Our methodology

How we rank tax relief software

We score products on the work they help a taxpayer or practitioner complete, not the length of the feature list. Verified, Inc. builds products covered here; that fact is disclosed wherever they appear.

Six published criteria

Each product is scored from one to five on IRS data access, analysis quality, plan and forms capability, client or taxpayer experience, pricing transparency, and evidence and records. We do not convert our editorial score into schema review stars.

Hands-on evidence first

We prefer a current product account, public documentation, vendor pricing pages, and direct answers from the vendor. If a price requires a sales call, we say “contact sales” rather than guess.

Monthly pricing checks

Published prices and pricing-status labels are checked monthly when public evidence is available. If a current figure cannot be confirmed, we replace it with qualified language rather than preserve a stale number.

Quarterly ranking reviews

Every flagship ranking is scheduled for a quarterly review of category scope, product inclusion, job fit, evidence, limitations, and recommendation order. A review can confirm the existing order; we record material outcomes in Editorial Updates.

Launch-claim verification

A planned capability is not treated as launched until current public documentation or direct product evidence confirms availability. Brevitax’s planned IRS API integration is not launched and is not scored as an available capability.

No paid positions

We do not sell rankings or charge vendors for inclusion. If tracked outbound links are introduced later, they will be disclosed and will not affect scores or positions.

Corrections and freshness

A material factual correction changes the page, visible review status, and public update log. Cosmetic edits do not create a false freshness signal.