Cash App Taxes, formerly Credit Karma Tax, is a 100% free online tax software platform. In fact, it's our top pick for free tax filing here at The College Investor.
But while Cash App Taxes offers great value, it has its limitations, and isn't right for everyone.
With limited support for certain tax situations and no option to connect and download tax data from your financial accounts, you may be looking for a more powerful Cash App Taxes alternative. Here’s a look at several top choices if you’re unhappy with the Cash App Taxes offering.
Best Overall: TurboTax
TurboTax is our best overall tax software for several reasons. While it’s one of the most expensive options, it offers the most intuitive user interface and integrates with many payroll, banking, and investment companies to enable users to import their data directly. Where you can’t import, you can upload PDF versions of your tax forms rather than typing in the data manually.
Most people with a basic understanding of their tax forms and average computer skills can use TurboTax to do their taxes independently. If you run into questions, a robust help tool has most of the answers you’ll need without leaving your tax preparation workflow. If you need more help, you can pay extra for assistance from a tax professional or completely hand off your tax return preparation.
You’ll pay more for a premium experience, but TurboTax delivers the best tax preparation software we’ve tried.
Learn more in our TurboTax review.
Best for Investors: H&R Block
H&R Block may be best known for its storefront tax preparation services, where you can meet with a human face-to-face for your tax return needs. It's our second choice for the best overall tax software and our top pick for investors.
H&R Block doesn’t offer the same level of import capability as TurboTax, but it does a great job of helping investors transfer their investment data into the necessary tax forms. It also features a more comprehensive free tier than what TurboTax offers.
If you’re stuck, you can get professional tax support from an H&R Block representative online or in person. The ability to switch from DIY taxes to go into a local H&R Block location is a significant differentiator compared to other tax software.
Learn more in our H&R Block review.
Best for Student Loans: TaxSlayer
TaxSlayer is more affordable than other top-tier tax software while offering an online experience comparable to several top-of-the-line options. The Classic tier ($37.95 plus $44.95 per state) includes all supported tax forms and situations, including forms for self-employed individuals, side hustlers, investors, and student loans.
It doesn’t feature the same level of support for importing investment data as TurboTax or H&R Block, but it’s pretty good overall and covers most tax situations. And if you qualify for the generous free tier, student loan interest support is included. You won’t find that with most competitors.
While it isn’t the easiest to use, it does an excellent job for the price, offering a balance of quality and value. It competes with premium tax software on ease of use but costs less than most premium competitors.
For more information, check out our full TaxSlayer review.
Best for Filing on a Budget: FreeTaxUSA
FreeTaxUSA is one of the cheapest tax filing options available, but it's not actually free. It’s not as cheap as Cash App Taxes, which is free, but it covers more tax situations with an impressively low price tag. Federal returns are available at no charge, and you’ll pay $14.99 per state. That means most people will spend $14.99 to do their taxes with FreeTaxUSA.
The navigation and user interface are pretty good for the price. But unlike premium competitors, you’ll have to enter data from all your tax forms manually. If you only have a W-2 form and a 1099-INT from your bank, that’s not a big deal. But if you have several investment accounts or other complex needs, the lack of support for imports is a drawback.
FreeTaxUSA does cover taxes for multiple states, which Cash App Taxes doesn’t. So, if you work or live across state lines and want to file taxes as cheaply as possible, FreeTaxUSA could be a good pick. And if you find any other limitation from Cash App Taxes to be a deal breaker, it’s a reasonable choice for doing your taxes on a budget.
Learn more in our FreeTaxUSA review.
Best for S Corp Owners: TaxAct
TaxAct is a premium tax offering with a standout feature you won’t find anywhere else (as far as we can find). TaxAct is the only online platform that enables you to file taxes for an S Corporation, C Corporation, or Trust. The best competing option is a download-only software for Windows, leaving Mac users out and ignoring the cloud. TaxAct gives you the ability to do S Corp taxes online, as well as your personal taxes.
There’s no rule that says you have to use the same tax software for your business and personal taxes, but doing both with a single login is a nice option. If you want to do your personal taxes elsewhere, such as with TurboTax or Cash App Taxes, you can still do your S Corp taxes and get your 1120S and K-1 forms with TaxAct as a first step in your small business owner tax preparation.
For personal taxes, it’s not our top pick for value. It offers an experience in line with many mid-tier offerings at a premium price. Nonetheless, it’s a solid choice for many filers and a standout for small business owners with an S Corp.
Learn more in our TaxAct review.
Why You Should Trust Us
The College Investor team has years of experience helping people choose tax software, and we’ve used most of them ourselves to ensure we can give an informed opinion. We’re not afraid to point out low-quality options and want to help you find the best value option for your unique needs.
Over the last few years, the author of this article has completed a tax return using the apps mentioned in this article: TurboTax, H&R Block, Cash App Taxes, TaxSlayer, and TaxAct.
Bottom Line
Cash App Taxes is our top pick to do your taxes for free, but if you find it too limiting or want a premium experience, there’s nothing wrong with paying extra for top of the line software. With a good understanding of your budget and tax needs, you can choose the best Cash App Taxes alternative for your next tax return.
Eric Rosenberg is a financial writer, speaker, and consultant based in Ventura, California. He holds an undergraduate finance degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA in finance from the University of Denver. After working as a bank manager and then nearly a decade in corporate finance and accounting, Eric left the corporate world for full-time online self-employment.
His work has been featured in online publications including Business Insider, Nerdwallet, Investopedia, The Balance, Huffington Post, and other financial publications. When away from the computer, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, traveling the world, and tinkering with technology. Connect with him and learn more at EricRosenberg.com.
Editor: Colin Graves Reviewed by: Robert Farrington