Liberty Tax Service

• Product Features
• Accuracy Guarantee
• Audit Assistance
• Customer Support
• Supported Forms

Liberty Tax Services has a lot of good things going for them. Their website is secured with TRUSTe and GoDaddy. They also follow tax prep industry standards and use encryptions and Secure Socket Layer Technology. Not only do they thrive when it comes to their consumer's security, but they make it convenient for customers by giving them the option to file taxes online or in person.

Product Features

All of these options come with free chat, Affordable Care Act forms, Audit Assistance, and more. Liberty Tax makes a lot of promises to customers who use their software:

• The Largest Refunds. If you file your taxes with Liberty Tax and anyone else, you'll see that Liberty Tax gives you the biggest refund. If this is not the case, they promise to refund the tax prep fees.
• Price Guarantee. When you purchase Liberty Tax online preparation, you can use it at any time for the original price you paid. (Often, the price of tax preparation software increases during tax season).
• Accuracy Guarantee. They guarantee that your tax returns will be accurate, or they will deal with penalties from the IRS.
• Satisfaction Guarantee. Liberty Tax promises that the experts on their live chat will help you with all the questions you may have.

Accuracy Guarantee

The Liberty Tax Service has a thorough guarantee that financially protects customers. The company boasts giving consumers large refunds in comparison to other companies. If one does find a company who gives a higher refund, Liberty Tax Service will "eat the tax preparation fees." Not only that, but the company promises great services, satisfaction, and accuracy. If the company should make a mistake on the math with the IRS, Liberty Tax Service will reimburse members for penalties and interest.

Audit Assistance

Liberty Tax Service has an audit assistance feature that we definitely want to highlight. For each of their online customers, Liberty Tax Service offers professional audit assistance. Once you file your return with Liberty Tax, you are automatically backed by their tax experts. If you get audited, Liberty Tax promises to step in and help you throughout the process. You can also sign up for Enhanced Audit Assistance (at cost) for additional help.

Customer Support

Another thing we like about Liberty Tax Service is how easy they are to get ahold of. They have a contact page full of specific phone numbers and email addresses for customers and potential customers to use. They also have an active Twitter account if people want to tweet their tax questions at them. See our 'Criteria Explained' tab for Liberty Tax Service's contact information. You can reach out to Liberty Tax Services the following ways:

• Twitter: @libertytax
• Live Chat: Free live chat when you sign up for their services
• Phone: 757-493-8855
• Email: [email protected] (You can also email through their site)

Supported Forms

Even though Liberty Tax does not offer all forms, they still offer more than most tax preparation companies. Their list is included below:

• EZ
  • 1040EZ
  • ACA Forms
  • W-2
  • Earned Income Credit
• Basic
  • EZ Forms
  • Form 1040
  • HSA Forms
  • MSA Deductions (Form 8853)
  • Self-Employment Income & Business Expense Forms
• Deluxe
  • Basic Forms
  • Sole Proprietor Income / Schedule C
  • Depreciation of Assisets (From 4562)
  • Home Office (Form 8829)
• Premium
  • Deluxe Forms
  • Schedule B
  • Schedule D
  • Income from Real Estate / Rental

• Number of Products
• No Mobile Filing Option
• Subsidiary

Number of Products

With Liberty Tax Service's online filing options, there really is something for everyone. Here are the online services they offer:

• $14.95 for "EZ" filing which is best for simple filing
• $19.95 for basic tax preparation. These are for simple tax situations, but can also be used for self-employment income.
• $39.95 for deluxe tax preparation. This is for homeowners and investors.
• $69.95 for premium tax preparation. This software is for small business owners.

However, Liberty Tax Service has below average pricing on their federal and state tax services. When you file federal taxes with them, you'll pay $26.95 for state filing.

No Mobile Filing Option

You can only file your taxes online with Liberty Tax Service. Unlike many of their top competitors, Liberty Tax Service does not offer an app or software to download.

Subsidiary

Something important to note is that Liberty Tax is a subsidiary of JTH Tax, Inc. They are affiliated with multiple tax preparation companies that we have reviewed, including eSmart Tax, www.freetax.com, and Taxbrain. We're not exactly sure why one large group would have so many companies that do the exact same thing at different prices, but we wanted to make the consumer aware that those are part of JTH Tax, Inc.