According to many reviews, TaxACT is an excellent choice for basic tax returns to prepare. Its relatively low price and many premium features makes it a top choice for many.
TaxAct prepares your federal or state return. It's probably the least known of the three top tax programs, and the cheapest. But it also may be the most difficult to use. It doesn't provide for importing information from personal finance programs, which is a major drawback. It also provides less help and advice than many programs.
You can download the basic program and prepare and print a federal 1040 for free (e-filing is extra). This is a big plus for someone who doesn't have a complex return and just wants to "get it done."
Also, TaxAct is much easier to use if you have a basic knowledge of taxes and filing returns.

Turbo Tax by Quicken

Turbo Tax is the best-know and most popular of the leading tax software packages.
Even complex returns are produced quickly, thanks to clearly presented interview questions and guides throughout the program.
The program comes in federal, state, and home business versions. There is also a fee for e-filing, which is unfortunate.
Of note is the deduction-finding and evaluating feature, ItsDeductible. Keep track of your donations as you make them.
According to the manufacturer, ItsDeductible helps you track the items, cash, and stock you donate to charity, as well as mileage you drive to donate or volunteer. It stores your information on our secure servers, so you can access it year-round with your user ID and password.
At tax time, easily import your donations from ItsDeductible to TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, or Home & Business.
We still feel Turbo Tax is the best buy for the majority of filers.

Like Turbo Tax, Tax Cut uses an interview process to obtain information to complete your federal, state, or business tax returns.
If you use Microsoft Money for personal finance software, TaxCut will retrieve the information from that program.
Many taxpayers are still intimidated by preparing their own tax return because they don't have a background in mathematics. One of the strengths of Tax Cut is that you don't need to have accounting experience of any kind. Simply answer the questions the program asks you. If you are unsure of an answer you can check the extensive Help section for guidance. TaxCut automatically checks your return for common errors, but if you are still unsure of yourself, you can ask an H&R Block professional for customized tax advice.
You can check the status of your return and have the refund deposited directly into your bank account. One unique feature that we liked was the comparisons against national averages. TaxCut also has added Worry-Free Audit Support through H&R Block.

- Questions? Ask our tax experts. -