With massive improvements from previous years, Online Taxes (OLT.com) may finally be a tax software worth considering.
If you’re an experienced filer who wants an audit assistance guarantee at a low cost, OLT may be the right software for you.
It’s not a perfect filing solution, but with it’s rock bottom pricing, many filers may be tempted by the offering, here’s what you need to know about filing your taxes using OLT.com in 2019.
See how OLT.com also compares to our top tax filing software options.
Quick Summary
- Improved navigation but still bare bones
- Low price for audit assistance and live support
- Pricing is one of the lowest for all tax forms included
OLT.com Navigation
OLT.com continues to have a barebones user interface, but it’s significantly less complicated than previous years. OLT does not offer guided navigation, but its system for entering data is far more streamlined than before. The section headers are also generally free of overly complicated jargon.
The one exception to the technical jargon came in the “Business Depreciation” section in which business owners and real estate investors are expected to know that form 4562 is for depreciation.
OLT.com's new in-section navigation menu
Since OLT.com does not offer guided navigation, users have to figure out what sections apply to them on their own. Experienced filers will likely have an easy time of this, but newer filers may end up confused.
For example, when I went to declare my capital gains, I had to figure out whether I needed to enter a 1099-B or a 1099-S form. Of course, for most people this is pretty easy. You should get a Form 1099-S from your brokerage if you sell stock in a given year.
That said, once you find the right page, OLT makes it fairly easy to fill out each section. It offers helpful instructions on the side of each page to help users understand what needs to happen in that section.
Overall, OLT.com’s navigation is best for experienced users who know exactly what they need. Inexperienced filers who want guided navigation should skip over OLT.com altogether.
I also caught one annoying issue in OLT.com’s navigation. When I logged out, I had to verify all my basic info before I could click on the Income/Deductions section. This only happened to me once, but it was an annoyance.
OLT.com Ease Of Use
Though OLT.com has cleaned up the user interface, it’s still a bit clunky.
It’s robust “Tax Reform” section means that OLT has better (and more relevant knowledge articles) than previous years. However, it continues to link out to the IRS website which means many users have to figure things out on their own.
OLT.com Knowledge Articles
When it comes to helping users through the software, OLT.com has a decent selection of knowledge articles. The best articles are those it developed for its Tax Reform Section.
Outside of these knowledge articles, the software often links out to the IRS website. While the link out to the IRS website may come in handy, other tax software systems tend to answer the most common questions directly in the knowledge articles.
OLT.com Pricing And Plans
OTL.com has a free Federal plan (state $9.95 per return) or a premium edition.
The primary difference between the two plans is that the second plan comes with audit assistance protection, customer support via phone, and live chat. The customer support representatives are both knowledgeable and helpful, but they offer tech support not tax support.
Both plans give you access to all the major tax filing schedules, and you can import your data from the previous year.
Plan | Free Edition | Premium Edition |
|---|---|---|
Best For | Anyone comfortable filing their own taxes very manually | If you want customer service and audit support |
Federal Pricing | $0 | $7.95 |
State Pricing | $9.95 | $7.95 |
Total Cost | $9.95 | $15.90 |
Who Should Use OLT.com in 2019?
OLT.com offers value by including all the schedules with both it’s free and paid editions. If you’re a side hustler who is also an experienced tax filer, OLT.com may be an appropriate choice for you (especially with regards to audit assistance).
In particular, people who get annoyed by guided navigation may find that OLT.com is a good choice. However, FreeTaxUSA offers a superior experience for just a few dollars more.
It’s also important to note that inexperienced filers should probably stay away from OLT.com in 2018-2019. In most cases, H&R Block’s Free Plan for a better user interface at a lower cost.
OLT.com Review
-
Navigation - 60
-
Ease Of Use - 60
-
Features and Options - 70
-
Customer Service - 80
-
Plans and Pricing - 80
Summary
Online Taxes (or OLT.com) is a barebones tax preparation software that we don’t recommend. We’ve found it buggy and difficult to use.
susan says
January 22, 2018 at 11:49 amOlt.com is not even letting me go past the w-2 section, says a problem with the resources I’m trying to access. When I did live chat, they say it is a problem with my browser and others are having this problem – I have a google chromebook. They say to use another device. So wasted time already because they are not concerned with a fix. olt.com is both clunky and error riddled and won’t fix their real problems.
Robert Farrington says
January 22, 2018 at 8:34 pmSorry you found our review after you encountered these issues.
ray says
March 30, 2018 at 4:14 pmThey are bad this year I tried 5 times to sent id code to my mobile
phone nothing They really went down hill this year
Tom Neinkman says
February 1, 2018 at 1:19 amGood review too bad I read this article after trying to use them. I have a simple straight forward tax situation, so I usually just file online using my iPad. Unfortunately for me I used OLT. Tabs were not working and pages pulled up all disoriented. Couldn’t even get the Schedule A form. Anyway wasted 45 minutes on this. Wish I read your review first.
