Each option listed here gives you a way to walk through your tax filing virtually, and they all e-file your taxes for you with the federal and state governments. All have various levels of support and guidance when you are filing your taxes, though. The best choice for you will depend on how complicated your return is and how much tax assistance you desire.

Turbotax vs. TaxSlayer vs. Cash App Taxes Overview:

BrandPriceBest For
TurboTax $0 to $409 Federal, $0 – $64 State (depending on how much tax help you want the complexity of your taxes) Filers needing guidance
TaxSlayer $0 – $64.95 Federal, $0 – $39.95 State Filers who don’t need much guidance
Cash App Taxes $0 Federal, $0 State Filers with simple tax returns

TurboTax Pros and Cons

  • Simple interface
  • Advice from tax experts

  • Expensive

Taxslayer Pros and Cons

  • Cheaper premium editions
  • Audit defense less expensive than competitors

  • No tax advice

Cash App Taxes Pros and Cons

  • Free

  • Not as many forms supported

Turbotax vs. TaxSlayer vs. Cash App Taxes: Pricing and Fees

This is an area that will set these options apart the most. Here’s a quick glance at each company’s pricing:

TurboTax

TurboTax offers four plans, each with three levels of service; DIY, Live, and Full Service. The service levels determine how much access you will have to a tax professional. You won’t get any access with DIY, while you will have unlimited phone access with the Live plans. The Full Service plans allow you to have a professional do your taxes on your behalf.

DIY EditionIncludesPricing
Free Simple tax returns only $0 Federal, $0 State
Deluxe More deductions, including mortgage and property taxes $69 Federal, $59 State
Premier Stocks, bonds and other investments. Rental property income and expenses. $99 Federal, $59 State
Self-Employed Personal and small business income and expenses $129 Federal, $59 State
Live EditionIncludesPricing
Free Simple tax returns only (Called Basic if you upgrade to live) $99 for both federal and state
Deluxe More deductions, including mortgage and property taxes $139 Federal, $64 State
Premier Stocks, bonds and other investments. Rental property income and expenses. $189 Federal, $64 State
Self-Employed Personal and small business income and expenses $219 Federal, $64 State
Full ServiceIncludesFree
Free Simple tax returns only (Called Basic if you upgrade to full service) $219 Federal, $54 State
Deluxe More deductions, including mortgage and property taxes $269 Federal, $64 State
Premier Stocks, bonds and other investments. Rental property income and expenses. $379 Federal, $64 State
Self-Employed Personal and small business income and expenses $409 Federal, $64 State

TaxSlayer

You can only get tax assistance through the two top tier plans and audit support is only available

EditionIncludesPricing
Simply Free Basic taxes and student taxes, no tax assistance $0 Federal, $0 State
Classic All tax situations except self-employed, no tax assistance $34.95 Federal, $39.95 State
Premium Same as classic but with priority support, includes tax assistance and audit support $54.95 Federal, $39.95 State
Self-Employed Personal and self-employed taxes, includes tax assistance $64.95 Federal, $39.95 State

Cash App Taxes

Cash App Taxes doesn’t offer tax assistance but does offer full audit support through a third party.

EditionIncludesPricing
Cash App Taxes All tax forms and most tax situations, no tax assistance but full audit support $0 Federal, $0 State

Turbotax vs. TaxSlayer vs. Cash App Taxes: Features

TurboTax

TurboTax has always been one of the leaders in guided online tax filing, and they have a great reputation and a wonderful online interface. They also have some interesting newer features, including:

  • Live tax expert guidance: This is obviously a premium service that you’ll have to pay extra for. But if you pay for it, you can live chat with a tax expert who can check your taxes and answer your questions before you file.
  • Three financial numbers: After your file your taxes, TurboTax gives you access to three key financial numbers—your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and overall income for the tax year. You can get these elsewhere, but it’s helpful to have them all in one place.

Read More: TurboTax Review

TaxSlayer

This is a very affordable platform that lets you file your state taxes for free if you use its basic service. TaxSlayer has a deduction finder tool that lets you quickly find potential deductions based on your personal and tax information. If you use it multiple years in a row, it will also automatically compare your taxes from year to year, which can give you a good handle on your financial situation.

