# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-09-25

## In short

On 2026-09-25, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 12 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 | 2026-09-25 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 12 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-25 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-25
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-25 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> ## My actual recommendations, in order
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA** - What I'd tell most freelancers to use. Schedule C, SE tax, home office, and 1099 income are all in the free federal tier; state is ~$15. There's no upsell wall the moment you type "self-employed," which is the single biggest annoyance with the big brands. Interface is plain but the math is the same math. ([freetaxusa.com](https://www.freetaxusa.com/), [comparison](https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes))
> 
> **2. TurboTax Premium** - Worth the ~$130 federal + ~$65/state only if your situation is genuinely messy (multiple 1099s, vehicle and home office, crypto, K-1s, a spouse with equity comp) or if you dread the process enough that a good interview flow is worth paying for. It's the most polished walkthrough of Schedule C that exists. Otherwise you're paying a premium for UX. ([turbotax.intuit.com](https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/self-employment-taxes/))
> 
> **3. H&R Block Self-Employed** - The middle option: roughly $85 federal + $37/state, most of TurboTax's hand-holding for meaningfully less, plus real human support and physical offices if you wa

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | mentioned |
| 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 | QuickBooks Solopreneur | mentioned |
| 10 | QuickBooks Solopreneur / Solo | mentioned |
| 11 | Solopreneur | mentioned |
| 12 | S-corp | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

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

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.