# What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (small businesses) on 2026-10-26

## In short

On 2026-10-26, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best tax preparation software for small businesses". It named 10 brands; the first six, in order, were FreeTaxUSA, TaxSlayer Self-Employed, TurboTax, TurboTax Premium, QuickBooks and H&R Block.

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Question | best tax preparation software for small businesses |
| Asked on | 2026-10-26 |
| Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search |
| Model | claude-opus-5 |
| Brands named | 10 |
| Sources cited | 5 |
| Audience | small businesses |
| Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. |
| Last verified | 2026-10-26 |

Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/tax-preparation-software-small-businesses-2026-10-26
Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

## The answer, as recorded

Asked on 2026-10-26 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5).

> The right answer forks on one thing: whether your business income flows onto your personal return (sole prop or single-member LLC → Schedule C) or needs its own entity return (partnership → 1065, S-corp → 1120-S). Here's what I'd actually name, in order.
> 
> **If you file Schedule C (sole prop, single-member LLC, freelancer)**
> 
> 1. **FreeTaxUSA** - my default recommendation. Schedule C, home office, depreciation, and self-employment tax are all supported on the free federal tier; state is ~$15. There's no upsell wall, and the interview is perfectly competent. For a straightforward one-person business this is the best value by a wide margin.
> 2. **TaxSlayer Self-Employed** - the step up if you want somewhat more hand-holding and included tax-pro Q&A, still well under the big brands' pricing.
> 3. **TurboTax Premium** (~$139 federal + state) - worth the premium in exactly two cases: you're on QuickBooks and want the books to import, or you have a messy year (multiple 1099 sources, crypto, rentals, asset sales) and want the most polished guidance available. Otherwise you're paying mostly for the interface.
> 4. **H&R Block Self-Employed** - comparable to TurboTax, usually a bit cheaper, and th

## Brands named, in the order the engine gave

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

## Sources the engine cited

- https://www.business.org/finance/taxes/best-tax-filing-software-programs-small-businesses (other)
- https://aspireapp.com/en-us/blog/best-tax-software-for-small-businesses-llcs (other)
- https://www.techrepublic.com/article/taxact-vs-turbotax/ (other)
- https://us.fitgap.com/products/taxact-business (other)
- https://thecollegeinvestor.com/15201/comparing-prices-turbotax-hr-block-tax-act/ (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.