And if you're looking for advice, you'll certainly find it in these packages. Behind the scenes, each package interprets tax laws and unscrambles IRS code so that the right data goes on the right lines. But sometimes you need a bit more information before you can provide the right figure for a given line. Numerous guidance systems help you through this, offering interpretations of tax law in addition to the standard, cryptic instructions provided by the Internal Revenue Service. Helpful documents and brief videos can round out the process.
Some programs go further, offering planning aids for next year to minimize future tax obligations.
Kathy Yakal, a freelance author specializing in financial software, is a frequent contributor to PC Magazine . Michael E. Ryan was the associate editor in charge of this story.