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You can elect to receive your refund through direct deposit or a check. Direct deposit is the quickest way to get your money, and a check usually takes several weeks to arrive. Credit Karma offers an Earlybird Advance that can give you access to your refund immediately. You apply when you’re filing your return. If you’re found eligible, you’ll receive the amount you’re approved for loaded onto an American Express Serve card. When you get your federal refund, the advance will be deducted from it. There’s no interest or fee for this advance, although the card does have fees if you use out-of-network ATMs.

It also asks you a series of questions about home ownership, investment income and medical expenses to see what else needs to be added to your return. Navigating through the program is easy. Each section is clearly marked and backtracking to add or correct something is simple. An important thing we looked at for each of these programs is how well they notify you about errors in the return.

You’ll just enter the Employee Identification Number (EIN) listed in box b of your W-2.

Before you file, Credit Karma shows you any errors and walks you through the steps necessary to correct them. One nice aspect of being a free service is the lack of upselling. Some of the other programs we used were very intrusive with screens trying to sell us audit protection and other services. You’ll just enter the Employee Identification Number (EIN) listed in box b of your W-2. Credit Karma then auto-fills the forms with your income information. It’s a good idea to double check and make sure everything was imported accurately. Once this information has been added, Credit Karma uses it along with your profile information to make recommendations for tax deductions and credits you may be eligible for.

Other programs, like Turbo Tax and H&R Block charge to file. 37 to file state returns. In order to file your taxes, you’ll need to sign up for an account with Credit Karma and its credit report service. This is another free service that lets you track your credit scores and learn how to improve them. If price is your main concern, Credit Karma is the best choice. This is our pick for the best value tax software. While many other programs have free options for basic returns, Credit Karma doesn’t charge a thing, no matter how complex your taxes are. It’s also the only software that lets you file your state taxes for free.