We examined those services closely and the four that follow stand above the rest for their offerings to consumers as well as their affiliate marketing opportunities for savvy Web professionals.
TurboTax
The most popular online tax service today, TurboTax pays its affiliates a 15-percent share of sales revenues. The TurboTax affiliate program is managed through Commission Junction, pays out monthly with a minimum of $25 payouts, and comes with a 45-day cookie period.
CompleteTax
Also managed through Commission Junction, the CompleteTax affiliate program earns its partner sites 20 percent of all revenues generated by links. An additional incentive affiliates can promote on their sites is the more than 500-page CCH Tax Guide that CompleteTax offers to its partners' customers.
TaxBrain
The only online tax service to be IRS-authorized since 1987, TaxBrain pays its affiliates 25-percent commissions on sales. Payouts are weekly with a minimum of $50 and a 120-day cookie period. The TaxBrain affiliate program is self-managed on DirectTrack software.
TaxAct
Consistently among the top three sites used by consumers for their taxes since 2007, TaxAct pays its affiliates revenues based on the number of unique user registrations your site is able to acquire. Managed by Epic Direct, the TaxAct affiliate program provides partner sites with links through which customers can access the free services or place an order.
These four affiliate programs provide the best opportunities for Web professionals to enter the growing online tax services industry. Instead of dreading that mid-April deadline every year, turn tax season into an annual boost to your online revenues.
Written by Website Magazine Associate Editor Linc Wonham