# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (small businesses) on 2026-09-23

## In short

On 2026-09-23, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for small businesses". It named 10 brands; the first six, in order, were S-corp, FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, TaxAct, TurboTax Business and QuickBooks.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-09-23 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 10 |
| Sources cited | 8 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-23 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-small-businesses-2026-09-23
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-09-23 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> The honest answer is that "small business" splits into two very different situations, and the right pick depends on which you're in: a sole prop/single-member LLC filing a Schedule C on your personal return, or a separate entity (S-corp, partnership, C-corp) filing its own return. Here's who I'd actually name, in order:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - the default if you file a Schedule C.** Federal is free including self-employment income, state is ~$15. It's the only major site that doesn't paywall Schedule C, and it handles home office and asset depreciation. Downside: no bank or mileage-app imports, so you enter totals manually. If your books are already tidy, that's a non-issue and you save $100+ versus TurboTax for an identical return.
> 
> **2. TaxAct - best value for an actual entity return.** It does 1120, 1120-S, and 1065 online at roughly 30-40% under TurboTax's equivalent tiers, and it's the only consumer product that'll do a C-corp online. An S-corp plus your personal return lands in the low-to-mid $200s, where TurboTax pushes $300+.
> 
> **3. TurboTax Business - worth the premium mainly if you're on QuickBooks.** The import from QuickBooks is genuinely seamless and the interview is the mos

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S-corp | mentioned |
| 2 | FreeTaxUSA | mentioned |
| 3 | TurboTax | compared |
| 4 | TaxAct | mentioned |
| 5 | TurboTax Business | mentioned |
| 6 | QuickBooks | mentioned |
| 7 | H&R Block | mentioned |
| 8 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 9 | Xero | mentioned |
| 10 | Wave | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-tax-software-for-small-businesses/ (other)
- https://www.smallbusinesstools.org/guides/best-tax-software-small-business (other)
- https://www.freetaxusa.com/pricing/ (vendor)
- https://www.business.org/finance/taxes/freetaxusa-review/ (other)
- https://www.taxact.com/taxes-online/taxact-vs-competitors (vendor)
- https://thecollegeinvestor.com/15201/comparing-prices-turbotax-hr-block-tax-act/ (other)
- https://www.blockadvisors.com/small-business-tax-preparation/s-corp-taxes/ (other)
- https://www.novo.co/software/tax-prep (other)

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

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.