How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Rental income usually means Schedule E, which forces an upgrade: the free editions of TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer do not cover rental income.
- FreeTaxUSA files Schedule E at $0 federal, which makes it the cheapest filing route for landlords who are comfortable without a guided interview.
- Stessa and Landlord Studio are property accounting tools, not filers: they keep your income and expenses organized all year so Schedule E is simple when tax season arrives.
- TurboTax Premium and H&R Block Premium are the closest to a dedicated landlord edition, with rental-specific guidance built into the filing flow.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 TurboTax | landlords who want guided, interview-style filing | $139 federal + $64 per state (Premium) | Free Edition (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income) |
 FreeTaxUSA | landlords filing Schedule E at the lowest possible cost | $0 federal + $15.99 per state | Yes (federal free for all tax situations) |
 H&R Block | landlords who want DIY software plus access to a physical office | $55 federal + $37 per state (Premium) | Free Online (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income) |
 TaxSlayer | landlords who want rental coverage on a budget tier | $44.99 federal + $47.99 per state (Classic) | Yes (Simply Free, includes one free state return) |
 TaxAct | landlords who want a value-priced premier tier | $49.99 federal + $39.99 per state (Premier) | Free Edition (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income) |
 Stessa | landlords who want free property accounting that feeds tax time | See website | Yes (Essentials plan is free) |
 Landlord Studio | small landlords who want rent collection and accounting in one free app | See website | Yes (GO plan free for up to 3 units) |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best tax software for rental property owners
Starting price$139 federal + $64 per state (Premium)
Free planFree Edition (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income)
The first thing to know about TurboTax is that landlords cannot use the cheaper tiers. Rental income and Schedule E live in the Premium edition, which merged the old Premier and Self-Employed packages into one. That consolidation simplifies the decision: if you own rental property, Premium is your tier. For $139 federal plus $64 per state, you get interview-style questions that translate rental tax topics into plain language, plus passive activity loss guidance and support for depreciation. The imports are the real draw. TurboTax connects to banks and brokerages and pulls in W-2s and 1099s automatically, which cuts down the data entry that makes multi-property returns painful.
The honest catch is price. TurboTax costs roughly twice what TaxSlayer Classic or TaxAct Premier charge for federal filing, and each state return costs $64. If you file in two states, the gap widens fast. The Free Edition covers only about a third of filers and excludes rental income entirely, so it is not an option for landlords. TurboTax earns its premium through hand-holding and import quality, not through covering forms that competitors skip. If you file one state and want the most guided experience, the price is defensible. If you are comfortable working from forms, FreeTaxUSA does Schedule E for free.
What we like- Strongest rental-specific guidance among DIY filers
- Automatic imports from banks, brokerages, and QuickBooks
- Prior-year return import to save setup time
Watch out for- The most expensive DIY option
- Rental income forces the top Premium tier
- State fees add up quickly
Starting price$0 federal + $15.99 per state
Free planYes (federal free for all tax situations)
FreeTaxUSA takes a different approach to tax software pricing: federal filing is free for everyone, including rental property owners filing Schedule E. There are no tier upgrades for complexity, which is unusual in this market. A landlord with three rental properties and depreciation schedules pays the same $0 federal as a W-2 employee. State returns cost $15.99 each, far below the $64 TurboTax charges. The Premium feature set on the homepage explicitly lists rental income, so landlords are not sneaking into an unsupported tier. The accuracy guarantee and prior-year import round out a solid, no-nonsense product.
The trade-off is guidance. FreeTaxUSA does not walk you through rental taxes with the same plain-language interview TurboTax uses, so you should know which deductions apply to your properties before you start. Live chat support is a $7.99 Deluxe add-on and Pro Support with personal tax advice is $64.99, both optional. If you are a landlord who already understands Schedule E and just needs a clean, reliable place to file it, this is the best value in the list. First-time landlords may prefer to pay more for TurboTax Premium's guidance.
