# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (freelancers) on 2026-10-03

## In short

On 2026-10-03, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for freelancers". It named 13 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, Cash App Taxes, H&R Block, H&R Block Self-Employed and TurboTax Premium.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for freelancers |
| Asked on | 2026-10-03 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 13 |
| Sources cited | 6 |
| Audience | freelancers |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-03 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-freelancers-2026-10-03
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-03 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> # Best tax prep software for freelancers
> 
> Here's who I'd actually name, in order:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - my default recommendation.** Federal filing is free *including Schedule C* and self-employment tax, with state around $15. It's not pretty, but it handles 1099-NEC income, home office, mileage, depreciation, and quarterly estimates properly. For the vast majority of freelancers, it does the same job as TurboTax for ~$170 less. ([FreeTaxUSA comparison](https://taxo.com/best-tax-software-2026-comparison/))
> 
> **2. Cash App Taxes - if you want $0 total.** Genuinely free for both federal and state, with Schedule C support and no upsell tiers. The catches are real though: single state only, no multi-state filing, no tax pro access, no foreign income, and state filing isn't available in all states (roughly 40 + DC). Great for a simple one-state freelance return. ([College Investor review](https://thecollegeinvestor.com/39045/cash-app-taxes-review/))
> 
> **3. H&R Block Self-Employed - the best paid option.** Around $85 federal + $37/state. It's close to TurboTax in hand-holding quality for meaningfully less, and the ability to walk into an office if your return gets complicated (first year with

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | TurboTax | mentioned |
| 3 | Cash App Taxes | mentioned |
| 4 | H&R Block | mentioned |
| 5 | H&R Block Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 6 | TurboTax Premium | mentioned |
| 7 | TurboTax Premium / Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 8 | TaxSlayer | mentioned |
| 9 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 10 | TaxAct Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 11 | Bookkeeping | mentioned |
| 12 | FreshBooks | mentioned |
| 13 | Wave | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://taxo.com/best-tax-software-2026-comparison/ (other)
- https://thecollegeinvestor.com/39045/cash-app-taxes-review/ (other)
- https://smartasset.com/taxes/hr-block-vs-turbotax (other)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (other)
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/taxes/taxslayer-review (review)
- https://zenithfinancialadvisors.com/best/best-tax-prep-software-for-freelancers (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.