Whether it’s better to do taxes online or in person depends on your preferences. When you do taxes in person, you usually have to pay more for a tax preparer to complete your tax returns for you. But you get more assistance and have someone there to answer specific questions. This can be handy if your personal finance situation is more complex. For instance, if you're a homeowner with rental property or self-employment income, you may want to go this route. When you do your own taxes online, you're ultimately filling out the tax forms yourself, though the programs ask questions and autofill some information to make it easier. They can also simplify certain things, like determining your tax bracket or figuring out whether it makes sense to claim the standard deduction or itemize. These programs can be more cost-effective and can help you avoid any tax mistakes. You also have the option to pay for live help with TaxAct, TurboTax, and H&R Block. Although this comes at an added cost, it is often less than getting in-person help while still affording you the chance to get advice. So this can give you the best of both worlds during tax season.