What we like- Schedule E included free at federal level
- One low price regardless of complexity
- Imports prior-year returns from TurboTax and others
Watch out for- No guided interview comparable to TurboTax
- Expert help costs extra
- Phone support is a paid add-on
#3
H&R Block
Best for: landlords who want DIY software plus access to a physical office
Visit hrblock.com
Starting price$55 federal + $37 per state (Premium)
Free planFree Online (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income)
H&R Block sits in the middle of the rental tax software market: cheaper than TurboTax, more supported than FreeTaxUSA. The Premium edition at $55 federal plus $37 per state covers rental property income and Schedule E, and it undercuts TurboTax Premium by nearly half on the federal side. What distinguishes H&R Block is the physical network. If your return triggers a question you cannot answer at a keyboard, you can book time at a local office, and free in-person audit support comes with the package. AI Tax Assist adds 24/7 question answering during the filing flow, which helps landlords working late.
The catch is that the free tier is not usable for rental income, and the product is not shy about upgrades along the way. The interface gets the job done but reviewers consistently describe it as less smooth than TurboTax. Still, for landlords who want a safety net beyond software, the combination of a $55 federal price and office access is hard to match. The Premium edition is the one to compare against TurboTax Premium, and at these prices H&R Block wins the comparison for most landlords.
What we like- Premium tier costs much less than TurboTax Premium
- In-person audit support and office visits available
- AI Tax Assist for round-the-clock questions
Watch out for- Free tier excludes rental income
- Interface is less polished than TurboTax
- Upsells appear during filing
Starting price$44.99 federal + $47.99 per state (Classic)
Free planYes (Simply Free, includes one free state return)
TaxSlayer's Classic edition is unusual in this market because it includes rental property owners at $44.99 federal. Many competitors reserve Schedule E for their premium or top tiers, so TaxSlayer effectively gives landlords the mid-tier price. The homepage's Classic feature list explicitly names rental property owners, so there is no ambiguity about support. Simply Free covers simple returns at $0 with one state included, which is useful for landlords filing a simple return for a spouse or partner. Prior-year return upload and W-2 and 1099 import are included.
What you give up is guidance depth. TaxSlayer's flow is functional but plainer than TurboTax, and there is no built-in expert review of your return. Ask a Tax Pro exists as a paid upgrade rather than part of the package. For landlords who know their way around Schedule E, that is fine; the Classic edition delivers the forms and the filing at a fraction of TurboTax's price. The $47.99 state fee is the main downside, since it is closer to TurboTax's $64 than FreeTaxUSA's $15.99. If you file in one state and value simplicity over hand-holding, Classic is a strong pick.
What we like- Classic tier lists rental property owners as supported
- Simply Free includes a free state return
- Much cheaper than TurboTax
Watch out for- No live expert review built in
- Interface is simpler and less guided
- State return costs $47.99 on paid tiers
#5
TaxAct
Best for: landlords who want a value-priced premier tier
Visit taxact.com
Starting price$49.99 federal + $39.99 per state (Premier)
Free planFree Edition (qualifying filers only; excludes rental income)
TaxAct's Premier edition covers rental property income, investments, and Schedule E at $49.99 federal, which positions it as a value alternative to TurboTax Premium. The company backs the product with a $100,000 accuracy guarantee and a maximum refund guarantee, and the real-time refund status display shows how each entry affects your refund or balance due. W-2, 1099, and prior-year import are included, and the interview flow is serviceable if less polished than the leaders.
The honest catch is reputation. TaxAct scores poorly on third-party review sites, with users reporting surprise paywalls and frustration with support. That does not mean the forms are wrong, and the guarantees exist for a reason, but it means you should budget extra time and double-check the results against your records. About 40% of users qualify for the free edition, but landlords are not among them. TaxAct makes sense for landlords who want a cheaper TurboTax Premium alternative and are willing to tolerate a rougher product. It also helps that state filing at $39.99 undercuts most competitors.
