E-file com Review 2022 - Low-Cost Online Tax Preparation Skip to content
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Close menu Advertiser Disclosure Advertiser Disclosure: The credit card and banking offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies and banks from which MoneyCrashers.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they appear on category pages. MoneyCrashers.com does not include all banks, credit card companies or all available credit card offers, although best efforts are made to include a comprehensive list of offers regardless of compensation. Advertiser partners include American Express, Chase, U.S. Bank, and Barclaycard, among others. Taxes E-file com Review 2022 – Low-Cost Online Tax Preparation
By Brian Martucci Date September 29, 2022 FEATURED PROMOTION
Our rating
3 5 5
Start Your Taxes Now E-file com
E-file com Pros
Very competitive pricing No-frills approach to tax prep Pay filing fees with your refund E-file com Cons
No free state returns Minimal customer support and guidance Very limited free version E-file com is a low-cost online tax preparation software company. It offers free tax prep and filing for anyone with a simple tax situation, most of whom can complete their returns in 15 minutes or less, according to E-file com. E-file com is not to be confused with IRS e-File, which is the general process of filing your federal taxes online. You also shouldn’t confuse it with eFile, a nearly identically named competitor, so when navigating to the site, remember the hyphen. E-file com is merely one of many private companies authorized to e-file tax returns with the federal government. Its most popular competitors include established online tax preparation companies like TurboTax, H&R Block, and TaxAct as well as newer, leaner upstarts like Taxhub. E-file com Plans & Pricing
E-file com is cheaper than full-service competitors like TurboTax and H&R Block. However, it’s very much a DIY option, lacking the level of customer support and user-friendliness of the established companies. Price-wise, E-file com is a bit cheaper than TaxAct, though TaxAct has somewhat better customer support. Since it’s affordable, fast, and relatively easy for anyone with experience preparing their own tax return to use, E-file com deserves a closer look from anyone concerned with the size of their tax prep bill. It has a no-frills, stripped-down tax preparation interface that takes a hybrid interview-DIY approach. Each section and subsection begin with a short interview that asks basic questions about your life situation. Based on your answers to each batch of questions, you see a list of suggested forms and schedules. If you’re confident you know which tax forms and schedules to fill out, you can skip right to the forms — a significant timesaver as long as you know how to fill them out. E-file com offers three plans. Each plan’s state return pricing covers multiple state tax returns, no matter how many you need to file. That’s an important distinction from most other tax preparation services, which charge separate fees for each one. 1 Free Federal Edition
The Free Federal Edition is appropriate for single and joint filers without dependents or the need to file additional schedules. Filing your federal tax return is free under this plan. The state plan typically costs $25, but you can get 25% off (for a discounted price of $22.49) with code 25OFF. 2 Deluxe Plus Edition
Deluxe is appropriate for single and joint filers with dependents, mortgage interest, or retirement income. The regular price for federal tax returns is $27.99, while state returns typically cost $25. Use code 25OFF to get a 25% discount, making them $20.49 and $22.49, respectively. 3 Premium Edition
Premium is appropriate for people with moderate to very complex tax situations, including those with investment income, small-business income, income from self-employment, and rental property income. The regular price for federal returns is $49.99, and state tax returns cost $25. But you can get both for 25% off with the code 25OFF, taking over $10 off the federal tax return and around $8 off the state return. Additional Features
While the specific features vary among plans based on how complex your tax situation is, all E-file com plans come with the same additional features. Prior-Year Return Importing From E-file com
If you filed your return with E-file com last year, you can import its information directly into your current-year return. However, you can’t import from other online tax preparation services. You also can’t import third-party tax forms, such as 1099s generated by your brokerage. Filing Prior-Year Returns
If you failed to file a return for a prior tax year, you can use one of E-file com’s three plans to do so. There’s no additional charge beyond the price of your chosen plan. Note that you can only claim refunds going back three tax years. If you’re filing for an earlier year, you’ll forfeit any refund you otherwise would have gotten. However, the law still requires you to file older returns if you haven’t yet. Support Ticketing & Phone Support
E-file com’s primary mode of customer support is an email-based ticketing system. To use it, you fill out a simple form on the website, provide written details about your problem, and send it to E-file com’s staff. The system typically produces an email response within one business day. Deluxe and Premium filers also get access to E-file com’s support team by phone. Audit Assistance
E-file com offers an optional audit assistance add-on at no additional charge. If you opt in and the IRS later audits your return, E-file com handles all communication with the IRS on your behalf and provides regular status updates. Help Sidebar
