# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (small businesses) on 2026-10-11

## In short

On 2026-10-11, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for small businesses". It named 9 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, TaxAct, TaxAct Business, TurboTax Business and QuickBooks.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-11 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 9 |
| Sources cited | 7 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-11 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-small-businesses-2026-10-11
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-11 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> The honest answer is that "best" splits on your entity type, because that determines which forms you need. Here's what I'd actually recommend, in order:
> 
> **1. FreeTaxUSA - if you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC (Schedule C).**
> This is my top pick for the largest slice of small businesses. Schedule C filing is free on federal, $14.99 per state - versus roughly $159 for TurboTax's Premium tier for the same return. It handles self-employment income, home office, vehicle, depreciation, and quarterly estimates. The interface is plainer and there's no hand-holding, but if your books are reasonably clean you're paying ~$15 instead of ~$170 for an identical filed return. Hard limit: it does **not** support 1120, 1120-S, 1065, or 1041, so it's out the moment you're an S-corp or partnership. ([FreeTaxUSA vs TurboTax, TechRepublic](https://www.techrepublic.com/article/freetaxusa-vs-turbotax/), [FitSmallBusiness review](https://fitsmallbusiness.com/freetaxusa-review))
> 
> **2. TaxAct Business - the best value if you file 1120-S, 1065, or 1120.**
> Roughly $110-$170 depending on the entity, and state returns are frequently bundled rather than billed separately - which is where TurboTax qui

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

| Position | Brand | How it was named |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | FreeTaxUSA | recommended |
| 2 | TurboTax | compared |
| 3 | TaxAct | mentioned |
| 4 | TaxAct Business | mentioned |
| 5 | TurboTax Business | mentioned |
| 6 | QuickBooks | mentioned |
| 7 | H&R Block | mentioned |
| 8 | TaxSlayer Self-Employed | mentioned |
| 9 | Skip Drake | mentioned |

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.techrepublic.com/article/freetaxusa-vs-turbotax/ (other)
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/freetaxusa-review (other)
- https://www.g2.com/compare/taxact-business-vs-turbotax-business (review)
- https://aspireapp.com/en-us/blog/best-tax-software-for-small-businesses-llcs (other)
- https://www.moneycrashers.com/taxact-vs-turbotax-vs-hr-block-best-tax-prep-software/ (other)
- https://www.business.org/finance/taxes/best-tax-filing-software-programs-small-businesses (other)
- https://www.g2.com/compare/drake-tax-vs-proseries-tax (review)

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.