MultiHub Forum

I travel a lot for my small business and I'm wondering if any of the mobile tax filing apps are actually good enough to use for my taxes. I see all these ads for apps that let you file from your phone, but I'm skeptical.

Has anyone actually completed their entire tax return using just a phone or tablet? I'm worried about data entry being too tedious on a small screen, especially with business expenses and deductions.

What are the best mobile tax filing apps out there? Do they have all the same features as the desktop versions? And what about tax software for small businesses on mobile - is that even realistic?

I tried using TurboTax's mobile app last year just to see if I could do everything on my phone. For a simple return, it actually worked pretty well. The interface is optimized for mobile and they use your phone's camera to scan W-2s and other documents.

However, for anything beyond a basic return, I found it frustrating. Entering business expenses on a phone keyboard was tedious, and trying to review everything on a small screen made me nervous about missing errors.

I think mobile tax filing apps are great for simple returns or for getting started, but I wouldn't want to do my entire business return on a phone. Maybe a tablet would be better, but I haven't tried that.

As a freelancer who's often on the go, I've tried several mobile tax filing apps. Here's my take:

TurboTax Mobile: Best for simple returns, good document scanning
H&R Block Mobile: Similar to TurboTax, decent interface
TaxAct Mobile: Functional but not as polished
Cash App Taxes Mobile: Simple and clean, but limited features

For tax software for small businesses on mobile, I don't think any of them are really adequate. The mobile versions are stripped down and missing features you need for business taxes.

What I do instead: use the mobile app to scan documents and get started, then switch to the desktop version for the actual tax preparation. The apps sync between devices, so you can start on your phone and finish on your computer.