Tax time is an important time for many Americans, and finding the best online tax services is of great interest to many busy people. However you maybe surprised to hear that to us here at Auto Credit Express tax time is an important topic as well.

So how does helping people find auto financing with bad credit translate into helping people with their taxes? Because the fastest way to get a dealer to forget about your poor credit history is to put as much cash on the hood as you can. It's a common yet simple tactic that's proven to work, except for the one obvious problem. That if most people still had a nest egg to tap, they wouldn't be in credit trouble to begin with.

And that's where tax time comes in. Expecting the government to cut you a nice check this year? You can use that money to put the money down to cover a host of credit sins, from really bad credit to getting bankruptcy auto financing. Plus more money down means smaller car payments, which means less financial burden on your family down the road when you're paying the monthly bill. It's a win-win, but only if you can get the most out of your tax return.

So let's talk turkey. If you've decided to e-file your taxes this year, you may be wondering exactly which service is better for you. Some people simply want the cheapest service. Others want peace of mind that they'll be receiving exactly what they should. With any service, you'll have to pay some sort of fee. So how do you know which service will give you what you pay for?

Comparing Services

It just so happens that the folks at CNet.com had the same question. So they compared four of the most used services to see just how well they compared side by side. The results may be surprising, but hopefully they will help you decided which will the best option for your tax filing needs this year.

  1. H&R Block TaxCut Online

    TaxCut is a free service when you e-file your federal return. However, just like every other service it charges to file your state. For this service, it will run you about $30. With a simple return, it was very easy and computed the correct refund. However, when a home sale, self-employment, and investment income were added in to make it more complicated, TaxCut delivered a cost of $1000 more than was correct. It does have a "Worry Free Audit Support" which helped to cut down some of the cost.
  2. TaxAct Online

    The free version of this service will cost about $14. Its layout and design is much simpler. However, it still does the same job that TaxCut does with a smaller price tag. It did very well with a basic return, but on the opposite end of the spectrum with a complicated return. Using the same changes as the others, TaxAct calculated a difference of $2500 more owed than was correct. This is not the service you want to use if you've had a home sale or are self-employed.
  3. TaxSlayer

    According to CNet, TaxSlayer is the best online service for a simple tax return. Its cost for a state filing is only $10 and federal is free of course. Quick and simple, it had the tax return ready to file within 20 minutes. However, it also could not handle a complex return and calculated costs to be about $2000 more than it should be.
  4. TurboTax

    While it was the most expensive of these four, TurboTax was also the most accurate. For even your basic return though, will pay about $26 to file your state tax returns. It charges over $30 for its paid users. Therefore, while this may be a bit of a ridiculous charge for someone with a basic tax return, it's actually quite worth it for someone with complex add-ins, such as selling a home or self-employed income. It calculated a $1000 less than even TaxCut had. That is saving you A LOT of money.

Choose What Is Right for You

As you can tell, there are many options in today's market for online tax returns. The easy answer is to go as cheap as you can, but remember the real goal is to get as much of your money back as you deserve. Even if you were only planning on putting a 500 dollar down payment on a car, if you manage to get an extra $200 or $300 to put down on the car so much the better!

At Auto Credit Express, we understand everything about auto financing, including how important tax time is for those struggling with credit difficulty. That's why we work with some of the best automotive dealers in the US and Canada that can finance a vehicle for you despite how damaged your credit score may be. Use our easy online application and we'll find a reputable and reliable dealer in your local area today!