Best AI Tax Software: What Filing Really Costs for Individuals, Freelancers and Tax Pros

If you file your own return, TurboTax (Intuit Assist) is the best AI tax software for the most guidance. H&R Block (AI Tax Assist) gives you the same help for less money. Freelancers who hate bookkeeping should look at Keeper. Tax pros should look at Blue J or TaxGPT for research. Online sellers should look at Avalara for sales tax.

Here is my advice. Don’t focus on the AI chatbot. Focus on the price once you add a state return, self-employment income and a live expert. Those three add-ons turn a “$0” ad into $200 to $400 at the big brands. A no-frills filer can do the same return for under $20.

Every price below comes from the vendor’s own pricing page, checked in September 2026, unless we say otherwise. Tax software prices often change in January. So confirm the price when you check out. This guide compares software. It is not tax advice.

Building a full stack? Our small business software guide shows the best pick for every job and what it costs.

Quick Comparison: AI Tax Software at a Glance

What AI Tax Software Actually Does (and Doesn’t)

AI tax software is regular tax prep software with a generative AI assistant added. The assistant answers questions in plain English, explains forms and points out deductions. It does not file for you based on its own judgment. The tax math still comes from the same rules engine. A human expert costs extra.

That matters for price. At TurboTax and H&R Block, the AI chat is included. The pricey part is a real person checking your return. Keeper’s AI sorts your expenses all year, and a tax pro signs the return.

For tax pros, “AI tax software” means something else. Tools like Blue J, TaxGPT and CoCounsel Tax are AI tax research tools. They answer technical questions and point to the exact code and rules. Some also review finished returns. For businesses, it usually means sales tax automation like Avalara. We cover all three below. You can find more guides in our SaaS hub.

One more change matters if you used the government’s own tool. IRS Direct File is gone. The IRS told states in late 2025 that it would not be available for the 2026 filing season. Treasury ended the program. We found no news of it coming back. What free routes are left? IRS Free File covers household AGI under $84,000 for the 2026 season. You also have Free File Fillable Forms, VITA and free plans from private companies.

What “Free” Really Costs: Three Filer Scenarios

A “free” AI tax filing ad only covers a simple federal return. Add one state, a Schedule C for freelance income and a live expert. Then TurboTax or H&R Block can cost $270 to $400 or more. FreeTaxUSA does the same return for about $81 with pro support. Cash App Taxes charges $0 but has no AI or expert help.

Here is one federal plus one state return at list price for three people. (1) A W-2 employee with the standard deduction. (2) A freelancer with 1099 income filing alone. (3) The same freelancer, who wants a human to check or sign.

*TurboTax’s pricing page does not show a state price until checkout. Outside reviews report about $64 per state for the 2026 season. Treat that as an estimate.

What does this tell you? You don’t pay for the AI. You pay for the brand and for live people. Do you just want a human to check a self-employed return? Keeper’s $199 plan with a pro signature costs less than the big brands’ review add-ons.

What Makes the Best AI Tax Software?

The best AI tax software fits who is filing and what the full return really costs. Check five things. See which forms the free plan covers. Add the state fee to every quote. Compare the price of human review with the included AI chat. Look for subscription or per-state commitments. Check whether AI answers cite sources you can verify.

We compared the full cost of the same return across tools, including state fees and expert add-ons. We used each vendor’s pricing pages and docs. Free plans often leave out Schedule C. So freelancers get asked to upgrade near the end. Expert review is the real upsell, not the AI chat. If real money is at stake, check it against IRS guidance or a pro.

Best AI Tax Filing Software for Individuals and the Self-Employed

For a personal return with AI help, TurboTax has the most guided interview. H&R Block gives similar AI help for less. Keeper suits freelancers who want expenses tracked all year. If you just want the cheapest filing and don’t need AI, FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes cost little or nothing.

1 TurboTax with Intuit Assist: Best for DIY filers who want the most hand-holding

TurboTax has the most guided tax interview. Every plan comes with an AI helper.

What it does well. Intuit Assist comes with every plan and answers questions as you go. It handles complex returns with investments, rentals or a side business. You can hand off to an expert at any point.

Key features:

• Intuit Assist AI helper in every tier
• Free Edition for simple Form 1040 returns
• Expert Assist gives you help on demand and a final expert review
• Full Service, where an expert does your return and files it

Pricing. DIY plans run $0 to $139 federal (Deluxe is $79), plus state on paid plans. Expert Assist costs $59 to $209 federal. Full Service starts at $129 for a simple W-2 return. It starts at $349 if you are self-employed, before state.

Best for: You, if your return has several parts (investments, rental, side business) and you want the clearest interview plus the option to hand off.

Limitations. It is the most expensive way to file the same return. Free Edition covers only W-2 income, the standard deduction, EITC, the Child Tax Credit, student loan interest and a few other items. Intuit says about 37% of taxpayers qualify. Freelance income pushes you to Premium.

