1040Now - Is It Free?

1040Now isn’t free for any users. 1040Now allows users to “Start My Tax Return” for free, as is the case with most competitors. When it’s time to file, you must pay the same fee regardless of which tax forms you need. The cost for 2024 is $19.95 for federal filing and $17.95 for each state.

What's New In 2024?

For 2024, 1040Now has implemented the IRS changes to tax brackets, deduction and credit limits, and other inflation and pandemic-related tax changes. As a result, you should get the same result (within a few dollars) as any other tax software.

However, there are no other major improvement's to the website. The overall look and feel of 1040NOW remains unchanged. That means that you’ll still need to deal with the wordy interface, nested form entries, and complete articles that are light on information. The website looks like it's 1996, and the tax filing software isn’t much better.

If you’re old enough to remember Netscape, you’ll understand the look and feel of those vintage internet days. You may even find yourself reminiscing, but that’s not what you want when doing your taxes.

We haven't spent the time to make a video review of 1040NOW in the last couple years becuase our tests have been so miserable and nothing has been updated. If you want a peak of what the software looks like, see this review video:

Does 1040Now.Net Make Tax Filing Easy In 2024?

No, the 1040Now software is frustratingly hard to use. It lacks an interactive format that allows filers to skip irrelevant sections. And figuring out the next step is always a challenge.

1040Now has fast session expiration time-out windows.You’ll be logged out if you pause for just a couple of minutes. You’ll have to re-enter my username and password and click through several screens to get back to where you left off.

In addition, the cumbersome navigation and crowded forms haven’t improved in years. You may even consider plain IRS online fillable forms above this software. 1040Now may be accurate, but it’s frustrating and difficult to use.

1040Now Features

1040Now has a lacklustre user experience, so we had to stretch to find positive aspects of the software. Here's what we came up with.

Simple Pricing Model

All users pay $19.95 for federal filing and $17.95 per state. It's easy to understand, and there are no surprises.

Multi-State Filing

Filers who need to file in multiple states can use the 1040Now software program to file in all their states. Some competitors only handle one state per year.

Section Summaries

1040Now has section summaries that help users catch major income, deduction, or credit issues. This makes it easier to find mistakes and investigate discrepancies before you move to new sections.

1040Now Drawbacks

1040Now is the most difficult-to-use software we reviewed for 2024. The application is overrun with jargon and confusing menus. These are a few of the worst features.

Terrible User Interface

1040Now is hard to use, and the software is confusing. Users have to read directions to figure out where to click before new screens pop up with more directions. It'll take you back to the Windows 3.1 days if you're old enough to remember.

Because 1040Now relies heavily on “new pages” and “nested forms," users often have to go back several levels to “resurface” if they mistakenly go down an incorrect path. Unfortunately, even with guided navigation, it's easy to get lost.

Hot Tax Tip: Get organized with your taxes using an income tax binder

Nested Forms

Most tax software allows users to scroll to fill in the relevant information. Not 1040Now.net. It requires users to click multiple “Next Step” buttons to complete filling out a single form. Often, the forms include confusing instructions, which add time to the filing process.

Fast Session Expiration

It takes time to pull up tax documents and copy the information from a PDF to the software. We noticed that we frequently had to re-enter usernames and passwords to log back in. These “Session Expired” situations happen way too frequently for filers to complete their taxes efficiently.

1040Now Pricing

1040Now.net offers one flat fee for all users. The pricing places 1040Now toward the mid to lower range of the market.

How Does 1040Now Compare?

1040Now software is among the worst on the market. Each competitor listed here is superior in function, and most cost less. We'd certainly recommend Cash App Taxes and FreeTaxUSA (among many others) over 1040Now.

See our full list of the best tax software here.

Is It Safe And Secure?

1040Now uses SSL encryption from a third party and it requires multi-factor authentication. So filers should feel confident that it has taken all reasonable precautions to keep user information safe.

Of course, any information transmitted online could be hacked. So users should carefully evaluate the risks before moving forward with any tax filing company. Always use unique, strong passwords and follow other cyber security practices to keep your data and money safe.

Helpful Tax Tip: What to do if you can't afford to pay your taxes

How Do I Contact 1040Now?

Good luck trying to get in contact with a support representative at 1040Now. The company only offers email support at [email protected], and most customer reviews that can be found online are not complementary. Expect this to be a mostly self-service experience, with no live help to get you through your return.

Who Is This For And Is It Worth It?

No, we don't think it's worth it and can't really think of any group of tax filers that would benefit from using it. If you’ve used it before, make 2024 the year that you switch from 1040Now. Its built-in calculators and section summaries are nice, but every major company has these.

Rather than accepting software that hasn’t kept pace with the times, choose the best tax software for your situation. You can do much better.

Why Should You Trust Us?

The College Investor team has spent years reviewing all of the top tax filing options, and our team has personal experience with the majority of tax software tools. I personally have been the lead tax software reviewer since 2022, and have compared most of the major companies on the marketplace.

Our editor-in-chief Robert Farrington has been trying and testing tax software tools since 2011, and has tested and tried almost every tax filing product. Furthermore, our team has created reviews and video walk-throughs of all of the major tax preparation companies which you can find on our YouTube channel.

We’re tax DIYers and want a good deal, just like you. We work hard to offer informed and honest opinions on every product we test.

How Was This Product Tested?

In our original tests, we went through 1040NOW and completed a real-life tax return that included W2 income, self-employment income, rental property income, and investment income. We tried to enter every piece of data and use every feature available. We then compared the result to all the other products we've tested, as well as a tax return prepared by a tax professional.

This year, we went back through and re-checked all the features we originally tested, as well as any new features. We also validated the pricing options.

1040Now FAQs

Here are the answers to a few of the most common questions we're asked about 1040Now:

Can 1040Now help me file my crypto investments?

1040Now doesn’t offer special guidance to help you file crypto investments. However, it has all the forms needed for people who traded or mined crypto investments. Most active traders will want to choose an alternative product like TurboTax Premier.

Can 1040Now help me with state filing in multiple states?

Yes, 1040Now supports multi-state filing.

Does 1040Now offer refund advance loans?

No, 1040Now does not offer refund advance loans.

1040Now Features