What we like- Premier covers rental income at a mid-tier price
- $100,000 accuracy guarantee
- Real-time refund display as you enter data
Watch out for- Third-party reviews are weak overall
- Free edition excludes rental income
- Expert help is a separate paid add-on
#6
Stessa
Best for: landlords who want free property accounting that feeds tax time
Visit stessa.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (Essentials plan is free)
Stessa is not tax software in the filing sense, but it belongs on this list because rental taxes are won or lost in bookkeeping. The free Essentials plan tracks income and expenses automatically, connects to bank accounts, and produces tax package reports that make Schedule E preparation far easier. Stessa claims users save up to $4,000 and 100+ hours a year, based on its own customer survey, and while that is marketing, the underlying point holds: organized books shrink the January scramble. Paid plans, Manage and Pro, add advanced reporting, unlimited portfolios, and higher-yield banking for landlords who outgrow the free tier.
The limitation is obvious. Stessa does not file your return. You will still need FreeTaxUSA, TurboTax, or one of the other tools above to actually submit. Think of Stessa as the year-round half of a landlord tax stack: it handles tracking, categorization, and reporting, and your filing software handles the return. For landlords with one to ten properties, the free Essentials plan covers the core need at no cost, which makes it an easy add alongside any filing tool.
What we like- Essentials plan is genuinely free
- Automated income and expense tracking per property
- Tax package reports designed for Schedule E
Watch out for- Not a tax filer
- Paid plans needed for advanced reports
- Rent collection tied to banking features
#7
Landlord Studio
Best for: small landlords who want rent collection and accounting in one free app
Visit landlordstudio.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes (GO plan free for up to 3 units)
Landlord Studio combines rent collection, accounting, and tax reporting for independent landlords. The free GO plan covers up to 3 units with manual income and expense tracking, online rent collection, maintenance tracking, and basic reports, which is enough for many small landlords. Tenants can pay by ACH, card, or autopay, and the reporting suite generates Schedule E-friendly profit and loss reports. Paid PRO and PRO Plus plans add automated bank feeds, AI-assisted bookkeeping, multi-user access, and 20+ report types, with per-unit pricing that keeps costs tied to portfolio size.
Like Stessa, Landlord Studio does not file your tax return. Its value is keeping every transaction categorized and documented so that filing Schedule E takes hours instead of days. The per-unit pricing on paid plans means costs scale as you grow, so landlords with larger portfolios should price it against Stessa's paid tiers before committing annually. For a landlord with one to three units, the free GO plan plus a free filing tool like FreeTaxUSA covers the entire rental tax workflow at near-zero cost.
What we like- GO plan free for up to 3 units
- Online rent collection with automated reminders
- Schedule E-ready reports
Watch out for- Not a tax filer
- Paid plans charge per unit as you grow
- Screening is basic compared to dedicated services
Filing your rental taxes without the year-end scramble
The biggest difference between landlords who file easily and landlords who dread April is not the filing software. It is the bookkeeping underneath. Schedule E asks for rents received, insurance, repairs, taxes, interest, and depreciation per property. If those numbers live in twelve bank statements and a shoebox of receipts, the filing software cannot save you. If they live in a categorized ledger, filing is data entry.
The cheapest complete setup is FreeTaxUSA plus Stessa or Landlord Studio on their free plans: $15.99 per state and zero federal cost for both filing and bookkeeping. That combination handles everything a small landlord needs. The premium setup is TurboTax Premium or H&R Block Premium for guided filing plus a paid property accounting plan. That costs more but reduces the chance of missing deductions like depreciation or passive loss carryovers, which are the two places landlords most often leave money on the table.
Timing matters too. If you track quarterly estimated payments, the IRS expects them in January, April, June, and September. Rental income counts toward those thresholds, and underpayment penalties apply even if you file correctly in April. Most of the filing tools on this list offer quarterly estimated payment reminders. Turn them on. It is cheaper than paying penalties for a problem software cannot fix retroactively.
What Schedule E asks for, in plain language
Schedule E is the one-page-plus IRS form where rental income and expenses live. The software above handles the arithmetic, but it helps to know what it is asking for. You report total rents received per property, then subtract categories: advertising, auto and travel, cleaning, insurance, legal fees, management fees, mortgage interest, repairs, supplies, taxes, utilities, and depreciation. The result flows to your Form 1040.
