Best Tax Apps for Freelancers in 2026 (US, UK, Canada & Australia) — Honest Reviews30 min read

🌍 An Honest Country-by-Country Breakdown for US, UK, Canada & Australia

The best tax apps for freelancers in 2026 are not the same apps your employed friends use. When you work for yourself — whether that is consulting, design, writing, development, or any other independent service — your tax situation carries a completely different set of obligations. You deal with self-employment tax, quarterly estimated payments, Schedule C deductions in the US, Self Assessment in the UK, T2125 forms in Canada, and PAYG instalments in Australia. Generic tax software was not built with any of that in mind.

Most freelancers find out the hard way. They file with a cheap or familiar app, miss half their deductions, pay more than they owe, and then scramble during estimated tax season because nobody reminded them a payment was due. The IRS alone collected roughly $6 billion in underpayment penalties in a recent year, and the overwhelming majority of those penalties hit self-employed filers who either underestimated their liability or forgot a quarterly deadline entirely. That is not bad luck — it is a software problem.

This guide cuts through the marketing noise. It compares the tools that genuinely serve freelancers and solopreneurs across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia — looking at real pricing, actual deduction support, quarterly tax tools, 1099 handling, mobile app quality, and the specific situations each app handles better than its competitors. No paid placements, no affiliate-first rankings. Every tax figure links to an official source.

What Makes a Tax App Actually Good for Freelancers?

Not every app that claims to handle self-employment taxes actually does it well. There is a meaningful difference between software that simply includes a Schedule C form and software that actively guides you through it, catches deductions you would have missed, reminds you when quarterly payments are due, and works properly on mobile when you are logging an expense from your phone. Before comparing specific products, five things genuinely matter for freelance tax filing.

Schedule C and equivalent support. In the US, every freelancer with net earnings over $400 must file Schedule C to report business profit or loss (IRS Schedule C Instructions). In Canada, that equivalent is the T2125 form (CRA T2125 Guide). In the UK it is the Self Employment pages of the SA100 (HMRC Self Assessment). In Australia, it is the Business and Professional Items schedule of the ITR (ATO Individual Tax Return). A tax app that does not walk you through these forms properly is leaving money on the table for you.

Automated self-employment tax calculation. In the US, self-employed individuals pay both sides of Social Security and Medicare — 15.3% of net earnings, often called SE tax (IRS SE Tax). You can deduct half of that SE tax from your adjusted gross income, which reduces your overall bill. Good software handles this automatically and applies the 50% deduction without you having to know it exists.

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Quarterly estimated tax support. When you work for yourself, no employer withholds taxes. The IRS, HMRC, CRA, and ATO all require self-employed individuals to make estimated payments throughout the year (IRS Publication 505). Miss them and you face underpayment penalties even if you settle in full at year-end. The best apps calculate your quarterly obligations in real time and send deadline reminders.

Multi-source income handling. Freelancers rarely have a single income stream. The app you choose needs to handle 1099-NEC income from clients, 1099-K income from PayPal or Stripe, and occasional W-2 income from part-time work — without forcing a business plan upgrade.

Price transparency. FreeTaxUSA’s free federal filing covers Schedule C. TurboTax’s free edition does not. These are not the same offer even though both use the word “free.” Always verify what the self-employed tier actually includes before entering your first number.

2026 Tax Law Updates Every Freelancer Needs to Know

The legislative landscape shifted materially in all four markets this year. These are not cosmetic updates — several change your actual tax liability and the software features you need to use.

In the United States, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) raised the standard deduction to $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married filing jointly for 2026. Because Schedule C business deductions operate entirely separately from the standard deduction, a US freelancer can maximize both simultaneously. The IRS also confirmed the 2026 business mileage rate at 72.5 cents per mile via Notice 2026-10, up from 70 cents the prior year (IRS Notice 2026-10). A freelancer driving 12,000 business miles generates an $8,700 deduction — $300 more than the same mileage produced at the 2025 rate. Of each 72.5 cents claimed, the IRS treats 35 cents as depreciation, which reduces your vehicle’s cost basis over time. Premium software tracks this year over year; basic apps calculate only the immediate deduction.

