1040Now Assessment 2026: Our Least Favourite Tax Software program

1040Now – Is It Free?

1040Now isn’t free for any customers. 1040Now permits customers to “Begin My Tax Return” totally free, as most opponents do. When it’s time to file, you have to pay the identical payment no matter which tax types you want. The fee for 2026 is $29.95 for federal submitting and $24.95 for every state.

What’s New In 2026?

Notice: Costs have elevated, however the person expertise isn’t improved

1040Now has carried out the IRS modifications to tax brackets, deductions, and credit score limits, in addition to different inflation- and pandemic-related tax modifications. In consequence, you must get the identical consequence (inside a number of {dollars}) as some other tax software program.

Shockingly, whereas there aren’t any important enhancements to the web site, costs did enhance this 12 months. You’ll now pay extra for a similar Nineteen Nineties-style web site interface.

For returning customers, that implies that you’ll nonetheless have to cope with the wordy interface, nested type entries, and full articles which can be mild on data. The web site seems prefer it’s 1996, and the tax submitting software program isn’t a lot better.

In the event you’re sufficiently old to recollect Netscape, you’ll perceive the feel and appear of these classic web days. You could even end up reminiscing, however that’s not what you need when doing all your taxes. 

We have not spent the time to make a video evaluation of 1040NOW within the final couple of years as a result of our assessments have been so depressing, and nothing has been up to date. If you’d like a peek at what the software program seems like, see this evaluation video:

Does 1040Now.Web Make Tax Submitting Simple?

No, the 1040Now software program is frustratingly exhausting to make use of. It lacks an interactive format that permits filers to skip irrelevant sections. And determining the following step is all the time a problem.

1040Now has quick session expiration time-out home windows. You’ll be logged out should you pause for simply a few minutes. You’ll must re-enter my username and password and click on via a number of screens to get again to the place you left off.

As well as, the cumbersome navigation and crowded types haven’t improved in years. You could even take into account plain IRS online fillable forms above this software program. 1040Now could also be correct, nevertheless it’s irritating and difficult to make use of.

1040Now Options

1040Now has a lacklustre person expertise, so we needed to stretch to search out constructive facets of the software program. Here is what we got here up with. 

Easy Pricing Mannequin

All customers pay $29.95 for federal submitting and $24.95 per state. It is simple to know, and there aren’t any surprises.

Multi-State Submitting

Filers who have to file in a number of states can use the 1040Now software program program to file in all their states. Some opponents solely deal with one state per 12 months.

Part Summaries

1040Now contains part summaries that assist customers establish key revenue, deduction, or credit score points. This makes it simpler to search out errors and examine discrepancies earlier than you progress to new sections.

1040Now Drawbacks

1040Now is essentially the most difficult-to-use software program we reviewed. The appliance is overrun with jargon and complicated menus. These are a number of of the worst options.

Horrible Person Interface

1040Now is difficult to make use of, and the software program is complicated. Customers must learn instructions to determine the place to click on earlier than new screens pop up with extra instructions. It’s going to take you again to the Home windows 3.1 days should you’re sufficiently old to recollect. 

As a result of 1040Now depends closely on “new pages” and “nested types,” customers typically have to return a number of ranges to “resurface” in the event that they mistakenly go down an incorrect path. Sadly, even with guided navigation, it is simple to get misplaced.

Scorching Tax Tip: Get organized with your taxes using an income tax binder

Nested Kinds

Most tax software program permits customers to scroll to fill within the related data. Not 1040Now.internet. It requires customers to click on a number of “Subsequent Step” buttons to finish filling out a single type. Usually, the types embrace complicated directions, which lengthen the submitting course of.

Quick Session Expiration

It takes time to tug up tax paperwork and replica the data from PDFs into the software program. We seen that we regularly needed to re-enter usernames and passwords to log again in. These “Session Expired” points happen far too typically, making it troublesome for filers to finish their taxes effectively.

1040Now Pricing

1040Now.internet presents one flat payment for all customers. The pricing locations 1040Now towards the mid to decrease vary of the market.

How Does 1040Now Evaluate?

Tip: You may get a greater expertise totally free with Money App Taxes or a a lot better expertise at a comparable value utilizing FreeTaxUSA.

1040Now software program is among the many worst available on the market. Every competitor listed right here is superior in operate, and most price much less. We might advocate Cash App Taxes and FreeTaxUSA (amongst many others) over 1040Now.

See our full list of the best tax software here.

Is It Secure And Safe?

1040Now makes use of third-party SSL encryption and requires multi-factor authentication. So filers ought to really feel assured that they’ve taken all cheap precautions to maintain person data protected.

After all, any data transmitted on-line might be hacked. So customers ought to fastidiously consider the dangers earlier than transferring ahead with any tax submitting firm. All the time use distinctive, sturdy passwords and observe different cybersecurity practices to maintain your information and cash protected.

Useful Tax Tip: What to do if you can’t afford to pay your taxes

Contact

Good luck reaching a help consultant at 1040Now. The corporate presents e-mail help solely at cs@1040now.com, and most buyer evaluations on-line usually are not constructive. Count on this to be a principally self-service expertise, with no dwell assist to get you thru your return.

Who Is This For And Is It Price It?

Backside Line: Don’t Use 1040Now

No, we do not suppose it is value it and may’t actually consider any group of taxpayers that may profit from utilizing it. In the event you’ve used it earlier than, make this the 12 months that you just swap from 1040Now. Its built-in calculators and part summaries are good, however each main firm has these.

Fairly than accepting software program that hasn’t saved tempo with the instances, select the best tax software for your situation. You are able to do a lot better.

Why Ought to You Belief Us?

The School Investor group has spent years reviewing the highest tax submitting choices and has private expertise with a lot of the tax software program instruments. I personally have been the lead tax software program reviewer since 2022, and have in contrast a lot of the main corporations on {the marketplace}.

Our editor-in-chief, Robert Farrington, has been testing tax software program instruments since 2011 and has tried virtually each tax submitting product. Moreover, our group has created evaluations and video walk-throughs of all the main tax preparation corporations, which you could find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and need a whole lot, identical to you. We work exhausting to supply knowledgeable and sincere opinions on each product we take a look at.

How Was This Product Examined?

In our unique assessments, we used 1040NOW to finish a real-life tax return that included W-2 revenue, self-employment revenue, rental property revenue, and funding revenue. We tried to enter all the information and use each accessible function. We then in contrast the consequence to all the opposite merchandise we have examined, in addition to a tax return ready by a tax skilled.

This 12 months, we went again via and re-checked all of the options we initially examined, in addition to any new options. We additionally validated the pricing choices.

1040Now FAQs

Listed below are the solutions to a couple of the most typical questions we’re requested about 1040Now:

Can 1040Now assist me file my crypto investments?

1040Now doesn’t supply distinctive steerage for submitting crypto investments. Nevertheless, it has all of the types wanted for individuals who traded or mined crypto investments. Most energetic merchants will wish to select an alternate product, comparable to TurboTax Premier.

Can 1040Now assist me with state submitting in a number of states?

Sure, 1040Now helps multi-state submitting.

Does 1040Now supply refund advance loans?

No, 1040Now doesn’t supply refund advance loans.

Options