Read More: TaxSlayer Review

Cash App Taxes

As with many cheaper tax filing platforms, Cash App Taxes can save you a ton of money. But it doesn’t have a ton of additional bells and whistles. Still, it features an easy-to-use interface, Audit Defense, and an accuracy guarantee.

With Cash App Taxes, you can file the most common tax forms, but it doesn’t support multiple state filings, part-year state filings, foreign earned income, or state returns for married people filing separately in community property states. You also can’t do a state filing without a federal filing. And because it only supports the most common forms, it may not cover your specific tax situation.

Read More: Cash App Taxes Review

Signing Up

Signing up for TurboTax, TaxSlayer, and Cash App Taxes is very similar. You’ll start an account if you don’t already have one, and you’ll need to verify your email address. With TurboTax and TaxSlayer, you’ll choose your version at the start. But if you end up needing more forms that are covered with your chosen version, you can upgrade while filing your taxes. You don’t pay for the service until you actually file your taxes.

Security

Each of these three options is similar on security. They all use bank-level encryption and the latest security standard, which are provided by the IRS. Legitimate tax filing services are authorized by the IRS, which ensures that they comply with up-to-date security and privacy standards.

Mobile Support/Accessibility

If you don’t have a laptop or prefer to work on your taxes on your phone, any of these options could work for you. TaxSlayer and TurboTax both have Apple and Android friendly mobile apps that you can use to file your taxes. However, TaxSlayer’s mobile app only supports the more simple tax return options, so keep that in mind.

Cash App Taxes Tax doesn’t have its own mobile app, but it has a mobile-friendly website you can use to file your taxes from your phone.

Customer Service and Support

Each of these options offers basic software support in different ways. With TaxSlayer, you can reach support via chat or email. And with TaxSlayer, you can get support via email or phone, with priority support available for certain versions of the product.

TaxSlayer’s support can take 24 to 48 hours to respond to emails unless you’re one of those with a priority account. Cash App Taxes Tax generally has good ratings of its support and customer service, as well.

One thing to keep in mind is that support, in these cases, is really more about the software. Neither TaxSlayer nor Cash App Taxes Tax employ tax professionals to give you actual tax advice. They can help you with some forms you may struggle with or with software-related issues only. But TurboTax does employ tax professionals who can screenshare with you and give you live advice on your taxes. This just comes at an additional cost.

TurboTax vs. TaxSlayer vs. Cash App Taxes: Which Is Best for You?

You likely landed on this article because you want to know which of these three options would be best for your particular needs. Here are some situations and which one might serve you best.

If you know what you’re doing and have a fairly simple situation:

If you’ve filed your own taxes before and don’t need a lot of guidance, Cash App Taxes Tax is the way to go. You just can’t beat free! However, that no-price option does have some limitations. It may not offer as much guidance as you’ll get, especially with TurboTax. And if you run into a situation where you need an unsupported form, you’ll have to start over on another platform, which could be frustrating.

When you need to file complicated taxes at a low price:

TaxSlayer is an excellent middle-of-the-road option for price and functionality. It doesn’t offer as much guidance as TurboTax, but it does offer audit support and plenty of tax filing options for a much lower price.

If you need live advice:

Got a really complicated tax question? Or want to be sure you’re setting yourself up to save as much money as possible in the next tax year? TurboTax Live is a great option in this case. You can talk to a real, tax expert without having to pay a ton of money to a private individual or practice. And even one tax year with in-person advice can set you up for success in the future.

Related: Top TurboTax Alternatives

Bottom Line

When it comes to tax software, there are no shortage of options. You can file your taxes for free (or for cheap) in many cases, but in this case you need to be sure you aren’t missing any pieces. Or you can pay a lot more to have a tax professional look at your tax situation personally. It all depends on your situation and your needs for this particular tax year.

Author

  • Abby Hayes

    Abby is a freelance journalist who writes on everything from personal finance to health and wellness. She spends her spare time bargain hunting and meal planning for her family of three. She has a B.A. in English Literature from Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and lives with her husband and children in Indianapolis.