Two categories deserve attention because they are the most commonly missed. Depreciation lets you deduct the cost of the building over 27.5 years for residential property, and it is not optional in practice: the IRS treats it as claimed even if you skip it, which hurts you at sale. Passive activity loss rules limit how much rental loss offsets other income, though the $25,000 special allowance phases in for landlords with income under $100,000 who actively participate. TurboTax Premium and H&R Block Premium both include passive loss analysis. Budget tools leave that math to you.
How we chose
We started from the vendor pricing pages and product feature lists, checking that rental income and Schedule E were supported at the listed tier rather than assumed. We compared federal and state pricing across the current DIY filing products, and we checked public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Reddit threads about landlord filing experiences for recurring complaints like surprise paywalls or weak rental guidance. Property accounting tools made the cut only when they offered tax-specific reports, such as Schedule E exports, rather than generic bookkeeping. We filtered for products that fit owners managing their own rentals rather than property management firms, which is why full-service CPA options are not listed here. No hands-on testing was performed; the assessments above rest on documented features, pricing pages, and published user feedback.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need special tax software if I own rental property?
You need software that supports Schedule E, which is the IRS form for supplemental income and loss from rental real estate. Most free editions exclude it, so landlords typically need a paid tier like TurboTax Premium, H&R Block Premium, TaxAct Premier, or TaxSlayer Classic. FreeTaxUSA is the exception: it files Schedule E at $0 federal.
Can I use free tax software as a landlord?
Yes, in two specific cases. FreeTaxUSA files Schedule E free at the federal level with only a $15.99 state charge. Stessa and Landlord Studio also have free plans, but those handle bookkeeping, not filing. The free editions of TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, and TaxSlayer do not cover rental income, so they are not options for landlords unless you pay for the rental-capable tier.
What is the cheapest way to file taxes with rental income?
The cheapest verified route is FreeTaxUSA at $0 federal plus $15.99 per state, with Stessa or Landlord Studio on free plans handling your year-round bookkeeping. Among guided products, TaxSlayer Classic at $44.99 federal and TaxAct Premier at $49.99 federal are the lowest-priced tiers that explicitly support rental property owners.
What records should I keep during the year for rental taxes?
Track every rent payment received and every expense per property, categorized into Schedule E buckets: mortgage interest, repairs, insurance, property taxes, utilities, advertising, and travel. Keep receipts, mileage logs, and closing documents. Tools like Stessa and Landlord Studio automate much of this by syncing bank transactions and generating tax package reports, which is why landlords pair them with filing software.
Does rental income affect my quarterly estimated taxes?
It can. Rental profit counts as taxable income, and if your withholding does not cover the tax on it, the IRS expects estimated payments in four installments across the year. Missing them can trigger underpayment penalties even when your April return is correct. Most of the filing tools in this list offer quarterly reminder features, so enable them once your rentals are profitable.
Should I use a property management app or just tax software?
Use both, because they do different jobs. Property management apps like Stessa and Landlord Studio track income and expenses all year and generate tax-ready reports. Tax software files the return and handles Schedule E calculations. Landlords who skip the first half spend far more time on the second, so even the free bookkeeping plans on this list are worth setting up before January.
Sources we checked (13)
- https://turbotax.intuit.com
- https://www.hrblock.com
- https://freetaxusa.com/
- https://www.taxslayer.com
- https://www.taxact.com
- https://stessa.com/
- https://www.landlordstudio.com
- https://www.irs.gov/statistics/returns-filed-taxes-collected-and-refunds-issued
- https://savingtoinvest.com/turbotax-review-great-tax-filing-software-with-live-support-for-a-premium-price/
- https://fitsmallbusiness.com/turbotax-premium-vs-deluxe/
- https://www.primewayfcu.com/blog/turbotax-vs-hr-block-vs-taxact-vs-taxslayer-vs-freetaxusa-vs-cash-app-taxes
- https://financebuzz.com/taxact-review
- http://topconsumerreviews.com/best-tax-software/reviews/tax-act.php
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.