Lisa Gerstner
About the Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards 2025
The Kiplinger Readers’ Choice Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best products and services in the personal finance arena. We asked you, our Kiplinger community, to help us name the products and services you think have delivered excellent value in the past year.
The survey results, which we’re sharing here in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards, offer valuable insight into which providers shine when it comes to your everyday interactions and experiences with them. Our Awards recognize excellence in everything from credit cards, banks and brokers to insurers, tax software and financial apps. For each category, we’ve listed an overall winner that earned the highest score. We’ve also highlighted other products and services that earned above-average scores for various criteria we asked readers to assess.
By voting, our community has helped us form our guide to the very best financial products. These are the products and companies that you think stand out from the crowd.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards: Tax Software
These programs guide taxpayers through the ins and outs of preparing and filing an income tax return. We asked readers to rate their preferred tax-filing software based on the ease of use, how likely they are to recommend the service to others and overall satisfaction with the software.
OVERALL WINNER: FreeTaxUSA
Outstanding for:
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
- Ease of use
- Most recommended
- Overall satisfaction
For the third year in a row, FreeTaxUSA is the top choice among tax software programs.
“Customer support is excellent, and the cost is the best available. The software handles investment options that I would have to pay extra for at other providers,” says one reader. Says another, “It’s a great service. It handles stock sales, rental properties and more!”
FreeTaxUSA charges no fee for federal tax returns and $15 for state returns. For personalized tax advice, users can opt for the Pro Support add-on, which costs $40 and provides access to tax professionals via live chat, phone, or screen sharing.
H&R Block
Outstanding for:
- Ease of use
- Overall satisfaction
Survey respondents like H&R Block for its ease of use. “It is simple to use, with FAQs for each section, and a live chat feature is available if needed. I have used it for over 20 years, and it's well worth the money,” says one reader, echoing the sentiments of many others.
H&R Block provides free federal and state online programs for those with simple returns as well as various paid versions, depending on the taxpayer’s situation.
The free version covers Form 1040, the earned income tax credit, child tax credit, student loan interest deduction, and retirement plan distributions. The Deluxe version is for more complex returns and recently charged $60 for a federal return and $49 for a state return. In addition to the above programs, which operate online, H&R Block also offers a menu of downloadable tax software.
TaxSlayer
Outstanding for:
- Most recommended
TaxSlayer offers several packages that provide varying levels of assistance and support. The standard package, which starts at $42.95 for a federal return, covers simple tax situations. For $62.95, you can get tax advice from an expert. Meanwhile, for those dealing with personal and business income and expenses, 1099s, and Schedule C, TaxSlayer offers the Self-Employed package, which starts at $72.95 for a federal tax return.
Kiplinger Readers' Choice Awards Categories
- Readers' Choice Full-Service Brokers
- Readers' Choice Wealth Management
- Readers' Choice Cash Back Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Travel Rewards Credit Cards
- Readers' Choice Airline Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice Hotel Credit Card Rewards Programs
- Readers' Choice National Banks
- Readers' Choice Internet Banks
- Readers' Choice Auto Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Homeowners Insurance Companies
- Readers' Choice Annuity Providers
- Readers' Choice Peer-to-Peer Payment Services
-
Don’t Miss Apple and Walmart Back-to-School Tax-Free Holiday Savings this SummerSales Tax Select states host sales tax holidays during the summer. Here’s what you can purchase.
-
The Rule of Retirement InversionThe rule of retirement inversion says that to have a great retirement, you must ask yourself what would ruin a great retirement — and then plan to avoid it.
-
The Five Best Side Hustles for RetireesMore older people are working in retirement to boost income and stave off boredom. These gigs and hustles make the most sense for the golden years crowd.
-
TSA’s New Family Lanes Aim to Take the Stress Out of Summer TravelThe “Families on the Fly” campaign introduces family-friendly security lanes and discounted TSA PreCheck fees — just in time for peak travel season.
-
From Piggy Banks to Portfolios: A Financial Planner's Guide to Talking to Your Kids About Money at Every AgeFrom toddlers to young adults, all kids can benefit from open conversations with their parents about spending and saving. Here's what to talk about — and when.
-
Retirement in the Age of Cyber Scams: How To Protect Your Next ChapterRetirement is meant to be a time of relaxation and living life on your terms. But for many retirees, this dream is under threat from a growing epidemic — cyber scams.
-
I Let AI Read Privacy Policies for Me. Here's What I LearnedA reporter uses AI to review privacy policies, in an effort to better protect herself from fraud and scams.
-
Heat Wave in Europe: What Every Traveler Needs to KnowRecord-breaking summer temperatures, wildfires, and travel disruptions — they’re reshaping summer 2025 trips. Here’s how to stay safe, prepared and savvy.
-
You'll Kick Yourself in the Fall if You Don't Make This Savings Move NowInflation will likely prevent the Fed from cutting rates until the fall. However, does a long-term CD provide enough of a return to outpace climbing prices?
-
Spot Heat Exhaustion in Your Pet Before It Costs Them — and YouHeat strokes aren't just for humans. The signs of heat exhaustion in pets can be harder to spot, but just as deadly.
