# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-10-01

## In short

On 2026-10-01, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 10 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, H&R Block, H&R Block Self-Employed, TurboTax Premium and TaxSlayer Self-Employed.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-10-01 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 10 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-01 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-10-01
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-01 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> ## My actual picks, in order
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA** - What I'd recommend to most freelancers. Schedule C, SE tax, 1099-NEC, home office, and quarterly-estimate worksheets are all in the free federal tier; you only pay per state (roughly $15). It's an authorized IRS e-file provider and the math is the math - a Schedule C filled out correctly here produces the identical return TurboTax would. The interface is plain and the interview is less hand-holding, so it rewards knowing roughly what your deductions are.
> 
> **2. H&R Block Self-Employed** - The best balance if you want real guidance without TurboTax pricing. Solid Schedule C interview, good expense-category prompts, imports 1099s, and it's the only one on this list where you can walk into a physical office and hand your mess to a human if the return gets complicated (multi-state, an S-corp election, a sloppy first year).
> 
> **3. TurboTax Premium (formerly Self-Employed)** - The most polished Schedule C walkthrough there is, and worth paying for exactly once: your first self-employed year, or a year with something genuinely weird (crypto income, a business sold, big asset depreciation). It asks industry-specific deduction questions others

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

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

## Sources the engine cited

- https://sharper.tax/learn/guides/tax-prep-software-comparison/ (other)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (other)
- https://taxo.com/best-tax-software-2026-comparison/ (other)
- https://www.smashingapps.com/best-tax-software-for-self-employed-in-2026/ (other)
- https://www.techradar.com/best/best-tax-software (review)

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.