# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-09-21

## In short

On 2026-09-21, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 9 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, TurboTax Premium, H&R Block, H&R Block Self-Employed and TaxSlayer Self-Employed.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-09-21 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 9 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-21 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-21
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-21 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> **FreeTaxUSA** - my default recommendation for most freelancers. Schedule C, Schedule SE, home office, vehicle, and QBI are all in the free federal tier; you only pay for state (~$16). The interface is plainer than TurboTax's, but the tax math is identical, and if you already know roughly what your deductions are, you're paying $100+ elsewhere purely for hand-holding.
> 
> **TurboTax Premium** - worth the ~$129 federal (plus state) if it's your first year filing Schedule C, or if your situation is genuinely messy: multiple 1099s, inventory, a home office you're unsure how to allocate, crypto or brokerage activity on top. Its interview does the best job of surfacing deductions you wouldn't think to claim. The downside is aggressive upsells and the highest price in the category.
> 
> **H&R Block Self-Employed** - the middle option. Typically 20-30% cheaper than the comparable TurboTax tier with similar guidance quality, and the real differentiator is being able to hand the return to a human at a physical office if you get stuck. Good if you want TurboTax-style guidance without TurboTax pricing.
> 
> **TaxSlayer Self-Employed** - cheapest of the "guided" paid tiers, usually well under H&R Block. 

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

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

## Sources the engine cited

- https://nerdwallet.com/taxes/learn/best-tax-software (review)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (other)
- https://ifeeltech.com/blog/tax-software-small-business-turbotax-hrblock-freetaxusa (other)
- https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/self-employment-taxes/ (other)
- https://www.hrblock.com/online-tax-filing/self-employed-online-tax-filing/ (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.