Kyal says
February 24, 2018 at 2:06 pmNice article. Wish I had found it before I got involved with OLT. I actually used them last year.
This year the online software locked me into the 1099-B input page. Couldn’t Save. Couldn’t back up to previous page. Couldn’t move forward to Credits input.
I emailed Service. Response was quick, but ineffective. Service suggested I examine the input screen to see whether I had committed an error or neglected to fill in a required screen. She told me to look for the “PINK” highlight that would indicate the error. NO PINK HIGHLIGHTS. The website timed me out and I put the data in again.
Each screen requires re-inputting from previous screen… like address, phone etc.
zzcodi says
February 22, 2019 at 10:36 amAny way to not to add every 1099-INT payers address and TIN ?
Robert Farrington says
February 22, 2019 at 10:38 amI believe you need to add them for each one. How many do you have?
dennis says
February 28, 2018 at 5:10 pmOK i’m another user that wished he read this review first, i have simple tax returns and at age 66 i’m on Medicare but i’m getting deducted 695.00 for Health Care Individual Responsibility and i can’t find a way to remove that and this program has all the information from my ssa 1099 ugh!!
dolores wieland says
September 15, 2018 at 1:05 pmI’m getting desperate now. I have 50 pages of 8949 to input but cannot find the form other than the one that is NOT incorporated into the tax return (nor does it add or substract). I also had problems this year with getting into the return although my password was correct. Hate having to get another preparer after all the work already done and I’d have to access last year’s tax return for carryovers. I have several requests for them to help but I get nothing… All I want is form 8949 incorporated into my return,..What is so hard about that???
Cynthia Ross says
January 27, 2019 at 7:59 pmI’d just like to say BEWARE. Yes, the IRS is telling me I can do both state and federal returns for free, but I just wasted a Sunday because of OLT’s poorly-conceived attempt to “improve” their product by initiating a “single account to manage all of your OLT accounts.” I was able to complete an “OLT One” account after numerous attempts. It finally dawned on me that no, I couldn’t use the same username I’d had for my 2017 return. After that, I worked all Sunday afternoon completing my federal return, stopped to make dinner, and when I returned, I’d been logged out (which didn’t surprise me) and now I can’t access my dandy new account–the website keeps telling me that my username and password “don’t match.” I don’t know what they’re on about; I carefully noted both and know they are what I had set up. Anyway, I’m now in limbo, thinking with dread that I’m going to have to start the whole process over again somewhere else. As I say, BE. WARE.
Gary Hamelin says
January 30, 2019 at 6:39 pmOLT worked for me. This was my first time filing taxes on-line and it was relatively straight forward given that my taxes are pretty simple any way. Also,filing my New York state taxes via OLT was FREE (that may be unique to NY,I don’t know). Just two hours after filing I received an e-mail from OLT that the IRS had accepted my return.
So my experience was positive.
DDB says
February 5, 2019 at 12:47 pmHow was your NYS tax return free?
Mary says
February 3, 2019 at 6:34 pmRead the review and disregarded it. Never again! I keep getting logged out while entering data. About to go back and try to enter dimple dividends for the 4th time. I could understand it if I paused for several minutes, but I’m steadily typing. Erg!
Heyworth says
February 10, 2019 at 7:22 amWorked fine. Based on the comments I logged out and back in after every other form so there wouldn’t be any surprises.
Eileen says
March 25, 2019 at 3:06 pmYes, I Was also frustrated to the point of wanting to delete my acct and walk away. How will I do this? No options that I can find without more time wasted. I’m going back to rock, paper, scissors. I can control these. I could have had my return done faster by mail if I would not have wasted my time here.
Anthonysmomm says
April 17, 2019 at 4:32 am2019 – I loved OLT! First time user, (with an accounting background), I loved how intuitive it was, in many cases it “correctly automatically” selected answers for me as I went from screen to screen which saved me a lot of time; it did not stop to “cheer” me on, or to “baby me” through the process(s). Each year I try at least three different online tax preparer’s, and (oddly) enough even though I have entered the exact some data with each preparer, I do not get the same end result from each. This year OLT was #3, and they actually asked two very important questions, which the first two preparer’s did not… I ended up with a refund with OLT, where the first two preparer’s showed taxes owed. There were complicated calculations with my return, & OLT carried them out beautifully & completed/included all required forms, the net result being 10 pages for my 1040, and five pages of worksheets. At no time did they try to up-sell me during or after, in fact at the end it said, “congratulations, your return is complete for $0”. I was able to print all completed forms for my own hard file, also save a PDF, after which they submitted my return electronically, & they followed up notifying me my return had been accepted by the IRS. I did my OLT return last minute on 4/15 around 10 pm and their site was up & running with no problems. I will mention that OLT may not be for you if you want your preparer to “hold your hand” from beginning to end, and “cheer” you on each time you enter a response… If you already know what you are doing, OLT works very well!