ezTaxReturn.com Review 2025: Pros And Cons

ezTaxReturn is a great free tax return option for simple tax returns. See if it makes sense for your taxes. The post ezTaxReturn.com Review 2025: Pros And Cons appeared first on The College Investor.

Jan 4, 2025 - 09:51
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ezTaxReturn.com Review 2025: Pros And Cons
ezTax Return Review | Source: The College Investor

ezTaxReturn takes the pain out of tax filing…for some filers. However, some may find they can’t use the software due to its limitations. While we suggest you’re likely better off elsewhere, we’ll go into the details about how ezTaxReturn works for those considering it for their next tax filing.

For those who can use ezTaxReturn and don't qualify for the free tier, the pricing isn't competitive compared to similar tax return software programs. You can find better options for free and much better user experiences at a similar price.

In this ezTaxReturn.com review, we’ll explore how the app compares to other top tax software options.


eztaxreturn review

Quick Summary

  • Free federal filing for simple returns and income below $50,000
  • Easy navigation and helpful error detection
  • It doesn’t support all states or filing situations

ezTaxReturn Details

Product Name

ezTaxReturn

Federal Price

Free or $29.99

State Price

$24.99 Per State

Federal + State

$54.98

Audit Protection

$39.95

Preparation Type

Self-Prepared

Promotions

No Current Promotions

ezTaxReturn - Is It Free?

ezTaxReturn advertises a free tax return for “simple filers,” but those who qualify are extremely limited. Further, you still have to pay $24.99 for a state return, so unless you live in a state with no state income tax return requirement, you’ll have to pay to use ezTaxReturn no matter how you file.

ezTaxReturn is quite strict about who qualifies for free federal returns. You must meet the following criteria:

  • Earn less than $50,000 per year
  • Have no dependents
  • Have taxable interest income under $1,500

The only credit users can claim with the free tier is the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The free option also only supports W-2 income and unemployment income. Additional 1099 forms and those with HSA contributions must upgrade to the paid version. Due to these many restrictions, most people won’t qualify to file for free.

You can see our picks for the best free tax software here.

What's New In 2025?

The most significant updates for 2025 focused on changes to the tax code from the IRS. The government implemented new brackets and limits for many deductions and credits, and ezTaxReturn made the necessary changes to keep up. You’ll also see updates for new 1099-K requirements for online sellers.

The app expanded to support a larger list of states, making it an option for more households. But state filing prices also went up this year, with the cost of state returns increasing by about $5 per state.

You may notice a maximum refund and accuracy guarantee on this and other tax software. These are industry standards, as your tax results should be nearly identical no matter how you file as long as you input your tax details correctly.

screenshot of EZTaxReturn's navigation options

Does ezTaxReturn Really Make Tax Filing Easy In 2025?

If you fall into the tier of users who can file their federal return for free, you will find a relatively straightforward experience. ezTaxReturn has an intuitive user experience that makes filing easy for tax filers with simple situations. However, it doesn’t offer imports for your tax forms or W-2 data.

ezTaxReturn isn't ideal for more complex tax filing scenarios, including anyone with investment accounts. It also doesn’t have built-in depletion or depreciation calculators, so real estate investors must do calculations elsewhere. Because of this shortcoming, we suggest real estate investors look to more robust options like TurboTax, H&R Block, and other premium tax preparation companies.

Self-employed retirement plans are also not well supported. ezTaxReturn doesn’t allow users to claim contributions to certain self-employed retirement plans, such as Keogh or SEP accounts.

ezTaxReturn Features

Although ezTaxReturn doesn’t support all tax situations, it has a few positive features making it worth consideration.

Guided Navigation

ezTaxReturn uses questions and answers to guide users through the software. The wording of the questions makes it easy for filers to respond correctly.

