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Home / Taxes / Best Tax Software / Tax Software Companies / eSmart Tax Review 2023

eSmart Tax Review 2023

Updated: June 20, 2023 By Eric Rosenberg

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eSmart Tax Review

When loading the eSmart Tax website for our 2023 review update, the first thing I noticed was an error on the homepage. In the all-important pricing section, the text overlaps and is unreadable. That basically sums up our review of eSmart Tax for 2023. It works, but it isn’t very good.

eSmart Tax, a subsidiary of Liberty Tax, is ready to help filers prepare their returns in 2023. But the outdated, hard to read website shouldn’t give you confidence that you’ll have the best tax filing experience. For more tax options, be sure to check out our list of the Best Tax Software Options for your situation. 

If you’re considering using eSmart Tax anyway, here’s a look at what you should know for 2023 as you prepare to file your annual tax return.


esmarttax review

Quick Summary

  • No "Free File" tier
  • Interview style navigation is easy to follow
  • Can't import tax forms
  • In-person support available at 2,500+ Liberty Tax offices
START HERE

eSmart Tax Details

Product Name

eSmart Tax

Federal Price

Starts at $24.95

State Price

$36.95

Preparation Type

Self-Prepared

Promotions

None

Table of Contents
eSmart Tax - Is It Free?
What's New In 2023?
Does eSmart Tax Make Tax Filing Easy In 2023?
eSmart Tax Notable Features
eSmart Tax Notable Drawbacks
eSmart Tax Plans And Pricing
How Does eSmart Tax Compare?
How Do I Contact eSmart Tax Support?
Is It Safe And Secure?
Is It Worth It?
eSmart Tax FAQs
eSmart Tax Features

eSmart Tax - Is It Free?

No, eSmart Tax doesn’t offer free filing options. Users will pay for both federal and state returns. You can find a screenshot of the pricing section from the site homepage below. 

Federal taxes start at $54.95 for standard pricing, but is currently going for $45.95, while state returns cost $36.95 with any version of the tax software.

eSmart tax pricing

What's New In 2023?

Like many competitors, eSmart Tax uses white-labeled software to help users file their returns. The look and feel of this software haven’t changed much in the last few years. However, the software has been updated to account for new tax situations, including: 

  • Economic stimulus payments during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and annual tax bracket
  • Deduction
  • Credit limit adjustments due to inflation

The company continues to offer Audit Assistance, where a professional from Liberty Tax will meet with a filer if they're audited. The tax professional will explain how the original return was prepared, but they make no service guarantees regarding communicating with the IRS.

It's worth noting that many of the promised features on the eSmart Tax website were unavailable during our testing or fell short of others. You can download a W-2 from some supported employers, for example, but can’t upload a PDF version.

Does eSmart Tax Make Tax Filing Easy In 2023?

In our opinion, eSmart Tax doesn’t make tax filing easy in 2023, especially compared to other products on the market. It doesn’t have the option to import prior year’s returns and W-2 forms. Even if it did have the option to import previous returns, the software doesn’t show side-by-side comparisons of the previous year.

The “audit assistance” falls short of most audit assistance guarantees. A professional will meet with a tax filer, but they don’t take up correspondence on behalf of the filer.

Putting aside these marketing "misses," the eSmart Tax software offers reasonably easy use for filers with extremely basic returns. Users can transcribe information from their tax forms and painlessly claim the most common deductions and credits.

However, filers with more complex filing situations should skip eSmart Tax. Active investors and real estate owners will find the biggest shortcomings. For example, figuring out how to handle rental income is a challenge, and claiming depreciation requires looking up a form from the help section.

Filers get very little feedback throughout the filing process. The only indicator is a running refund total, updated after completing each section.

Screenshot of eSmart Tax's running refund indicator

Running refund indicator

eSmart Tax Features

Because the eSmart Tax uses white-labeled software shared and re-branded by multiple companies, it doesn’t have many standout features. However, these are a few helpful features that set it apart.

Interview Style Navigation

Users can decide whether to navigate through eSmart Tax using menus or following an “interview” navigation. Users answer Yes or No questions, and where relevant, eSmart Tax sends them to a tax form to complete. This style of navigation is especially useful for filers with straightforward returns.

