TaxAct vs Lacerte Tax

TaxAct8.8Visit Lacerte Tax8.7Visit

Higher score TaxAct #3 in Small Business Tax Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit TaxAct

vs

Lacerte Tax #4 in Small Business Tax Software 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Lacerte Tax

• TaxAct fits best

  Budget-conscious self-employed filers

• Lacerte Tax fits best

  High-volume firms needing deep tax coverage

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Side by side

Feature	TaxAct 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Lacerte Tax 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Small Business Tax Software	#4 in Small Business Tax Software
Best for	Budget-conscious self-employed filers	High-volume firms needing deep tax coverage
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	$44.99 one-time	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Cloud
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows
Support	Phone, Live chat, Docs	Phone, Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business	Mid-market, Enterprise
Features TaxAct 0/4 · Lacerte Tax 0/4
Federal e-file	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
State e-file	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Bookkeeping imports	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Prior-year import	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Business entity support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Included state returns	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Free federal filing for eligible standard returns Supports self-employment, investment, rental, and gig income Available on web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android	25,000+ diagnostics and 7,200+ tax forms Broad coverage for individual, business, fiduciary, and nonprofit returns Imports, client portal tools, e-filing, and optional hosted access
Cons	State filing costs extra Self-Employed online filing costs $109.99 No verified integrations	$813 annual starting license before applicable per-return charges Windows desktop software with single-user access on the annual license E-file availability varies by return and jurisdiction
Our verdict	TaxAct is tax preparation software for U.S. individuals, self-employed filers, and small businesses. Its guided preparation covers federal and state returns, with support for standard income, home ownership, investments, cryptocurrency,… Read the review →	Lacerte Tax is professional tax preparation software for accounting firms handling complex individual, business, fiduciary, estate, gift, nonprofit, and benefit-plan returns. It runs on Windows desktop software, with optional hosted remote… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• TaxAct — where it wins

  • Free federal filing for eligible standard returns
  • Supports self-employment, investment, rental, and gig income
  • Available on web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android

  Where it doesn't

  • State filing costs extra
  • Self-Employed online filing costs $109.99
  • No verified integrations

• Lacerte Tax — where it wins

  • 25,000+ diagnostics and 7,200+ tax forms
  • Broad coverage for individual, business, fiduciary, and nonprofit returns
  • Imports, client portal tools, e-filing, and optional hosted access

  Where it doesn't

  • $813 annual starting license before applicable per-return charges
  • Windows desktop software with single-user access on the annual license
  • E-file availability varies by return and jurisdiction

• TaxAct8.8/10 · Free plan

  A broad tax filing option for self-employed filers, with state filing charged separately.

  Visit TaxActFull verdict →
• Lacerte Tax8.7/10 · Paid

  Deep tax coverage for high-volume firms, with a high annual license and per-return costs.

  Visit Lacerte TaxFull verdict →