Tax Preparation Online

It used to be the case that tax preparation was a nightmare you passed onto other people. These days, electronic filing is becoming the norm. According to a recent CNET Reviews survey, 61% of tax filers plan to file their taxes online this year. Why not? It's easy, convenient and a fast way to get your refund. Therefore, online tax preparation has become the main focus of Tax Prep 101.

This site is an independent guide to electronic tax filing - both software packages and web services (or e-filing websites). We look at the major American and Canadian e-filing services, including TaxAct, TaxBrain, TaxCut and Turbo Tax. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of each product.

Of course, we can't forget the people who still prefer not to file their taxes online. We discuss issues in selecting a tax preparer and provide profiles and discussions of some of the major providers of these services. Are you better off using one of these services? View our pages and decide for yourself.

Finally, we also pay attention to the 10% of CNET respondents who were undecided, still wary of computer glitches and security. Read our background pages on advice and dos and don'ts of tax preparation. We also have other background advice on:

Tax Return - Tax Forms - Tax Software - Income Tax - Bookmark- Site Map