Robust Error Detection

ezTaxReturn has built-in error detection to prevent users from entering information in the wrong box or entering the wrong value. The error detection ensures you can’t move forward without first checking on an issue. Error messages are descriptive enough to help users solve the problem.

ezTaxReturn Drawbacks

Despite ezTaxReturn’s straightforward user interface, the software has several shortcomings.

Restrictive Free Tier

ezTaxReturn’s free tier supports very few tax filers. And those who qualify will still have to pay for state filing. If you earn more than $50,000 per year, have dependents, or have any income beyond your W-2 job and bank account interest, you won’t qualify.

eztaxreturn free tier limits

No Depreciation Calculators

ezTaxReturn doesn’t have depreciation or depletion calculators. So landlords and self-employed people with depreciable assets can’t claim this legitimate tax deduction through the software.

Limitations On Filing

The ezTaxReturn software only supports one rental property per return. Landlords with multiple properties can’t use the software. It also doesn’t support options trading or wash sales.

As mentioned above, there are no depreciation calculators available, so people with “complicated” tax filing situations may find that the software simply won't work for them.

EzTaxReturn also has limitations on state filing. Unsupported states include Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

ezTaxReturn Plans And Pricing

Since ezTaxReturn has a restrictive Free tier - most filers will need to pay. State filing costs $24.99 regardless of which plan you use. The company offers a Federal + State filing combination with a package price of $39.95.

Users should confirm whether ezTaxReturn supports tax returns in their state before signing up for the software.

Free

Paid

Best For:

No dependents, W-2 or unemployment, earn less than $50,000, no credits or deductions.

All others

Federal Pricing:

free

$29.99

State Pricing:

$24.99

$24.99

Combined Pricing:

$24.99

$54.98

How Does ezTaxReturn Compare?

ezTaxReturn prices itself near the middle of the pack. Even with its annual improvements, the software may still not be worth the price.

Cash App Taxes and TaxHawk support more complex filing at a lower price. Here's a closer look at how ezTaxReturn compares:

Header
eztaxreturn comparison
eztaxreturn comparison: cash app taxes
eztaxreturn comparison: tax hawk

Rating

Stimulus Credit

Free

Free

Free

Unemployment Income (1099-G)

Free

Free

Free

Student Loan Interest

Paid

Free

Free

Import Last Year's Taxes

Only Returns Prepared By EzTaxReturn

Free

Free

Snap a Pic of W-2

Not Supported

Not Supported

Not Supported

Multiple States

Not Supported

Not Supported

$15.99 Per State

Multiple W2s

Free

Free

Free

Earned Income Tax Credit

Free

Free

Free

Child Tax Credit

Paid

Free

Free

HSAs

Paid

Free

Free

Retirement Contributions

Paid

Free

Free

Retirement Income (SS, Pension, etc.)

Paid

Free

Free

Interest Income

Free ($1,500 Limit)

Free

Free

Itemize

Paid

Free

Free

Dividend Income

Paid

Free

Free

Capital Gains

Paid (No wash sales or options)

Free

Free

Rental Income

Paid (no depreciation, only one property supported)

Free

Free

Self-Employment Income

Paid (no depreciation or depletion supported)

Free

Free

Small Business Owner (Over $5k In Expenses)

Paid (no depreciation or depletion supported)

Free

Free

Audit Support

$39.99 Add-On

Free

Deluxe $7.99

Advice From
Tax Pros

Not available

Not available

Pro Support $44.99

Free Tier Pricing

$0 Fed &
$24.99/State

$0 Fed & $0 State

$0 Fed &
$15.99 Per State

Paid Tier Pricing

$29.99 Fed &
$24.99/State

N/A

All forms and deductions are available on the Free tier, but users can upgrade to Deluxe ($6.99) or Pro ($44.99) to access Audit Assist or advice from tax pros.

Cell

Is It Safe And Secure?

ezTaxReturn uses industry-standard encryption technology to keep user information safe. It has strong password requirements, and users must use a second form of authentication to log in.

