There is a free federal tier for simple returns, but the state return is charged separately in most cases. The total cost, not the federal headline, is the number to compare.

How does it compare with FreeTaxUSA?

FreeTaxUSA does not paywall complex federal schedules, so for self-employment it is usually cheaper. TaxAct offers a more guided interview and broader form coverage.

What does the accuracy guarantee cover?

It covers errors caused by the software's own calculations, subject to the terms published by the vendor. It does not cover figures you entered incorrectly.

TaxAct Review

Name: TaxAct Review: Tiers, State Fees and Who It Fits
Item: TaxAct
Author: Think Bigger Today editorial team

TaxAct sits between the budget and premium products: tiered like TurboTax and H&R Block, but usually priced below them, with the state return charged separately in paid tiers. It supports the full range of common situations, including self-employment, and backs its calculations with a published accuracy guarantee. The interface is competent rather than delightful, and its per-state charge is the line item that decides whether it beats a flat-fee rival on total cost.

Pricing observed August 2026 · Think Bigger Today editorial team

Plans and published prices

Prices shown were read from the vendor's public pricing page on the observation date below. Filing-season prices usually rise as the deadline approaches — confirm the current price on the vendor site before you pay.

Plan	Who it covers	Federal	State
Free	Simple returns: W-2, retirement income, common credits	$0	State charged separately — confirm current fee
Deluxe	Itemised deductions, dependants, HSA, student loan interest	Paid tier — confirm current season price	Per-state charge
Premier	Investments, rental property, foreign bank accounts	Paid tier — confirm current season price	Per-state charge
Self-Employed	Schedule C, freelancers, farm income	Highest DIY tier — confirm current season price	Per-state charge

Observed August 2026 on the vendor's pricing page.

What it does well

Generally undercuts TurboTax and H&R Block at the same tier of complexity.
Published accuracy guarantee covering software calculation errors.
Covers less common forms, including farm income and foreign account reporting, without moving to a professional product.
Import of prior-year returns from competing products.

Its limits

State returns are charged even on the free federal tier in some situations — check before starting.
Fewer brokerage import integrations than the market leader.
Support is online and tiered; expert help is a paid add-on.
Season pricing moves, so an early quote is not a season-long guarantee.

Who it suits

· Filers who want a guided tiered product but not the market leader's price.
· Returns with uncommon forms that budget products may not support.

Who should look elsewhere

· Filers who only need a simple return and can use a genuinely free federal-and-state tier elsewhere.
· Investors relying on heavy transaction import.

Frequently asked questions

Compare all five products Read the tax guide

Think Bigger Today keeps its editorial standards independent of commercial relationships. This review was written by our team using publicly available information, including regulatory filings and published rate sheets. TaxAct did not review, approve or endorse it, and is not responsible for its accuracy. Companies that work with us commercially get no preferential coverage, scoring or placement. This page may link to our free matching service, for which we can be paid a referral fee — that fee never decides what we publish, and you may or may not be matched with TaxAct. Figures can change without notice; always confirm the current terms with the provider. Nothing here is financial, legal or tax advice.

How we built this review

Content and methodology updated: August 24, 2026
Written and maintained by: Think Bigger Today editorial team

Data sources and observation years

TaxAct public pricing page — observed August 2026. Prices change during filing season
IRS annual inflation adjustments (revenue procedure) — observed tax year 2026

We do not claim to be licensed advisers and we publish no anonymous expert reviews. What we do commit to is method: where a figure comes from an ingested dataset we name that source and show when it was observed, and where we cannot verify it we leave it out. See how we source our data.