OLT.com 2026 review: Pros, cons and alternatives

Is OLT.com free?

OLT.com offers free federal tax filings for all users at its basic level, including complex tax situations. Under standard pricing, filers pay $9.95 per government return. Those in the few states where there is no tax return required can use OLT.com for free.

For most users looking to use OLT.com, we recommend upgrading to the Premium version for $9.95 (currently on sale for $2 off), which includes live customer support, audit support, and a discount on state returns.

Most users will pay $9.95 (free version with 1 case return) or $19.90 for premium plus 1 case. Although it’s not really free for most people, the prices are very competitive and much lower than what you’d pay for premium experiences with industry leaders, like TurboTax or H&R Block.

However, it’s more expensive than the free Cash App Taxes app (which has more limitations. The price is similar to our favorite app, FreeTaxUSA, which has more features.

What’s new in 2026?

For 2026, OLT.com has made updates to ensure the accuracy of tax returns, driven by IRS requirements. This includes updated limits for tax brackets, deductions, and credits.

And with a 100% accuracy guarantee, you should get nearly identical results with OLT.com than with any other tax app, assuming you enter all the data accurately.

The most significant changes for 2026 are related to the “Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which has major impacts on the standard deduction, health insurance, state and local taxes (SALT), and small business taxes, among other changes.

OLT.com makes filing easy for many filers who are doing their 2025 taxes in early 2026. It’s best for those with fewer tax forms and those who don’t have active investment accounts, since you can’t upload or import tax forms or PDF spreadsheets with your investment data. You must enter all of your W-9s, 1099s, and other tax forms manually, which can be cumbersome and lead to user errors.

However, the software includes multiple checkpoints that allow users to check whether they have entered information correctly. Since freelancers (including side hustlers) and landlords can easily navigate to whatever they need, it’s a good idea not to have a lot of information to enter.

Active investors in stocks and cryptocurrencies may want to avoid OLT.com and consider TurboTax or another competitor. Having to enter all of your trades one by one can be very cumbersome and prone to typos and other errors.

Thanks to software upgrades for last year’s tax season, OLT.com has several features that help it stand out from other bargain-priced software.

In recent years, OLT.com has updated its software to simplify entering your details and filing your taxes. The app now has a menu-based navigation system that lets you choose which section you want to enter.

Bloggers can review each subsection before moving forward, which helps catch errors before shifting attention to another section. The software also includes powerful, built-in calculators that help filers claim the correct depreciation and depletion expenses.

Users can easily track filing progress and review financial results through department summaries. Summaries show income, deductions, or credits for each department. OLT.com displays detailed subsection summaries so users can catch errors as they work through the return process.

Live customer support at affordable prices

The premium version costs less than $10 and gives you access to live chat, phone customer support, and audit support if you need it. Some competitors charge much more for access to human support.

However, it should be noted that live support is limited, and you may experience long wait times during peak application periods. Customer service support helps you answer questions about OLT.com, but does not include personal tax advice.

With the free version of OLT.com, you can ask questions via email, with a longer delay before you see a response.

Disadvantages of OLT.com

OLT.com is not a perfect product. Here are some drawbacks to consider before signing up.

OLT.com does not allow users to import W-2 or 1099 forms, so filers must enter all of this information manually. Some filers won’t mind taking the extra step, but those with multiple bank or investment accounts may want to opt for more expensive and complex software.

Although OLT.com has made notable strides in user experience, some screens are still cluttered with a design that still looks outdated. There’s also a lot of information on some screens, which can make it easy to miss something important.

Additionally, the screen does not scale well for all prompts, depending on the size of your computer, especially with this sidebar. It disappears sometimes, but it’s not as clean as TurboTax or H&R Block. You can see an example here from our tests:

How does OLT.com compare to other tax software?

OLT.com is low-cost, so our comparisons focus on other programs with similar pricing structures.

In 2026, we’ll compare OLT.com to FreeTaxUSA, Cash App Taxes, and TaxSlayer. OLT.com rivals FreeTaxUSA’s user experience and offers slightly lower rates.

Cash App Taxes has a somewhat better product, which is free, but it doesn’t support multi-instance filing and lacks support for some other important scenarios for some bloggers. TaxSlayer is the most expensive product in the Deals category, but it offers the most functionality.

OLT.com requires users to enable multiple forms of authentication. Multi-factor authentication requirements protect users in the event of a password compromise. The company also protects and encrypts personally identifiable information and credit card numbers.

The company also meets third-party standards for data privacy and consumer data protection. Despite credentials, no website can guarantee 100% safety of information shared online. Follow password and cybersecurity best practices to keep bad guys out of your account.

With the free version, your support options with OLT.com are limited to email support and self-help using the website’s knowledge base and FAQs. If you upgrade to Premium, you’ll get audit assistance, live chat, and phone technical support.

At first glance, audit assistance seems like good value. However, Cash App Taxes offers a similar guarantee for free. Unlike other deal software companies, like TaxHawk, OLT.com does not offer an upgrade option that provides access to tax professionals.

Why should you trust us?

The College Investor team has spent years reviewing the best tax filing options. Our team has personal experience with most tax software tools. I’ve been the leading tax software reviewer since 2022 and have compared most of the major companies on the market.

Our editor-in-chief, Robert Farrington, has been testing tax software tools since 2011 and has tried almost every tax filing product. He also created our team Detailed reviews and videos on top tax preparation companies, which you can find on our YouTube channel.

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

How was this product tested?

In our original tests, we used OLT.com to complete a real-world tax return that included W-2 income, self-employment income, rental property income, and investment income. We have tried to enter all data and use all available features. 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 initially tested, as well as any new features. We’ve also validated the pricing options.

Here are answers to some of the questions filers frequently ask about online tax software like OLT.com.

Can OLT.com help me with my cryptocurrency investments?

OLT.com supports saving encrypted files, but it doesn’t make the process any easier. Users cannot import IRS Form 8949, so they must enter each transaction manually. Most cryptocurrency traders would be better off using a service like TurboTax Premier to file their returns.

Can OLT.com help me file government applications in multiple states?

Yes, OLT.com supports multi-instance recording. The cost is $9.95 per state.

Does OLT.com offer cash back advance loans?

No, OLT.com does not offer cash back advance loans in 2026. You can pay OLT.com’s $29.99 fee using the Banking Product, which we suggest you avoid.