By combining encryption and multifactor authentication, ezTaxReturn offers strong protections to prevent data breaches or hacks. The company hasn’t suffered major data breaches and has historically received accolades for its security protocols.

Contact

ezTaxReturn boasts that its software is "so easy, it's unlikely you'll need customer service." It also says that only about 10% of its customers reach out for help. But if you need assistance, your options are far more limited than competing tax software companies.

Right now, they only have email support (with a one-business-day turnaround time) and an FAQ on their website. They typically have a phone number you can call during tax season, but this isn't available as of the time of writing.

There is no option to contact a tax pro. The only way to contact the company's support team is to submit an email inquiry.

Who Is This For And Is It Worth It?

ezTaxReturn continues to increase its usability but still has several limitations. It's not ideal for landlords nor those with self-employment income. Features are also far from ideal for most investors.

Filers with less complicated tax situations could benefit from ezTaxReturn. However, the software's price is still too high for what it offers unless you qualify for free federal filing.

Users looking for a better experience, coupled with mid-range pricing, should consider Cash App Taxes or FreeTaxUSA. Those seeking a more robust experience should consider TurboTax, H&R Block, or TaxSlayer.

Not sure which software meets your needs? We’ve got you covered with recommendations for software based on your filing situation.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The College Investor team has spent years reviewing all of the top tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I personally have been the lead tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the marketplace.

Our editor-in-chief Robert Farrington has been trying and testing tax software tools since 2011, and has tested and tried almost every tax filing product. Furthermore, our team has created reviews and video walk-throughs of all of the major tax preparation companies which you can find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to offer informed and honest opinions on every product we test.

How Was This Product Tested?

In our original tests, we went through ezTaxReturn and completed a real-life tax return that included W2 income, self-employment income, rental property income, and investment income. We tried to enter every piece of data and use every feature available. We then compared the result to all the other products we've tested, as well as a tax return prepared by a tax professional.

This year, we went back through and re-checked all the features we originally tested and any new features. We also validated the pricing options.

Common Questions

Let's answer a few of the most common questions that filers ask about ezTaxReturn:

Can ezTaxReturn help me file my crypto investments?

ezTaxReturn technically supports filing taxes for crypto investments. However, this isn’t made easy. Users must convert all their trades to USD and manually enter each into ezTaxReturn. This is a cumbersome task that most people will want to avoid.

Most users with crypto investments will want to use a crypto tax software that integrates with TurboTax.

Can ezTaxReturn help me with state filing in multiple states?

EzTaxReturn supports multi-state filing, but it doesn’t support every state. States that aren’t supported include the following: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

Does ezTaxReturn offer refund advance loans?

No, ezTaxReturn is not offering refund advance loans in 2025. You can pay your software fee using your refund for an extra $29.95, which is definitely not worthwhile.

Features

Federal Cost

  • Free: $0
  • Paid: $29.99

State Cost

  • Free: $24.99
  • Paid: $24.99

Pay With Tax Refund

Yes, $29.95 extra cost

Audit Support

Available as a $39.99 add-on

Support From Tax Pros

Not available

Full Service Tax Filing

Not available

Printable Tax Return

Yes

Import Tax Return From Other Providers

No

Import Prior-Year Return For Returning Customers

Yes

Import W-2 With A Picture

No

Stock Brokerage Integrations

None

Crypto Exchange Integrations

None

Self-Employment Income

Yes (but (no depreciation and depletion is not supported)

Itemize Deductions

Yes

Rental Properties

Yes, but only one property can be added per return

Refund Anticipation Loans

Not offered

Customer Service Options

Contact form and FAQs

Customer Service Phone Number

None listed

Web/Desktop Software

Yes

Mobile Apps

No

Promotions

No Current Promotions

Editor: Colin Graves Reviewed by: Robert Farrington

The post ezTaxReturn.com Review 2025: Pros And Cons appeared first on The College Investor.

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