# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-09-14

## In short

On 2026-09-14, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 9 brands, in this order: FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, H&R Block, H&R Block Self-Employed, TurboTax Premium, TaxSlayer Self-Employed.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-09-14 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 9 |
| Sources cited | 4 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-14 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-14
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-14 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Here's what I'd actually recommend, in order:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - the default pick for most freelancers.** Federal filing is free including Schedule C and Schedule SE, with roughly $15 per state return. It handles 1099-NEC income, home office, mileage, QBI deduction, and quarterly estimate vouchers. The interface is plainer than TurboTax's, but the math is the same math. Unless your situation is genuinely complicated, paying $100+ elsewhere buys you hand-holding, not a better refund. ([walletgrower.com](https://walletgrower.com/compare/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-freetaxusa))
> 
> **2. H&R Block Self-Employed - the best balance if you want guidance.** Around $85 federal plus ~$37 per state. It does nearly everything TurboTax does for roughly half the price, and it's the only one of these with physical offices, so if your return goes sideways you can hand it to a human in person. ([ifeeltech.com](https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tax-software-small-business-turbotax-hrblock-freetaxusa))
> 
> **3. TurboTax Premium - worth it only if your return is messy.** Roughly $129 federal plus state. The Schedule C interview genuinely is the best in the industry, and it's the strongest option if you're also jugglin

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | TurboTax | recommended |
| 3 | H&R Block | recommended |
| 4 | H&R Block Self-Employed | recommended |
| 5 | TurboTax Premium | recommended |
| 6 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | recommended |
| 7 | S-corp | recommended |
| 8 | Keeper | mentioned |
| 9 | QuickBooks | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://walletgrower.com/compare/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-freetaxusa (other)
- https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tax-software-small-business-turbotax-hrblock-freetaxusa (other)
- https://quarterly1099.com/articles/turbotax-self-employed-review.html (other)
- https://unlike.net/best-tax-software-self-employed-2026/ (other)

The question page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/tax-preparation-software/freelancers

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.