Audit Assistance Guarantee

If a filer is audited, a tax professional from Liberty Tax will explain how the file was originally returned, what your notice means, and what you can expect during the audit process. This is honestly a pretty weak audit assistance.

On this page, we found that eSmart Tax offered "Enhanced" Audit Assistance in 2019 (this hasn’t been updated in years!) for $29.95, including actual recommendations and help sending IRS responses. But it's unclear if this add-on will be made available again to customers in 2023.

eSmart Tax Drawbacks

eSmart Tax had several problematic areas in 2023. Here are a few examples.

The Home Page

As we alluded to in the introduction, it can be hard to even know what you're getting with each option. Here's what the home page looked like at the time of our review:

esmart tax homepage

For a company as large as Liberty Tax or eSmart Tax, that's unacceptable for users.

No Import Options

Despite advertisements of electronic W2 import, we could not find the option to import during our testing of the software. If it does exist, it's not intuitive or easy to find.

It appears that users cannot import W-2 forms, 1099 Forms, or prior year returns. This is an expectation for all software with premium pricing.

Not Suitable For Users With Complex Tax Situations

The eSmart Tax platform supports active traders, landlords, and self-employed people, but the software isn’t easy to use. Filers with these types of income are better off opting for alternative software.

No Way To Track Progress

eSmart Tax doesn’t provide any “feedback” or progress indicators to help filers know if they’re filing correctly. It can be tough to figure out whether you’ve missed a W-2 (if you hold multiple jobs) or failed to report certain income types without section summaries or other progress indicators.

eSmart Tax Plans And Pricing

This year, eSmart Tax aligns its pricing plan with its parent company, LibertyTax. Filers pay based on the complexity of their returns. 

Plan

Basic

Deluxe

Premium

Best For

W-2 Income With No Children Or HSA Contributions

Claiming deductions and credits and reporting stock trades

All other tax situations

Federal Pricing

$45.95

$65.95

$85.95

State Pricing

$36.95 per state

$36.95 per state

$36.95 per state

Total Cost

$82.90

$102.90

$122.90

START HERE
START HERE
START HERE

How Does eSmart Tax Compare?

The eSmart Tax software is priced like a premium tax software, but it doesn’t function that way. We’re comparing it to bargain software like Cash App Taxes, TaxHawk, and 1040.com. 

The 1040.com software is the exact software used by eSmart Tax, but it comes in at a lower price point. In every case, we prefer Cash App Taxes or TaxHawk to eSmart Tax.

Header
esmarttax comparison
esmarttax comparison: cashapp taxes
esmarttax comparison: taxhawk
esmarttax comparison: 1040.com

Rating

Stimulus Credit

Basic

Free

Free

$25

Unemployment Income (1099-G)

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Student Loan Interest

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Import Last Year's Taxes

Not Supported

Free

Free

$25

Snap a Picture of W-2

Not Supported

Not Supported

Not Supported

Not Supported

Multiple States

Basic

Not Supported

$14.99 Per State

$25

Multiple W2s

Basic

Free

Free

$25

Earned Income Tax Credit

Basic

Free

Free

$25

Child Tax Credit

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

HSAs

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Retirement Contributions

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Retirement Income (SS, Pension, etc.)

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Interest Income

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Itemize

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Dividend Income

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Capital Gains

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Rental Income

Deluxe

Free

Free

$25

Self-Employment Income

Premium

Free

Free

$25

Small Business Owner (Over $5k In Expenses)

Premium

Free

Free

$25

Audit Support

Free (Very Limited)

Free

Deluxe Tier

$29.95 Add-On

Advice From
Tax Pros

Yes, at Liberty Tax local offices

Not available

Pro Support Tier

Not available

First Tier Pricing

Basic

$45.95 &

$36.95/State

Free

$0 Fed &
$0 State

Free

$0 Fed & 
$14.99/State

$25

Second Tier Pricing

Deluxe

$65.95 &

$36.95/State

N/A

Deluxe

$7.99 Fed & 
$14.99 Per State

N/A

Third Tier Pricing

Premium

$85.95 &

$36.95/State

N/A

Pro Support

$34.99 Fed & 
$14.99/ State

N/A

Cell
START NOW
READ THE REVIEW
READ THE REVIEW
READ THE REVIEW

How Do I Contact eSmart Tax Support?

eSmart Tax has a small library of FAQs and articles in the software's Help section. But most of its knowledge base is embedded directly in the software.  The software’s “Tell Me More” buttons offer quick pop-ups with important tax information.

