TaxAct Self-Employed

TaxAct Self-Employed provides full Schedule C filing for self-employed authors, with the highest-dollar accuracy guarantee of any consumer tax software — $100,000 cumulative — and an optional live expert access add-on at lower cost than competing services.

What You Get#

• Schedule C support: Complete business income and expense deductions, including home office, mileage, QBI (20% Qualified Business Income deduction), and depreciation
• $100,000 accuracy guarantee: Covers software calculation errors — pays software fees, tax liability differences, and penalties/interest caused by TaxAct's errors. Claims must be submitted within 60 days of e-filing
• 1099-NEC entry: Handles royalty income from Amazon KDP, ACX, IngramSpark, and other publishing platforms
• Retirement account deductions: Supports SEP-IRA contributions (up to $70,000 for 2025) and SIMPLE IRA deductions for self-employed filers
• Quarterly tax estimates: Built-in calculator for 1040-ES quarterly payment planning

Who It's For#

• Authors with significant royalty income: The $100,000 accuracy guarantee provides stronger financial protection than competitors for authors filing substantial self-employment income
• Authors who occasionally need expert help: The optional Xpert Assist add-on ($45) provides unlimited sessions with CPAs and Enrolled Agents via phone and chat — cheaper than comparable services from TurboTax

Pricing: $109.99 federal + $64.99 per state; pay when you file. Xpert Assist (unlimited expert sessions with CPAs and Enrolled Agents) is $45. Audit Defense via Protection Plus (3-year federal + state representation by enrolled agents) is $49.99. Xpert Full Service (expert prepares your entire return) starts at $99 + $69 all-states for simple returns; the self-employed Entrepreneur edition is $219 + $69 all-states. New customers can typically file at a discounted early-season promotional rate (recently $55 total for federal + state) — this promo rises as the filing deadline approaches and expires after the season, so verify the current offer before recommending.

Strengths#

• Strongest accuracy guarantee in the category: $100,000 cumulative is the highest dollar amount in consumer tax software — appropriate for authors filing significant self-employment income
• Expert access priced lower than TurboTax: Xpert Assist ($45) for unlimited expert sessions is less expensive than TurboTax's bundled Live Assisted pricing

Limitations#

• Poor user reviews: TaxAct holds a 1.4/5 Trustpilot rating (142 reviews), with recurring complaints about billing misdirection, technical glitches with state e-filing, and customer service responsiveness
• No QuickBooks integration: Authors using bookkeeping software must manually transcribe figures — TurboTax offers direct QuickBooks import
• Accuracy guarantee has important exclusions: Covers software errors only; user data-entry mistakes, income misclassification, or incorrect claims are not covered. The 60-day claim submission window is tight
• Pricing has narrowed its value gap: At $109.99 federal, TaxAct is now closer to TurboTax ($129+) than to TaxSlayer ($52.95), reducing the middle-ground advantage that previously justified its positioning

Alternatives#

TaxSlayer Self-Employed ($52.95 federal) costs about half as much and includes self-employment specialist access in the base price. TurboTax Premium ($129+ federal) offers a more polished guided experience with QuickBooks integration for authors who file complex returns.