedule C questions
- Filers with simple W-2 returns who qualify for the free tier
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-sensitive freelancers, since federal plus one state is $122.98 on Self-Employed vs a $0 federal on competitors
- Businesses that must file 1120-S, 1065 or 1120
TaxSlayer features
- Tax market
- US federal and state (IRS)
- Self-employed return support
- Self-Employed tier ($74.99 federal) for 1099 and Schedule C; Simply Free excludes Schedule C income
- Business entity returns
- No business entity returns listed for the consumer product; TaxSlayer Pro is separate preparer software
- E-filing to IRS or ELSTER
- Federal and state e-file; state $47.99 per state on paid tiers
- Expert or Steuerberater help
- Premium: live chat and Ask a Tax Pro; Self-Employed: matched tax pro with self-employed expertise
- Pricing model
- Per-return tiers plus per-state fee
- Target company size
- Individuals, freelancers and sole proprietors
TaxSlayer pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simply Free | $0 | federal return | Limited eligibility; one free state return; Schedule C income does not qualify |
| Classic | $44.99 | federal return | All tax situations, no form restrictions |
| Premium | $64.99 | federal return | Skip-the-line phone and email support, live chat, Ask a Tax Pro |
| Self-Employed | $74.99 | federal return | 1099 and Schedule C support, tax pro with self-employed expertise |
| State return | $47.99 | per state | Not included on paid tiers |
Prices from TaxSlayer's own fee schedule and product pricing page as shown in search results. TaxSlayer states prices are set at the time of print or e-file and can change without notice. Older cached TaxSlayer pages show lower prices
Prices as published by TaxSlayer on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Worth knowing before you buy
- State returns cost $47.99 each and are not bundled into Classic, Premium or Self-Employed, so one state on Self-Employed totals $122.98
- The free tier excludes Schedule C income, so self-employed filers must move to a paid tier
- Self-Employed is the most expensive consumer tier ($74.99 federal), above Premium ($64.99)
- Founded as a tax-preparation firm in Augusta in 1965; Marlin Equity Partners invested in 2021
- those listings cover TaxSlayer Pro (preparers)
TaxSlayer alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Software | Workable | Poor fit | No data | No data |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying TaxSlayer works
- How you buy
- Buy online
- Free plan
- Yes
- Contract
- Pay per return; no subscription stated
About the company
- Founded
- 1965
- Headquarters
- Augusta, Georgia, US
- Ownership
- family-founded; growth investment from Marlin Equity Partners (2021)
- 2021
- Growth investment from Marlin Equity Partners
Support and integrations
- Support
- Premium adds skip-the-line phone and email support, live chat and Ask a Tax Pro
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and TaxSlayer 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.