Users can also send emails or reach out on social media to get questions answered. The company also offers unlimited in-office support from tax experts at Liberty Tax locations. This includes having your prepared returns reviewed by a tax pro before you file.

Again, very basic Audit Assistance is available for all users. But that support won't go beyond helping you understand your IRS notice.

Is It Safe And Secure?

Overall, eSmart Tax keeps up with industry standards for keeping information safe and secure. The company uses encryption to protect user information in the event of a breach, and it requires multi-factor authentication to prevent person-specific hacks.

The one area where eSmart Tax is shaky is its User Agreement. The agreement indicates that filers should expect access to electronic filing until October 15th, 2015. It also references functionality that eSmart Tax hasn’t supported in years.

Aside from this issue, the site is as safe as most other tax filing sites. Users should assess all tax software risks before preparing a return with any company.

Is It Worth It?

No.

As with past years, eSmart Tax failed to impress and contained errors on its website, which could confuse unsuspecting filers. The functionality claims on its website were not found in actual testing - specifically the ability to import W2s. Plus, the sheer amount of outdated content and information on their website (such as dates referencing very old tax years) is concerning.

We recommend avoiding eSmart Tax this year because its software is mediocre and overpriced. Instead, check out this piece on the best tax software for your situation.

eSmart Tax FAQs

Here are the answers to a few of the questions that we get asked most often about eSmart Tax:

Can eSmart Tax help me file my crypto investments?

While eSmart Tax supports tax filing for crypto investments, it doesn’t have built-in options to make filing easy. Users must enter every crypto transaction manually. That work comes after they’ve converted from the crypto base currency to USD. Most crypto investors will want to use a free calculator like TaxBit and file their returns using TurboTax Premium.

Can eSmart Tax help me with state filing in multiple states?

Yes, eSmart Tax supports multi-state filing, but filers must pay $36.95 per state.

Does eSmart Tax offer refund advance loans?

No, eSmart Tax isn't offering refund advance loans in 2023.

eSmart Tax Features

Federal Cost

Starts at $45.95 (regularly $54.95)

State Cost

$36.95 per state

Pay With Tax Refund

Yes, an extra fee will apply

Audit Support

Yes (Very limited)

Support From Tax Pros

Yes, at Liberty Tax offices

Full Service Tax Filing

Not available

Printable Tax Return

Yes

Import Tax Return From Other Providers

No

Import Prior-Year Return For Returning Customers

Yes

Import W-2 With A Picture

No

Stock Brokerage Integrations

None

Crypto Exchange Integrations

None

Self-Employment Income

Yes

Itemize Deductions

Yes

Deduct Charitable Donations

Yes

Refund Anticipation Loans

Not offered

Customer Service Options

Email, social media, and in-person support at 2,500+ Liberty Tax offices

Customer Service Email Address

support@esmarttax.com

Web/Desktop Software

Yes

Mobile Apps

No

Promotions

None

eSmart Tax Review
  • Navigation
  • Ease Of Use
  • Features And Options
  • Customer Service
  • Plans And Pricing
Overall
2.6

Summary

eSmart Tax is a decently priced tax software with options for support. However, prices are high and it doesn’t deliver on all of its promises.

Pros

  • Guided interface works well for simple filing situations
  • Basic Audit Assistance included
  • Filers can receive advice from tax pros at Liberty Tax offices

Cons

  • Difficult to enter rental income, stock trades, and crypto transactions
  • No section summaries
  • Relatively high prices
  • Misleading website advertising
  • Try eSmart Tax
Eric Rosenberg
Eric Rosenberg

Eric Rosenberg is a financial writer, speaker, and consultant based in Ventura, California. He holds an undergraduate finance degree from the University of Colorado and an MBA in finance from the University of Denver. After working as a bank manager and then nearly a decade in corporate finance and accounting, Eric left the corporate world for full-time online self-employment.

His work has been featured in online publications including Business Insider, Nerdwallet, Investopedia, The Balance, Huffington Post, and other financial publications. When away from the computer, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, traveling the world, and tinkering with technology. Connect with him and learn more at EricRosenberg.com.

Editor: Claire Tak

eSmart Tax Review
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
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