2 H&R Block with AI Tax Assist: Best for most filers who want AI help for less

H&R Block gives you TurboTax-style AI help and a human option for less money.

What it does well. Its pricing page lists free access to AI Tax Assist and live support with Deluxe, Premium and Self-Employed. The free plan includes a free state return.

Key features:

• AI Tax Assist on paid tiers
• Live support on paid tiers
• Free Online tier including state
• Tax Pro Review, where a human checks your return and submits it

Pricing. Free is $0 federal and $0 state. Deluxe is $65, Premium $105 and Self-Employed $130. On paid plans, state costs $49 each. Tax Pro Review adds $65 to $95, depending on the plan. That takes Self-Employed to $225 plus state.

Best for: You, if you want AI help and a human option for a lot less than TurboTax.

Limitations. The free plan covers Form 1040 with no schedules, except EITC, the Child Tax Credit, student loan interest and retirement payouts. H&R Block says about 52% of filers qualify. If you file in several states, $49 per state adds up fast.

3 Keeper: Best for freelancers who want tracking plus a pro-signed return

Keeper is built for freelancers and gig workers who need deductions tracked all year.

What it does well. Its AI links to your bank and card accounts. It finds and sorts deductions all year. A tax pro reviews and signs your return.

Key features:

• AI tracks deductions from your bank and card accounts
• Returns reviewed and signed by a pro
• Audit protection, rentals, K-1s and quarterly payments on Premium
• S-Corp and partnership returns on Business

Pricing. Monthly is $20/mo (bookkeeping only, no tax filing). Standard is $199/yr (federal plus up to 2 state returns). Premium is $399/yr. It adds 3+ states, meeting a pro, amended returns and late returns. Business is $1,199/yr. There is a 14-day free trial.

Best for: You, if you have 1099 income, lots of small expenses and no system to track them.

Limitations. The Monthly plan costs $240 a year and does not include filing. If you are a W-2 employee with a simple return, you would pay $199 for something you can file for free.

4 FreeTaxUSA: Best for the lowest cost, no AI

FreeTaxUSA is not an AI product. That is why it is here. It shows you what low cost looks like.

What it does well. Federal filing is free, even with self-employment, investment and rental forms. Forbes lists it as an IRS Free File partner.

Key features:

• Free federal filing, including self-employment forms
• Investment and rental forms included
• Optional Pro Support from tax pros
• Optional audit defense

Pricing. Federal is free. State returns are $15.99 each. Optional extras are Deluxe at $7.99, Pro Support at $64.99 and audit defense at $19.99.

Best for: You, if a plain interview is fine and you want the lowest price for a freelance return.

Limitations. No AI assistant explains each step.

5 Cash App Taxes: Best for $0 federal and state, no AI

Cash App Taxes says it is 100% free for federal and state returns.

What it does well. Free filing covers 1099 income and stock or bitcoin sales. State returns cost nothing.

Key features:

• Free federal and state returns
• 1099 income supported
• Stock and bitcoin sales supported

Pricing. Free for both federal and state.

Best for: You, if your goal is to pay $0.

Limitations. It has no AI assistant and no paid expert option. You need the Cash App to use it.

Best AI Tax Research Tools and Assistants for Tax Pros

For CPAs, EAs and tax consultants, AI tax software means research and review, not DIY filing. Blue J has the clearest posted price, at $1,498 per user per year. TaxGPT bundles research, return review and drafting, but you only get prices by quote. CoCounsel Tax fits firms already paying for Thomson Reuters Checkpoint.

6 Blue J: Best for AI tax research for solo practitioners

Blue J answers tax research questions and cites its sources right in the answer.

What it does well. It covers US federal, state and local tax. The Individual plan includes unlimited questions and drafting. Blue J says it is SOC 2 Type II compliant.

Key features:

• Inline citations on every answer
• US federal, state and local coverage
• Unlimited questions and drafting
• 7-day trial, no credit card needed

Pricing. The Individual plan is $1,498 per year for one user. Team and Enterprise plans are by quote only.

Best for: You, if you work solo or at a small firm and want a known yearly cost.

Limitations. It is a research tool. It does not prepare or check returns.

7 TaxGPT: Best for firms wanting research, review and drafting in one tool

TaxGPT bundles research, return review and drafting from one vendor.

What it does well. Pro includes TaxGPT Research, document upload, Tax Writer and Agent Andrew, its return review agent. Pro Plus adds tax prep, a bookkeeping agent and hands-on onboarding. It handles client memos and drafting replies to IRS notices.

