# What does AI recommend for tax preparation software (freelancers)? Checked 2026-09-08

## In short

On 2026-09-08, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 13 brands, in this order: FreeTaxUSA, multi-state, Cash App Taxes, TaxSlayer Self-Employed, Self Visa, H&R Block.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-09-08 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 13 |
| Sources cited | 6 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-08 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/tax-preparation-software/freelancers
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-08 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> ## My short list
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - my default recommendation for most freelancers.** Schedule C, SE tax, home office, QBI, and 1099-NEC/1099-K income are all in the free federal tier; you only pay ~$15-16 per state. It's a plain, form-driven interview with no upsell theater. If your freelance situation is "several clients, some expenses, one state," this does the whole job for the price of a lunch. It also supports multi-state and prior-year returns, which the truly free options don't.
> 
> **2. Cash App Taxes - if you want $0 total, federal *and* state.** Genuinely free with no tiers, no income cap, and it handles Schedule C. The catch is real, though: no multi-state, no part-year or nonresident state returns, and a few niche forms are missing. Great for a single-state freelancer with a straightforward return; a dead end the year you move or pick up out-of-state work. ([Forbes review](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/taxes/cash-app-taxes-review/))
> 
> **3. TaxSlayer Self-Employed - the value pick with real hand-holding.** Cheaper than H&R Block or TurboTax while still giving guided Schedule C prep, deduction prompts, quarterly-estimate help, and access to a tax pro. Good middle ground if 

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | multi-state | mentioned |
| 3 | Cash App Taxes | mentioned |
| 4 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 5 | Self Visa | mentioned |
| 6 | H&R Block | compared |
| 7 | Good Grants | mentioned |
| 8 | H&R Block Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 9 | TurboTax Premium | mentioned |
| 10 | Uber Eats | mentioned |
| 11 | S-corp | mentioned |
| 12 | Keeper | mentioned |
| 13 | January 31 | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/taxes/cash-app-taxes-review/ (other)
- https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tax-software-small-business-turbotax-hrblock-freetaxusa (other)
- https://thecollegeinvestor.com/35362/keeper-tax-review/ (other)
- https://financebuzz.com/keeper-tax-review (other)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (other)
- https://unlike.net/best-tax-software-self-employed-2026/ (other)

Permanent address of this answer: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-08

Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.