In the United Kingdom, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment launched in April 2026 for sole traders earning over £50,000 gross (HMRC MTD for ITSA). The critical word is gross — if your gross receipts exceed £50,000, you are subject to quarterly digital submissions even if net profit after expenses is significantly lower. The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 and £20,000 in April 2028. HMRC introduced a penalty point system for missed submissions — four points triggers a £200 fine — with a soft landing grace period for the first twelve months.

In Canada, the federal government reduced the lowest marginal tax rate from 15% to 14% on income up to CAD $58,523 for 2026 (CRA 2026 Tax Rates). The GST/HST registration threshold remains at CAD $30,000 over any rolling four-quarter window (CRA GST/HST) — and it triggers mid-year without any notification from the CRA.

In Australia, the Stage 3 tax cuts reduced the marginal rate on income between AUD $18,201 and $45,000 from 16% to 15% effective July 1, 2026 (ATO 2026–27 Tax Rates). The government also proposed a flat $1,000 standard deduction for work-related expenses for 2026–27. Software must evaluate whether your actual itemized expenses exceed $1,000 and show you which option produces the larger deduction.

Freelance Tax Obligations by Country

In the United States, the biggest tax surprise for new freelancers is the SE tax rate. Because you pay both the employer and employee sides of Social Security and Medicare, your combined rate is 15.3% on top of federal income tax. A freelancer earning $80,000 net owes approximately $11,304 in SE tax before a single dollar of income tax is calculated. Combined with a 22% federal marginal rate on income above the standard deduction, effective total federal tax rates for mid-income US freelancers typically sit between 25% and 35%.

In the United Kingdom, the MTD rollout is creating a two-speed market. Freelancers who adopted digital accounting early are largely unaffected. Those still on paper ledgers or spreadsheets face a full operational overhaul that cannot be completed in a weekend. Every UK freelancer earning above £50,000 gross should be fully operational on HMRC-recognised software no later than mid-2026.

Canadian freelancers carry a compliance risk many do not see coming. Once gross revenue exceeds CAD $30,000 over any rolling four-quarter window, you must register, charge, and remit GST/HST from that invoice forward. The CRA does not alert you. Missing this trigger results in the CRA demanding back-payment of taxes you failed to collect from clients — taxes you then absorb personally.

Australian freelancers benefit from a simpler self-employment tax structure, but the PAYG instalment system creates its own cash flow challenge. The ATO calculates quarterly prepayments based on the prior year’s income adjusted by a GDP factor set at 4% for 2025–26 (ATO PAYG Instalments). If actual tax liability exceeds 85% of what you paid in instalments, punitive General Interest Charges apply. Good software calculates the risk before you vary your instalment amount.

Full Comparison: Best Tax Apps for Freelancers 2026

Platform-by-Platform Reviews

1. TurboTax Premium — Best Overall for US Freelancers

Best For: US freelancers with multiple income types or complex deductions who want the most guided experience at the DIY level.
2026 Pricing: $129 federal / $59 per state. Live Expert Assist (optional CPA review) adds approximately $80–$120.
Mobile App: Strong iOS and Android app with full interview experience on mobile. Photograph W-2s and 1099s directly from the app for automatic import.

TurboTax maintains its market-leading position through user experience depth, not price. The interview format asks contextual questions at precisely the right moment — prompting for home office size, vehicle mileage, and health insurance premiums in a sequence that makes it easy to capture every category. For a freelancer earning $75,000 with equipment costs, professional development, and a home office, TurboTax’s deduction finder typically surfaces between $4,000 and $9,000 in write-offs that a less guided tool would not prompt for. The all-in cost of $188 for a single state is still well below what an accountant charges ($400–$800 for the same return), making it a defensible investment for anyone earning above $60,000.

2. H&R Block Self-Employed — Best for In-Person Backup

Best For: US freelancers who want solid software guidance but value the ability to walk into a physical office if something gets complicated.
2026 Pricing: $85 federal / $37 per state. Basic professional chat support included at no extra charge.
Mobile App: Full-featured iOS and Android app. AI Tax Assist feature works on mobile — useful for quick questions when categorizing a business purchase on the go.

