There aren’t many tasks in life more annoying, confusing, stressful and overwhelming, than tax season. As someone who used to file taxes for a living and interacted with CPA’s on a daily basis, I’m always looking for ways to simplify this process.
Thanks to technology there are mobile apps on the market that will make your taxes less overwhelming! You can keep track of your income, expenses and receipts year-round, to make the most dreaded time of year a little less painful.
Here are the seven best tax apps for freelancers to keep your taxes organized on the go.
1. H&R Block Tax Preparation app
Whether you have a simple tax return, or something more complicated, you can use the H&R Block Tax Preparation app to get started filing your self-employed taxes and state return for free. Once you decided on the complexity of your tax return, you’ll pay anywhere from $29-$79 to electronically file it.
Their Smart Import feature allows you to take a picture of your W-2s or 1099MISC for instant import of all your income. Plus, the H&R Block mobile tax app automatically reviews your return for errors and omissions, and the maximum refund is guaranteed.
This app is available for both iPhone and Android devices, and is free to download.
Click here: Get the H&R Block Tax Prep app for iPhone or Android
2. IRS2Go mobile app
The IRS2Go mobile tax app allows you to interact with the IRS directly, via your mobile phone. (Don’t be scared, the IRS really isn’t that bad!) You can even get in-person tax help from a qualified person in your local area.
This app gives you access to daily tax tips — in plain English — and information on the newest tax legislation as it’s released. And you securely check the status of your refund, or request a copy of your tax return and/or account transcript.
IRS2Go is available free for both iPhone and Android devices.
Click here: Get the IRS2Go tax app for iPhone or Android
3. QuickBooks Self-Employed app
The QuickBooks Self-Employed app is specifically for freelancers and small business owners who have multiple income sources from clients and customers. Your tax return is likely pretty complicated with different income streams and lots of business expenses.
But the good news is that QBSE makes is super easy to just snap a picture of your business receipts so you can export those tax deductions at the end of the year. The app is available for free for both iPhone and Android devices, but you’ll need to pay $5 per month to use the QBSE online software.
Click here: Get the QuickBooks Self-Employed tax app
4. GoDaddy Bookkeeping app (formerly, Outright)
GoDaddy Bookkeeping has been a godsend for my freelance business. It organizes all of my business finances in one place, links up any accounts from eBay, PayPal, credit cards, bank accounts, Amazon, Etsy, etc., and tracks what I’m making, spending and who’s buying from me.
GoDaddy Bookkeeping, formerly known as Outright, gives you constant access to your profit and loss information, automatically calculates your quarterly tax payments and pre-populates your Schedule C information.
This will give you more time to work on the important stuff, like growing your business and building relationships with your customers. It’s a free download and available for iPhone and Android. However, the premium version of the desktop software costs $120 per year.
Click here: Get the GoDaddy Bookkeeping app for iPhone or Android
5. FreshBooks Cloud Accounting app
FreshBooks Cloud Accounting is on this list because of the wide range of help it offers online business owners and freelancers. If you’re still keeping receipts in a shoebox, or handling client info with a spreadsheet, it’s time to get with the program!
FreshBooks allows you to simply take a picture of your receipts, create client invoices, and follow up on payments, right from the app. Plus, you can print month-end reports and review financial income, expenses and more. You can even give your accountant a separate login (with restricted access) so they can get all the info they need.
You can easily sync your FreshBooks account to popular applications and tools including Stripe, MileIQ and PayPal. In addition, this app is free to download for iPhone and Android users, as long as you have a FreshBooks account.
Click here: Get the FreshBooks Invoicing app for iPhone or Android
6. MileIQ mobile app
Whether you are traveling for business, medical, or charitable purposes, it can be hard to remember to write down your mileage. That’s where the MileIQ app comes in super handy. You can track your mileage quickly and easily with automatic tracking, and a record of past trips.
This information can be generated into Excel-compatible email reports for expense purposes, or even downloaded from the web application for reporting. You can classify your trips as personal or business-related and mark these expenses as paid or unpaid as you receive reimbursement.
The MileIQ app is available for $5.99 per month for all users, but you can also try it out free for up to 40 drives.
Click here: Get the MileIQ app for 20% off (use code CLUB20) on iPhone or Android
7. TurboTax mobile app
If you have a relatively simple tax return but your time is limited, the TurboTax mobile app is a great option! It allows you to file your return on the go, in about ten minutes.
The TurboTax app is a good fit for individuals and self-employed freelancers alike. You can take pictures of your tax forms and upload them right into the app. Plus, you’ll have access to a qualified tax professional right at your fingertips, so you can get answers to any questions.
The app is available for free for both iPhone and Android devices, but the actual electronic filing of your federal and state returns starts at $54.99.
Click here: Get the TurboTax app for iPhone or Android
Bonus app: iDonatedIt
So you’ve donated a few items here and there throughout the year, but you just can’t remember what they were and what they were worth. iDonatedIt is an easy-to-use app that helps track of all your non-cash charitable contributions.
Depending on how many items, or money you donate, the iDonatedIt app can save you a good bit of money on your self-employed taxes at the end of the year. This app tracks the date of donation, the items donated, the charity you donated to, and the fair market values of your contributions.
iDonatedIt even allows you to attach a picture of the donated item to your record. At the end of the year just email the comprehensive list to yourself or your accountant for tax purposes. The app is $2.99 and available for iPhone users only.
Click here: Get the iDonatedIt app for iPhone only
The best tax apps for freelancers
The point of using a tax app is to help simplify the tax season process. All of these tax apps for freelancers have been tried and tested by me, and I use many of them in my freelance business every day.
Hopefully this will help you better organize your freelance finance throughout the year as well as give you a less stressful tax season.
Do you have a favorite tax app for filing and staying organized? Share your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook!
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