Tax Software for Freelancers: The Schedule C Reality Check

Not tax advice · Edited by Max · Last reviewed 2026-02-15

If you started freelancing in the last 18 months, the tax software question is the same six it is for everyone else, plus three more that nobody warned you about. You need to file Schedule C for the business activity, Schedule SE for the self-employment tax (15.3% on the first $168,600 of net earnings — that's the part that surprises everyone in year one), and likely Form 1040-ES for next year's quarterly estimates so the IRS doesn't charge you an underpayment penalty.

The software market has decided this entire situation is worth $129–$209 to you, depending on whether you fall for the upsell to "Live Assisted." It is not worth $129. We've filed the same Schedule C return on TurboTax Self-Employed, H&R Block Self-Employed, and FreeTaxUSA. The refunds are identical. The price spread is $14.99 to $273. The decision is which interface annoys you least at 11pm on April 14th.

Product	All-in (1 state)	Our take
FreeTaxUSA Top pick	$14.99	Correct answer. Schedule C at $0 federal.
Cash App Taxes	$0	Also correct for single-state. We earn $0.
H&R Block Self-Employed	$122	Better UI than FreeTaxUSA, $107 more.
TurboTax Self-Employed	$188	Best UX, highest price, same refund.

Commission disclosure: we earn $2-$5 from FreeTaxUSA signups, $7-$25 from TurboTax signups, $5-$15 from H&R Block signups, and $0 from Cash App Taxes. Recommendation order reflects product value, not commission.

Tax laws change annually. Verify current pricing and eligibility with vendors before filing. This is not tax advice — see a CPA or enrolled agent for tax strategy.