H&R Block occupies a position TurboTax cannot replicate: the combination of capable digital software and a physical safety net. For the majority of freelancers, the in-person option is insurance they never use. For a freelancer who receives an audit notice, has a complicated prior-year amended return, or gets stuck mid-filing and wants a human in the room, that option has genuine value. The base price approximately $35 lower than TurboTax while including professional chat support makes it the better value choice for freelancers who want guidance without paying TurboTax’s premium.

3. FreeTaxUSA — Best for Budget-Conscious Experienced Filers

Best For: US freelancers who have filed as self-employed before, understand their deductions, and want the most accurate return at the lowest possible cost.
2026 Pricing: $0 federal (all forms including full Schedule C) / $15.99 per state. Deluxe upgrade ($7.99) adds priority support and amended return filing.
Mobile App: Mobile-optimized browser experience rather than a dedicated app. Functional for reviewing and submitting, but best used on a desktop during filing season.

FreeTaxUSA is the most underrated platform on this list. The pricing deserves to be stated plainly: for a US freelancer in a single state, a complete self-employed return costs $15.99 total — compared to $188 at TurboTax or $122 at H&R Block. The tradeoff is real: if you do not know to enter your home office, health insurance premiums, or software subscriptions, the platform will not prompt you. For a veteran self-employed filer who knows exactly what to enter, paying $170 more for guided prompts is a voluntary expense.

4. Cash App Taxes — Best for Completely Free US Filing

Best For: US freelancers with straightforward 1099 income who want $0 cost for both federal and state filing with a clean mobile-first experience.
2026 Pricing: $0 federal, $0 state — no catches, no upgrade prompts.
Mobile App: Genuinely mobile-first design, built for smartphone use from the ground up. The strongest mobile experience of any free option on this list.

Cash App Taxes does one thing better than any other platform: it charges absolutely nothing for both federal and state filing while still supporting Schedule C and self-employment forms properly. For a freelancer with a single 1099-NEC, clear business expenses they already know, and a straightforward return, this is a legitimately excellent option. The moment complexity enters — multiple income types, home office, vehicle depreciation, health insurance deductions — the lack of guided discovery becomes a real limitation.

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5. TaxSlayer Self-Employed — Best Price-to-Feature Ratio

Best For: US freelancers who want guided filing and professional support access without paying TurboTax or H&R Block prices.
2026 Pricing: $47.95–$69.99 federal / $45.99 per state. Includes email and phone access to self-employment tax specialists.
Mobile App: Solid iOS and Android app with full return completion capability. Interface is functional rather than polished, but all Schedule C features are accessible on mobile.

TaxSlayer consistently earns its place as the most rational middle option for freelancers who find FreeTaxUSA too bare-bones and TurboTax too expensive. The inclusion of professional support at the base price — something both TurboTax and TaxAct charge extra for — makes its effective value per dollar the highest of any guided US platform.

6. TaxAct Self-Employed — Best for Thorough Final Review

Best For: US freelancers who want a comprehensive pre-submission consistency check and mid-tier guidance depth.
2026 Pricing: $94.99 federal / $59.99 per state. Xpert Assist (live professional) available as a paid upgrade.
Mobile App: iOS and Android app supports full return completion. Interface is more form-forward than TurboTax’s conversational style but fully functional on mobile.

TaxAct sits in a somewhat awkward pricing position in 2026: its federal cost of $94.99 is meaningfully more than TaxSlayer without delivering TurboTax’s level of guided deduction discovery. Its primary strength is the final review process, which catches errors and inconsistencies before submission better than most competitors. For a freelancer who self-prepares and wants a systematic final check before filing, that feature justifies the premium over TaxSlayer.

7. QuickBooks Self-Employed — Best for Year-Round Tax Management

Best For: Freelancers in any of the four target countries who want continuous real-time tracking that builds toward their tax return throughout the year.
2026 Pricing: $15–$35/month depending on tier and country. Includes bank connections, mileage tracking, quarterly estimates, and Schedule C-ready reporting.
Mobile App: One of the strongest mobile experiences on this list. GPS-based mileage tracking runs automatically in the background. Business expense categorization from bank feeds works seamlessly on mobile — keeping your books current in minutes per week.

