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

## In short

On 2026-10-01, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for small businesses". It named 13 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 small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-01 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 13 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| 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-small-businesses-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).

> ## If you're a sole proprietor / single-member LLC (Schedule C on your 1040)
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA** - My default recommendation. Schedule C, home office, vehicle, depreciation, and QBI are all in the free federal tier; state is ~$15. It handles essentially everything TurboTax Premium does for a fraction of the cost. The interface is plainer and there's no hand-holding, but if you know roughly what your deductions are, you're overpaying anywhere else.
> 
> **2. TurboTax Premium** - Worth it if you want to be walked through it. Best-in-class deduction interview, 1099-NEC/1099-K photo import, and if you already run QuickBooks it pulls your books in directly. The real reason people pick it is TurboTax Live - a CPA or EA reviews or fully prepares the return. Expensive (roughly $130+ federal, ~$65/state, much more with Live).
> 
> **3. H&R Block Self-Employed** - The pick if you want a human you can physically sit across from. ~$115 federal plus ~$49/state, with Tax Pro Review as an add-on and 12,000-ish retail offices as a fallback. Slightly cheaper than TurboTax with the broadest year-round support.
> 
> **4. TaxSlayer Self-Employed** - Cheapest paid option with actual self-employed support and a tax-

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | TurboTax | mentioned |
| 3 | TurboTax Premium | mentioned |
| 4 | QuickBooks | mentioned |
| 5 | H&R Block | mentioned |
| 6 | H&R Block Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 7 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 8 | TaxAct Business | recommended |
| 9 | TurboTax Business | mentioned |
| 10 | 1-800Accountant | mentioned |
| 11 | Bench | mentioned |
| 12 | Xero | mentioned |
| 13 | Cash App Taxes | compared |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/best-business-tax-software/ (other)
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/best-tax-software-for-small-businesses/ (other)
- https://www.moneycrashers.com/taxact-vs-turbotax-vs-hr-block-best-tax-prep-software/ (other)
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes (other)
- https://www.business.org/finance/taxes/best-tax-software/ (other)

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

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.