painful for many, it doesn't have to be.

Online tax services make the process

of figuring out what you owe Uncle Sam

easier, faster, and more accurate than ever.

If your income situation is simple,

there's a good chance you won't need

to pay anything to use an online service

such as H&R Block, TurboTax, or TaxAct.

The key differentiator is whether you need

to itemize deductions or take the standard deduction.

If you have to itemize, you generally

need to pay for the service.

If you have investments, self-employment,

or rental income, you may have to pay even more.

Our Editors' Choice H&R Block starts free,

goes to $29.99 if you need to itemize, and then to $49.99

if you're a freelancer, contractor, or investor.

It then goes to $79.99 if you're self-employed.

TurboTax, which had the most stylish interface

costs a bit more, starting at $59.99

and going up to $119.99 for self-employed.

Cheaper options include TaxSlayer, starting at $17,

and TaxAct, which starts at $9.95,

with itemized deductions you pay $30.95.

But even for complex tax situations,

a completely free option is Credit Karma Tax.

It does make you sign up for its credit-monitoring service

and doesn't offer the handholding that can be critical

while figuring out your taxes.

FreeTaxUSA is free for federal returns

though you'll pay $12.95 for a state return,

far below what most services charge for state.

Don't forget state tax returns,

these usually cost significantly more than Federal.

That's because the company has to make

one Federal software system for everyone

but multiple state systems.

It also pays not to wait till the last minute.

Most services don't charge you until you actually e-file,

and may raise the fee as you get closer to the tax deadline.

Tax software works by simulating the interview

you might have with a human tax professional.

There are large topic categories

like Income, Deductions, Investments, and so on,

and major life events like moving, home purchase,

or marriage that the software asks to determine

what questions it needs to ask you during the interview.

After it knows about what topics you need to address,

the software takes you through a page-by-page questionnaire,

all the while filling out the official tax return forms

in the background with information you supply.

One of the most important aspects of tax software

is the amount and quality of help and support it offers.

It may be the number one differentiator,

and it's the biggest reason why H&R Block

won our Editors' Choice, along with being

priced lower than runner-up TurboTax.

The better products translate

government mumbo jumbo into understandable English.

They also offer context-sensitive help panels

as you go through preparing your return.

Links to deeper tax help are included

in the better products, too.

For some real hand holding, H&R Block offers

live tax experts, and TurboTax offers TurboTax Live,

which video conferences you in with tax experts.

Both offer screen sharing so that the expert

can see where you are in the process.

For a full rundown of this year's

tax-preparation sites, visit PCMag.com.