QuickBooks Self-Employed operates differently from every other tool here. Rather than a once-a-year sprint, it is a continuous financial tracking system that makes April filing a review exercise rather than a reconstruction project. For a freelancer generating $50,000 or more annually with regular business expenses, the combination of automatic mileage tracking, real-time quarterly tax estimates, and higher deduction capture typically more than covers the subscription cost. For digital nomads or freelancers working across US, UK, Canadian, and Australian markets, it is the only tool with genuine native support in all four countries.

8. Sage Business Cloud — Best for UK Freelancers (MTD Compliance)

Best For: UK sole traders earning above £50,000 gross who must comply with Making Tax Digital from April 2026, or any UK freelancer wanting to build compliant habits ahead of the threshold drop.
2026 Pricing: £15–£33/month. Includes bank feeds, VAT tracking, invoicing, and HMRC-recognised MTD submissions.
Mobile App: Clean iOS and Android app with expense capture, receipt scanning, invoicing, and bank feed review all accessible on mobile.

For UK sole traders, Sage is the standout choice in 2026 for one non-negotiable reason: MTD compliance. The platform is HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment (HMRC MTD-Compatible Software) and handles quarterly digital submissions as a standard workflow step. UK freelancers using spreadsheets or paper records are already non-compliant above £50,000 gross. QuickBooks UK is a close second and equally HMRC-recognised — the choice between them comes down to interface preference.

9. FlyFin — Best AI-Powered Option for US Freelancers

Best For: US freelancers with business expenses distributed across multiple bank accounts and credit cards who prefer AI-powered deduction discovery over manual form entry.
2026 Pricing: Free transaction scanning. CPA-filed return pricing varies — check current rates on the FlyFin website.
Mobile App: Genuinely mobile-first design. The swipe-to-approve deduction interface was built for smartphone use — swipe right to confirm a flagged business expense, left to reject. The most intuitive expense review experience of any tool on this list.

FlyFin approaches tax preparation from the opposite direction of traditional software. Instead of prompting you to enter expenses, it pulls all transactions from connected accounts and flags potential deductions for your approval. The machine-learning models are trained on millions of prior returns, catching micro-deductions — individual app subscriptions, recurring SaaS charges, occasional business supplies — that an annual interview-based process frequently misses. For a freelancer earning $80,000 to $150,000 with deductions spread across multiple accounts, the additional deductions discovered by AI scanning often exceed the CPA service cost by a meaningful margin.

10. Hnry — Best for UK and Australian Freelancers Who Want Zero Tax Admin

Best For: UK and Australian freelancers who want taxes handled automatically on every payment received, eliminating quarterly PAYG instalments and year-end Self Assessment stress entirely.
2026 Pricing: 1% of income processed (capped at £/AUD 1,500 per year). No other fees.
Mobile App: Clean iOS and Android app. When a payment arrives, you see the full amount, the tax withheld, and the net deposited to your personal account — all in real time on your phone.

Hnry does not compete with traditional tax software — it replaces the entire tax compliance workflow. When a client pays you through Hnry, the platform instantly withholds the correct allocations for income tax, GST, Medicare levy, and student loan obligations, then deposits the net amount to your personal account. For Australian and UK freelancers who find quarterly compliance stressful or consistently get caught short at year-end, this model removes the problem entirely. The 1% fee works out favorably for most freelancers earning under £/AUD 100,000 annually compared to the combined cost of accounting software plus accountant fees.

Who Should Choose What

One pattern holds across every profile: the most expensive option is rarely the best for the majority of freelancers. A single-client freelancer with a home office and straightforward expenses does not need $188 TurboTax filing. FreeTaxUSA or TaxSlayer handles that return just as accurately. The reverse is equally true — a freelancer who uses a $0 tool and misses $5,000 in legitimate deductions has lost approximately $1,250 in real money at a 25% effective rate. The relevant calculation is not software price in isolation. It is the combination of software cost and total deduction capture.

Tax Deductions Freelancers Consistently Miss

The best tax app in the world only finds deductions that are either automatically flagged via transaction scanning or that you know to enter. Several high-value categories are routinely underclaimed.

