Liberty Tax Review 2023

Liberty Tax can be great for people new to business taxes, but it definitely isn’t our first choice for tax e-filing for small businesses, due to its clunky interface and minimalistic features.
Best for beginners
Liberty Tax
Liberty Tax
3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5
Starts at$45.95
  • pro
    Tax education courses
  • pro
    Both online and on-site filing
  • con
    Poor reviews

Data as of 2/10/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure.

Liberty Tax offers simple online and in-person tax preparation and filing, for both personal and business taxes. It even offers online educational courses to walk you through it. However, compared to competitors like TurboTax and H&R Block, many of its features are overly simplistic and dated.

Let’s take a closer look at its plans, pricing, features, and pros and cons.

Table of contents

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Liberty Tax plans and pricing

Liberty Tax offers tax preparation plans for a range of situations. Its three plans serve individuals, families, self-employed business owners, and more.

Basic

$45.95. The simplest tax solution, the Basic plan, is ideal if you’re filing personal taxes and are single or married with no dependents. This plan supports Form 1040, Form 8853, Schedule A, and Schedule B.

Deluxe

$65.95. This plan option is best if you’re filing more complicated personal or self-employment taxes. You might have investments, a mortgage, childcare, college loans, etc. The Deluxe plan supports all the same forms and schedules as the basic plan, plus several others—including a Schedule C for self-employment. Still, this option probably is too simplistic for most small-business owners.

Premium

$85.95. If you’re a freelancer, contractor, or otherwise self-employed, the Premium plan is the best Liberty Tax option for you. It supports a wide range of forms and schedules and is the best plan for the most complicated tax situations.

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Key features

Liberty Tax offers a very simplistic online tax filing software. Many users report difficulty navigating the website and complain about the lack of help and context when filing. However, the system does have a few advantages to note.

Let’s review some of Liberty Tax’s key features:

Tax education courses

Liberty Tax offers tax education courses both online and in-person that can be a great help for new small-business owners who need a walkthrough for their first tax filing. This can save you money in the long run by teaching you how taxes actually work instead of doing everything behind the scenes.

In-person service

Confused during the online filing process? No problem. Liberty Tax has nearly 3,000 locations across the country, allowing you to transfer your forms to a local office. Liberty Tax professionals can assist you in completing the process in person for an added fee.

Navigation options

Users can choose a question-and-answer navigation method (think TurboTax.) or guide themselves through the process. Most users prefer the Q&A method, but the self-guided model could be preferable for those who want more transparency when filing.

Guarantees

Liberty Tax backs up its tax filing services with multiple guarantees. If you don't get the maximum refund available or if you end up with a mistake in your return, Liberty Tax will refund your preparation fees and reimburse you for penalty fees.

Pros and cons of Liberty Tax

Here are some important Liberty Tax pros and cons to consider:

Pros

In-person filing: If you’re not loving the online tax filing experience, you can easily switch to in-person services at a Liberty Tax location near you.

  • Website speed: Users report that pages load quickly on the Liberty Tax website.
  • Guided tax courses: Liberty Tax’s Tax Education School offers online and classroom tax courses.
  • Mobile access: Liberty Tax offers a mobile app that allows users to complete taxes on the go.
  • Customer service. Liberty Tax has high customer service ratings, and filers can work with a virtual tax pro when filing.​

Cons

  • Higher cost: While many competitors offer a free base plan, Liberty Tax doesn’t have a free option. Those who have an income of less than $72,000 may be able to file elsewhere free of charge.
  • Poor user experience: Though the Liberty Tax interface is relatively simple, it still lacks the user experience of some competitors.
  • Poor reviews: Many customers give Liberty Tax a poor online review, and the company has a D- rating from the Better Business Bureau. Many of these ratings are based on the in-person filing option, but this should still be a consideration.
  • Nontransparent pricing: Many users reported frustration with the pricing model, since they didn’t realize when they had moved into a more expensive tier.
Best Tax Software for Small Businesses
FreeTaxUSA
Best budget option
Turbo Tax
Best overall
eFile.com
Best for multi-state businesses
Liberty Tax
Best for beginners
H&R Block
Best for complex businesses
Learn more about our top brands.
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The takeaway

Liberty Tax e-filing system is a great option with education courses for beginners, but if you need more complex features, it probably isn’t the choice for you. It also has an outdated interface, poor website navigation, and extremely poor customer reviews. If you’re seeking online tax filing services, TurboTax and H&R Block will deliver a better user experience. And if you’re looking for affordable in-person tax filing services, consider highly-rated H&R Block.

If you would like to learn more about taxes, check out Business.org for How to File Taxes If You’re Self-Employed.

Related reading

Liberty Tax review FAQ

Liberty Tax and H&R Block are both popular tax preparation companies that offer online and in-person services. We recommend H&R Block over Liberty Tax, thanks to its better customer reviews, affordability, and user-friendly interface.

Yes, Liberty Tax offers a range of tax services, including options for personal taxes, business taxes, and self-employed taxes. Customers can choose between assisted tax preparation services or do-it-yourself online services.

Liberty Tax is an average to below-average tax preparation company. Its online tax services get decent ratings, but its in-person tax services are rated very poorly. If you’re a small-business owner looking for in-person assistance, it’s best to consider an option like eFile.com, TurboTax, or H&R Block.

Methodology

When evaluating Liberty Tax against its online competitors, we poured over customer reviews, pricing plans, and features to create our ranking and review.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Brooke Kunz
Written by
Brooke is a copywriter and artisan ice cream enthusiast dwelling in California's sunny Central Valley. She's happiest when hiking in the backcountry, baking an overly complex cake recipe, or reading an engrossing new memoir.
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