ezTaxReturn is an online tax software that could be a reasonable choice for many tax filers. However, the combination of cost and features has us pointing readers elsewhere to find the best value for DIY tax prep.

If you’ve used ezTaxReturn in the past or are considering it for the 2026 tax season (that’s for 2025 income taxes), here’s an in-depth look at how it works, the pricing, and ezTaxReturn pros and cons.

If you’re looking for a quick summary of how we do our taxes and the apps we like most, check out our list of the top tax software options for 2026.

ezTaxReturn advertises a free tax return for “simple filers,” but those who qualify are extremely limited. Further, you still have to pay $39.99 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 2026?

Note: Prices increased in 2026 for both state and federal taxes.

The most significant updates for 2026 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. The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) has major impacts on the standard deduction and taxes for health insurance, self-employment, state and local tax (SALT), and other parts of the tax code.

The biggest change we saw when reviewing ezTaxReturn this year is the pricing. It costs more, about $5 for federal and state. But we didn’t see any big leaps in features, such as PDF imports of 1099s and other tax forms. So you’re paying more but not getting anything new if you’re a repeat customer.

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.

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. If you would have to pay, we suggest looking elsewhere. It 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 for the top premium experience or FreeTaxUSA for more affordable tax filing, 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.

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

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

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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:

Remember: With any tax software or other financial applications, use a unique password that’s not used on any other website or app.

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.

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.

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 W-2 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.

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 2026.