# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-09-27

## In short

On 2026-09-27, 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, QuickBooks, QuickBooks Self-Employed and H&R Block.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-09-27 |
| 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 | 2026-09-27 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-27
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-27 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> For a freelancer with a Schedule C, here's what I'd actually recommend, in order:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - my default pick for most freelancers.** Schedule C, SE tax, home office, and 1099 income are all in the free federal tier; you only pay for state (~$15-16). It's an IRS-authorized e-file provider that's been around since 2001. The interface is plain and form-like rather than hand-holding, but the math is the same and you keep ~$100+. If your situation is one or two 1099s, some expenses, and a home office, there's no good reason to pay more.
> 
> **2. TurboTax Premium (formerly Self-Employed) - if you want the hand-holding.** Around $129 federal plus state. The Schedule C interview is genuinely the best in the category: it asks questions in plain English and walks through vehicle, home office, health insurance, and retirement contributions in order. Worth it if your return is messy, it's your first year self-employed, or your time is worth more than the price difference. It also imports from QuickBooks Self-Employed cleanly.
> 
> **3. H&R Block Self-Employed - the middle ground.** Roughly $85 federal + ~$37/state. Does nearly everything TurboTax does for less, and it's the only one of these 

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | TurboTax | recommended |
| 3 | TurboTax Premium | recommended |
| 4 | QuickBooks | recommended |
| 5 | QuickBooks Self-Employed | recommended |
| 6 | H&R Block | recommended |
| 7 | H&R Block Self-Employed | recommended |
| 8 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | recommended |
| 9 | Cash App Taxes | recommended |
| 10 | QuickBooks Solopreneur | mentioned |
| 11 | Solopreneur | mentioned |
| 12 | S-corp | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://walletgrower.com/compare/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-freetaxusa (other)
- 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://ifeeltech.com/blog/tax-software-small-business-turbotax-hrblock-freetaxusa (other)

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

Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection.

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.