E-file com’s return interface has a help sidebar with basic information about the tax topics you’re working on and basic advice about how to proceed. As you move through each form, the sidebar automatically updates to reflect your position. Pay With Your Refund
E-file com lets you pay your tax preparation fees with your tax refund, eliminating the need to provide your credit card information for an upfront payment. It provides this service through EPS Financial, a partner company. There’s an additional fee associated with this option. Advantages of E-file com
Despite being very bare-bones, E-file com has a lot going for it beyond its low cost. Very Competitive Pricing. E-file com is cheaper than many competitors and is one of the few programs that’s grown cheaper over time. The higher-priced plans are less than half the cost of comparable plans from H&R Block and as little as one-third the cost of comparable plans from TurboTax.Simple, No-Frills Approach. E-file com uses fewer questions than most competitors, meaning fewer screens and redundant questions. Experienced filers can likely complete a tax return faster than an identical return prepared through labor-intensive competitors like TurboTax or TaxAct.You Can Pay With Your Refund. You can pay your tax preparation fees with your anticipated tax refund rather than upfront.Tight Security Practices. E-file com has above-average security, at least from the user’s perspective. The account and password requirements are stricter than many competitors’. And E-file com times out after approximately 10 minutes. Disadvantages of E-file com
With prices this low, there’s always a catch. E-File.com’s disadvantages trip up many would-be filers. No Free State Returns. If you have a simple tax situation and live in a state without state income taxes, you can use E-file com for free. But the majority of E-file com users must pay to file state taxes.Minimal Customer Support. E-file com’s customer support infrastructure is minimal. On the free plan, there’s no way to get in touch with E-file com staff by phone, and wait times for phone support on paid plans can be quite long as the filing deadline approaches. Mediocre Help System. E-file com also has a mediocre on-site help system. Its knowledge base isn’t as comprehensive as TurboTax’s, nor does it have a user-generated question-and-answer component, which is often more helpful than canned FAQs or topics written by the tax prep company’s staff.Little to No Guidance for Complex Situations. If you have a complex tax situation, you have to be experienced to use E-file com. It provides very little guidance during the preparation process, either in the form of guided questions or a help sidebar.No Importing Capabilities. You can’t import prior-year tax returns from other online tax preparers. You also can’t import tax-related files from third parties, such as 1099 statements from your brokerage. The lack of importing is a hassle for anyone with multiple income streams.Free Version Is Very Limited. E-file com’s free version works for very straightforward tax situations only. If your taxes are too complicated for the free version to handle, you need to upgrade to at least Deluxe Plus. H&R Block’s free version can handle significantly more complex situations, including those involving itemized deductions. How E-file com Stacks Up
E-file com is not on many taxpayers’ radars. But if you’re reasonably well-versed in online tax prep, it’s a strong contender. Just compare it to better-known DIY favorite TaxAct. E-file comTaxActFree PlanYes, for very simple situations onlyYes, for simple situations onlyExpert AssistanceNoneYes, free expert assistance at all price points; full-service prep starts at $100Pay With Your Refund?Yes, for an additional feeYes, for an additional feeMost Expensive Plan CostStarting at $37.99Starting at $64.99 Final Word
E-file com is a relatively new online tax prep service without name recognition or much of an established reputation. That isn’t necessarily bad, as new companies can often offer service quality or overall value established companies can’t match. But new companies also tend to have fewer resources to handle unforeseen problems or address customer concerns as they arise. Many of E-file com’s drawbacks, particularly its noticeable lack of support resources, can ultimately be traced back to its lean structure and newcomer status. The good news is these problems are fixable. As E-file com gains traction in the marketplace, it’s likely to grow and mature. But it can’t get to that point without buy-in from early adopters in search of cheap, accurate online tax preparation services. For more options, check out our full list of top-rated free online tax preparation services. The Verdict
Our rating
3 5 5
Start Your Taxes Now E-file com
E-file com Pros
Very competitive pricing No-frills approach to tax prep Pay filing fees with your refund E-file com Cons
No free state returns Minimal customer support and guidance Very limited free version Explore More Reviews
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Low Cost Online Tax Prep Backed by Professionals Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Taxes Manage Money Reviews TwitterFacebookPinterestLinkedInEmail Brian Martucci
Brian Martucci writes about credit cards, banking, insurance, travel, and more. When he's not investigating time- and money-saving strategies for Money Crashers readers, you can find him exploring his favorite trails or sampling a new cuisine. Reach him on Twitter @Brian_Martucci. FEATURED PROMOTION
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