Key features:

• TaxGPT Research and document upload
• Tax Writer for memos and IRS notices
• Agent Andrew, an agent that reviews returns
• Tax prep and a bookkeeping agent on Pro Plus

Pricing. TaxGPT sells Pro, Pro Plus and Enterprise. It does not post prices, so you book a demo. One competitor article (Bizora) reports about $2,000 or more per user per year. It says there is also a per-return fee for Agent Andrew. That is an outside figure, not TaxGPT’s.

Best for: You, if your firm wants research, client memos, IRS notice drafting and return review from one vendor.

Limitations. You can’t see a price before you talk to sales.

8 CoCounsel Tax (Thomson Reuters): Best for firms already on Thomson Reuters Checkpoint

CoCounsel Tax is AI tax research linked to Thomson Reuters Checkpoint content.

What it does well. It cites Checkpoint, the Internal Revenue Code and government sources. It also reviews uploaded returns and K-1s and helps with tax planning.

Key features:

• Citations to Checkpoint, the Internal Revenue Code and government sources
• Reviews uploaded returns and K-1s
• Tax planning support

Pricing. No prices are listed. You ask for a demo or see plans through sales. It is sold as a subscription for the whole firm.

Best for: You, if your firm already runs on Checkpoint and wants answers linked to that content.

Limitations. 1040 prep is in a separate Thomson Reuters product, Ready to Review. It is a poor fit if you prepare returns alone on a tight budget.

Best AI Tax Software for Small Business Sales Tax

Does your business sell taxable goods or software in several states? Then you need sales tax automation, not income tax filing. Avalara’s Core Compliance plan costs $79 per state per month, or $799 per state per year. It uses AI to figure rates, file returns and send payments.

9 Avalara: Best for small businesses collecting sales tax in several states

Avalara figures, files and pays your sales tax across states for you.

What it does well. Core Compliance figures tax in real time across 12,000+ US tax areas. It files returns and sends payments on its own. It also tracks nexus in all 50 states.

Key features:

• Real-time tax math across 12,000+ US jurisdictions
• Files returns and sends payments for you
• Nexus monitoring in all 50 states
• Handles exemption certificates
• Connects with QuickBooks, Shopify, Stripe, WooCommerce and BigCommerce

Pricing. Core Compliance is for businesses under $50M in revenue. It costs $79 per state per month, or $799 per state per year. Core Compliance + SST Services is $69 per state per month, or $699 per state per year. Avalara says sellers who qualify can get tax math, filing and payments free in up to 25 Streamlined Sales Tax states. Larger businesses get a custom quote. Say you sell on Shopify and are registered in three states. You pay $2,397 a year on annual billing, or $2,844 on monthly.

Best for: You, if your business has crossed nexus limits in several states and you spend too much time filing by hand.

Limitations. Do the math on the per-state pricing first. If you only collect in your home state, your store platform’s built-in tax settings may be enough.

How to Choose AI Tax Software Without Overpaying

• Check the free tier’s form list before you start. TurboTax and H&R Block free plans leave out Schedule C. If you have any freelance income, you will be asked to upgrade near the end. That happens after you have entered everything.
• Add the state price to every quote. It runs from $0 (H&R Block Free, Cash App) to $15.99 (FreeTaxUSA) and $49 (H&R Block paid). TurboTax is about $64 (reported). Two states doubles it.
• Price human help separately from AI help. The AI chat is included. Expert review is the real upsell. It runs from $64.99 (FreeTaxUSA Pro Support) to $95 (H&R Block review), and more at TurboTax.
• File early at TurboTax. Its pages promote savings for filing by March 31. That means list prices can go up later in the season.
• Read subscription terms. Keeper bills yearly, and its Monthly plan does not include filing. Blue J and Avalara lock you in yearly or per state.
• Don’t treat AI answers as final. Use the assistant to understand a form. Then check anything with real money at stake against IRS guidance or a pro.

How We Evaluated AI Tax Software

We used each vendor’s pricing pages and product docs, checked in September 2026. When a vendor didn’t post a price, we say “quote only” or label the number as coming from an outside source. We compared the full cost of the same return across tools, including state fees and expert add-ons. We grouped tools by who really buys them. We did not run our own tests or file test returns, and we don’t claim deduction results. No provider pays for placement. Read our editorial policy for details.

Keep comparing: Best AI Accounting Software · Best AI Bookkeeping Software and Services · Best AI Accounts Payable Software · Best Accounts Receivable Software · Best AI Invoicing Software

The Bottom Line

Want a guided DIY return with AI help? TurboTax is the most polished, and H&R Block is the better deal. Are you a freelancer who wants expenses tracked and a pro-signed return? Price Keeper’s $199 Standard plan before paying for review add-ons elsewhere. If you don’t need AI at all, FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes cost a small slice of the big brands. Tax pros should start with Blue J for a known price or TaxGPT for more tools. Sellers in several states should budget per state for Avalara.

Frequently Asked Questions