ezTaxReturn.com review for 2026: Pros and cons

ezTaxReturn is an online tax software that can be a reasonable option for many tax return filers. However, the combination of cost and features led us to point readers elsewhere to find the best value for DIY tax preparation.

If you’ve used ezTaxReturn in the past or are considering using it for the 2026 tax season (that’s for 2025 income taxes), here’s an in-depth look at how it works, pricing, and the pros and cons of ezTaxReturn.

If you’re looking for a quick summary of how we do our taxes and which apps we like best, check out our list of the best tax software options for 2026.

ezTaxReturn advertises a free tax return for “simple filers,” but those who qualify are very limited. Furthermore, you still have to pay $39.99 for the state return, so unless you live in a state that doesn’t have state income tax return requirements, you’ll have to pay to use ezTaxReturn regardless of how you file.

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ezTaxReturn is quite strict about who qualifies for free federal returns. You must meet the following criteria:

• Earn less than $50,000 per year
• They have no dependents
• The taxable interest income must be less than $1,500

The only credit users can claim through the free tier is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The free option also supports W-2 and unemployment income only. Additional 1099 forms and those with HSA contributions must upgrade to the paid version. Due to these many restrictions, most people will not be eligible to apply for free.

You can see our picks for the best free tax software here.

What’s new in 2026?

Note: Prices rise in 2026 for both state and federal taxes.

The most important updates for 2026 focused on changes to the tax code from the IRS. The government has implemented new brackets and limits for many deductions and credits, and ezTaxReturn has made the necessary changes to keep up. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) has major impacts on the standard deduction and taxes on health insurance, self-employment, state and local taxes (SALT), and other parts of the tax code.

The biggest change we saw when reviewing ezTaxReturn this year is pricing. It costs more, about $5 for federal and state. But we haven’t seen any big jumps in features, such as PDF imports for 1099 and other tax forms. So you pay more but you don’t get anything new if you are a repeat customer.

You may notice the maximum refund and accuracy guarantee in this and other tax software. This is the industry standard, as your tax results should be almost identical no matter how you file as long as you enter your tax details correctly.

If you fall into the category of users who can file their federal returns for free, you’ll find a relatively straightforward experience. ezTaxReturn has an intuitive user experience that makes filing easy for tax filers in simple situations. However, it does not offer imports for tax forms or W-2 statements.

ezTaxReturn is not ideal for more complex tax filing scenarios. If you have to pay, we suggest you look elsewhere. They don’t have built-in attrition or depreciation calculators, so real estate investors must do the calculations elsewhere. Because of this shortcoming, we suggest real estate investors look for more robust options like TurboTax for the most premium experience, FreeTaxUSA for more affordable tax returns, and other premium tax preparation companies.

Retirement plans for the self-employed are also not well supported. ezTaxReturn does not allow users to claim contributions to certain self-employed retirement plans, such as Keogh or SEP accounts.

Although ezTaxReturn doesn’t support all tax situations, it has some positive features that make it worth considering.

ezTaxReturn uses questions and answers to guide users through the software. The wording of the questions makes it easier for filers to answer correctly.

ezTaxReturn has built-in error detection to prevent users from entering information in the wrong box or entering the wrong value. Troubleshooting ensures that you cannot move forward without first checking the problem. The error messages are descriptive enough to help users resolve the issue.

Despite ezTaxReturn’s straightforward user interface, the program has several shortcomings.

ezTaxReturn’s Free tier supports very few tax filings. Those who qualify will still have to pay government registration costs. If you earn more than $50,000 a year, have dependents, or have any income beyond your job, W-2, and bank account interest, you won’t qualify.

ezTaxReturn does not have depreciation or depletion calculators. Therefore, landlords and self-employed people with depreciable assets cannot claim this legitimate tax deduction through the program.

ezTaxReturn supports only one rental property per return. Owners with multiple properties cannot use the program. It also does not support options trading or wash sales.

As mentioned above, there are no depreciation calculators available, so people with “complex” tax filing situations may find that the software simply won’t work for them.

ezTaxReturn also has case filing limitations. Unsupported states include Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and West Virginia.

How does ezTaxReturn compare?

ezTaxReturn prices itself near the middle of the pack. Even with yearly improvements, the software may still not be worth the price.

Cash App Taxes and TaxHawk support more complex filings at a lower price. Here’s a closer look at how ezTaxReturn compares:

He remembers: With any tax software or other financial applications, use a unique password that is not used on any other website or application.

ezTaxReturn uses industry-standard encryption technology to keep user information secure. It has strong password requirements, and users must use a second form of authentication to log in.

By combining encryption and multi-factor authentication, ezTaxReturn provides strong protection to prevent data breaches or hacking. The company has not experienced major data breaches and has historically received awards for its security protocols.

ezTaxReturn boasts that its software is “so easy, you’re unlikely to need customer service.” She also says that only about 10% of her clients reach out for help. But if you need help, your options are very limited compared to competing tax software companies.

Right now, they only have email support (with a 1 business day turnaround time) and FAQs on their website. They usually have a phone number you can call during tax season, but this is not available at the time of writing.

There is no option to contact a tax professional. The only way to contact the company’s support team is to send an inquiry via email.

Why should you trust us?

The College Investor team has spent years reviewing all of the best tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I personally have been the main tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the market.

Our Editor-in-Chief Robert Farrington has been trying and testing tax software tools since 2011, and has tested and tried almost every tax filing product. Moreover, our team has created Detailed reviews and videos of all the major tax preparation companies you can find on our YouTube channel.

We do taxes and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to provide informed, honest opinions about every product we test.

How was this product tested?

In our original tests, we went through ezTaxReturn and completed a real tax return that included W-2 income, self-employment income, rental property income, and investment income. We have tried to enter every piece of data and use every feature available. We then compared the result to all the other products we tested, as well as a tax return prepared by a tax professional.

This year we’ve reviewed and re-examined all the features we originally tested and any new features. We’ve also validated the pricing options.

Let’s answer some of the most common questions filers have about ezTaxReturn:

Can ezTaxReturn help me file my cryptocurrency investments?

ezTaxReturn technically supports tax filing for cryptocurrency investments. However, this is not easy. Users must convert all of their trades to USD and manually enter each into ezTaxReturn. This is a cumbersome task that most people will want to avoid.

Most users with crypto investments will want to use cryptocurrency tax software that integrates with TurboTax.

Can ezTaxReturn help me file in multiple states?

EzTaxReturn supports multi-state filing, but does not support every state. Unsupported states include: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Does ezTaxReturn offer cash back advances?

No, ezTaxReturn does not offer advance credits for your 2026 refund.