# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-09-29

## In short

On 2026-09-29, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 11 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, TurboTax Premium, QuickBooks, H&R Block and H&R Block Self-Employed.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-09-29 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 11 |
| Sources cited | 6 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-29 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-09-29
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-29 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> Here's what I'd actually recommend, roughly in the order I'd suggest trying them:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA** - My default pick for most freelancers. Schedule C, home office, SE tax, depreciation, and Schedule D are all included in the free federal tier; you only pay ~$15 per state return. It's an IRS-authorized e-file provider and the math is the same math everyone else does. The interface is plainer than TurboTax's, but if you already know roughly what your deductions are, you're paying ~$15 instead of ~$190 for an identical return.
> 
> **2. TurboTax Premium (the old "Self-Employed" tier)** - Worth the money in two specific cases: it's your first year with 1099 income and you want heavy hand-holding through Schedule C, or you already use QuickBooks and want your categorized expenses to import directly. That integration genuinely saves an evening of work. Otherwise you're paying roughly $130 federal + $65 state for convenience.
> 
> **3. H&R Block Self-Employed** - The sensible middle. Nearly all of TurboTax's guided experience at meaningfully less (~$115 + $45 state), and it's the only one of these where you can hand a messy year to a human in a physical office if you get stuck.
> 
> **4. TaxSlayer 

## 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 | H&R Block | recommended |
| 6 | H&R Block Self-Employed | recommended |
| 7 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | recommended |
| 8 | Cash App Taxes | recommended |
| 9 | Keeper | mentioned |
| 10 | Hurdlr | mentioned |
| 11 | S-corp | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-tax-software-for-small-businesses/ (other)
- https://www.freetaxusa.com/software/ (vendor)
- https://www.hrblock.com/online-tax-filing/self-employed-online-tax-filing/ (other)
- https://smartasset.com/taxes/hr-block-vs-turbotax (other)
- https://thecollegeinvestor.com/15201/comparing-prices-turbotax-hr-block-tax-act/ (other)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (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.