The evaluation criteria were ease of use, the amount of tax information and assistance provided, the cost for filing a state return, and accuracy. FiLife ended up choosing eight services as their "top picks"—"[they] guided us through life events from the past year and helped us figure out which forms we needed to file. They asked us questions that we didn't even know we needed to answer. Best of all, they used language that we understood. And we never had a technical snafu."

Notably, all but two of the services charge for filing a state return, and the fees can range from $7.95 to $29.95. Below, we've bolded the only two services that offer free state returns if that's something you need.

FiLife's top eight picks:

• CompleteTax
• efiletaxreturns.net
• eSmartTax by Liberty Tax Service
• ezTaxReturn
• Free TaxACT
• H&R Block
• TaxSlayer Free Returns.com
• Turbo Tax

Just as important, here are the ones FiLife categorizes as "Avoid if You Can": "These software programs caused us frustration and pain due to technology issues, confusing tax forms, and late admissions that our tax forms could not be supported."

• 1040NOW.NET
• 123Easytaxfiling
• average1040.com
• FileYourTaxes.com
• Free Tax Return
• Free1040 Tax Return
• Tax$imple Deluxe Version

Not every person can qualify for every service, so if you decide to check one of these out, we suggest you go to the IRS' Free File page, find out which services you qualify for, then cross-reference them against the FiLife chart to pick the one you like best.

FiLife has another helpful bit of advice if you really want to save money:

If the software of your choice doesn't provide your state's tax forms or charges a lot for it, you can still use its service as a sort of trial run. For instance, we like H&R Block's site a lot. But its $29.95 fee for filing a state-tax return is absurd.

So here's the workaround: Use H&R Block's software to get familiar with the terms and figures you'll need to input and the forms you'll need to use. But don't use Block to file either your state or federal return. Instead, once you've used its software as a worksheet, in effect, use a site that offers a better deal to actually file your returns. Take it from someone who prepared her taxes six times this year: It gets easier and faster the more you do it.

"Free File: Winnowing Out the Best Free Sites for Filing Your Tax Returns" [FiLife]

RELATED
Free File [IRS]

Even as a debate in the House rages on why the IRS can't just set up a simple internet form to allow people to e-file, many filers are turning to IRS approved tax preparers who will supposedly do your taxes for free, but nevertheless squeeze charges out of the process.

H&R Block, for example, tries to bilk free filers by asking if you want your refund on a special debit card from everyone's favorite incompetent Bermuda bank, HSBC. Using this debit card requires you to pay H&R Block and HSBC hidden fees, buried deep in the cryptomaniacal ramblings of the terms and conditions.

Don't want your refund on that debit card? H&R Block apparently doesn't care, issuing your refund on them even if you refuse it.

Asked before the House why the IRS wouldn't just set up a form on the Internet, they claimed they wouldn't compete with the private tax preparing sector. You know, a sector that largely exists because of the absolute madness of US tax codes. Trying to make your way through applicable tax laws is like staring into the unfathomable maw of Cthulhu. God forbid you make an already maddening process easier for tax payers.What bozos.

Senators Push for Electronic Tax Filing [Consumer Affairs]