Taxes.wiki is an independent resource for individual tax filers trying to choose the right tax preparation software. The site exists because the existing options for this kind of guidance fall into two camps: marketing pages written by the software companies themselves, and surface-level “best of” lists that get updated once a year and rarely reflect actual hands-on testing.
We do something different. Every review on this site is based on running real filing scenarios through the software, start to finish, and reporting what we find.
What we cover, and what we don’t
Our focus is on tax preparation software for individual filers in the United States. That includes W-2 employees, freelancers and independent contractors, retirees, investors with brokerage activity, and homeowners with itemized deductions.
We don’t cover small business or partnership returns, cryptocurrency-heavy filings, or expatriate taxes. Each of those areas has its own complexity and deserves dedicated coverage rather than a paragraph tacked onto a general review. We’d rather be useful in a defined area than thin across many.
How we test
Tax software reviews on taxes.wiki are built around a fixed set of filer scenarios. We use the same scenarios across every product we review, which is what makes head-to-head comparisons meaningful. Our current test scenarios are:
A single W-2 filer with one income source and the standard deduction.
A married couple filing jointly with two W-2 incomes, two dependents, and a mortgage.
A self-employed freelancer with multiple 1099-NEC forms, business expenses, and a home office deduction.
An investor with W-2 income plus a brokerage account generating dividends, interest, and capital gains, including some wash sales.
A retiree with Social Security benefits, a pension, IRA distributions, and itemized medical expenses.
For each scenario, we file (or fully prepare without submitting) the same return through each software package and evaluate the experience against the same criteria.
What we evaluate
Accuracy. Does the software reach the correct result, and does it surface the right questions to get there? Software that misses a deduction or miscategorizes income fails on the most basic level.
Handling of edge cases. Most software handles a simple W-2 return well. The differences show up when something unusual appears, like a 1099-K from a payment processor, a backdoor Roth conversion, or sale of a home with partial exclusion.
Interview quality. Does the guided interview ask clear questions in plain language, or does it dump IRS terminology on the user without context?
Pricing transparency. Does the advertised price match what you actually pay at checkout, or does the software upsell aggressively as you progress through the return?
Import and integration. Can you import W-2s, 1099s, and prior-year returns reliably, or does importing introduce errors you have to catch manually?
Audit and accuracy guarantees. What does the company actually promise, and what are the conditions and exclusions?
Editorial independence
Reviews are written based on testing results, not commercial relationships. We do not accept payment, free upgraded subscriptions, or promotional consideration in exchange for favorable coverage. When we find a product is the wrong choice for a particular filer situation, we say so plainly, including for products we may otherwise rate well overall.
If we begin participating in affiliate programs in the future, we will disclose that clearly on the site and on every page where affiliate links appear, in line with FTC guidelines.
Corrections
Tax law and tax software both change. If you find an error in our coverage, or if a product has changed in ways our review doesn’t reflect, we want to know. Corrections and material updates are noted at the bottom of the affected article with the date of the change.
Contact
For corrections, questions, or general inquiries: contact us.