Best Tax Software · head-to-head
TaxAct vs TurboTax
A sourced, side-by-side comparison for tax software. TaxAct has the lower entry price. Every figure links to the vendor's own page and the date we captured it.
TaxAct has the lower entry price — TaxAct starts at $0/mo, TurboTax at $0/mo. Free tier: TaxAct Yes, TurboTax Yes. HIPAA: TaxAct —, TurboTax —.
As of 2026-06-14 · figures link to their source below
Side by side
TaxAct
$0/mo entryTurboTax
$0/mo entrySources — TaxAct: taxact.com (verified 2026-06-14) · TurboTax: turbotax.intuit.com (verified 2026-06-14)
Key features
TaxAct: SmartFile AI in-product filing assistant; Step-by-step guided filing for all complexity levels; $100,000 accuracy guarantee; Maximum refund guarantee; IRS extension filing support; Prior year tax filing support; Xpert Assist: unlimited CPA/EA sessions for $45 flat add-on; Xpert Full Service: complete return preparation by US-based professionals; MFA via mobile phone or Google Authenticator; TRUSTe Certified Privacy and Trustwave Trusted Commerce seals
TurboTax: Intuit Assist AI for real-time Q&A and guidance; CompleteCheck accuracy scan before filing; Photo/document snap for auto-fill of W-2s and 1099s; Pay-when-you-file model (no upfront payment required); 100% accuracy guarantee with IRS penalty coverage; Audit Support Guarantee: one-on-one Q&A guidance for the current tax year and the prior two tax years; Returns and guarantees retained for 7 years from the filing date; Maximum refund guarantee; On-demand live expert access (Live Assisted tiers); Full expert-prepared filing (Full Service tier); Read-only expert access with masked SSN for privacy