The home office deduction is the most consistently missed. In the US, you can claim either $5 per square foot of dedicated workspace (simplified method, capped at 300 sq ft / $1,500 maximum) or the actual percentage of home expenses — rent, utilities, internet, insurance — corresponding to your office proportion (IRS Publication 587). For a freelancer renting a $2,000/month apartment and using 20% as a dedicated workspace, the actual expense method generates $4,800 annually versus $1,500 under the simplified ceiling. The best apps calculate both methods and present the larger figure. Many basic apps only offer simplified — costing you $3,300 in unclaimed deductions without ever mentioning the alternative.

Professional development and education expenses are frequently omitted because freelancers do not instinctively categorize learning as a business cost. Online courses, conference attendance, professional memberships, technical books, and certification fees directly related to your work are all deductible. A $400 design course, a $120 technical book subscription, a $500 industry conference registration — all legitimate. Enter them.

Software subscriptions compound into a significant deduction that most freelancers do not fully track. Project management tools, communication apps, design software, cloud storage, CRM platforms, video conferencing, and accounting software — any subscription used primarily for business operations is deductible. For a typical mid-income freelancer, these total $1,000 to $3,000 annually. Year-round tracking tools like QuickBooks Self-Employed and FlyFin capture these automatically via bank feed categorization. A once-a-year manual entry approach consistently misses the smaller recurring charges.

The self-employed health insurance deduction is one of the highest-value and least-claimed deductions available to US freelancers. If you pay your own health insurance premiums — including dental and vision — and are not eligible for coverage through a spouse’s employer plan, you can deduct 100% of those premiums from adjusted gross income (IRS Publication 535). At $400/month, that is $4,800 above-the-line — reducing taxable income before any other calculation. Many freelancers know this deduction exists in theory but fail to enter it because tax software buries the prompt in a health section rather than the business section where focus sits during Schedule C entry.

SEP-IRA contributions represent the single largest deduction available to many US freelancers and are dramatically underutilized. Contributions of up to 25% of net self-employment income, capped at $69,000 for 2024, are fully deductible from adjusted gross income (IRS SEP Plan FAQs). A freelancer earning $100,000 net who contributes $23,200 reduces taxable income by that same amount — generating approximately $5,800 in federal tax savings at a 25% effective rate, while simultaneously building retirement wealth. Contributions can be made up to the tax filing deadline including extensions, retroactively applying to the prior year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TurboTax or FreeTaxUSA better for self-employed?

FreeTaxUSA is better for budget-conscious experienced filers; TurboTax is better for first-timers and complex situations. FreeTaxUSA covers full Schedule C at $0 federal / $15.99 state with complete accuracy. TurboTax Premium at $129–$169 federal offers guided deduction discovery that actively surfaces write-offs you might not know to enter. If you have filed self-employed taxes before and know your deductions well, FreeTaxUSA’s pricing advantage is real and significant. If you are filing self-employed for the first time or have multiple income types and deduction categories, TurboTax’s guided experience typically recovers more in total deductions than the price difference between the two platforms.

Which tax software is best for 1099 income?

TurboTax, H&R Block, FreeTaxUSA, TaxSlayer, and Cash App Taxes all handle 1099-NEC and 1099-K income properly. The meaningful difference is in deduction discovery against that income, not in basic form support. TurboTax does the most thorough job prompting for all expense categories. FreeTaxUSA and Cash App Taxes deliver the best value for filers who already know their deductions. For simple 1099 situations — one client, limited expenses — any of these works accurately. For multi-platform income across PayPal, Stripe, and direct clients with complex deductions, TurboTax or H&R Block’s deeper guidance is worth the price difference.

How do freelancers file taxes in the UK in 2026?

UK freelancers file via HMRC’s Self Assessment system (SA100 + SA103), with a January 31 online deadline. From April 2026, sole traders earning over £50,000 gross must also comply with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, requiring quarterly digital submissions to HMRC in addition to the annual return (HMRC MTD for ITSA). Sage and QuickBooks UK are both HMRC-recognised for MTD compliance. Newly self-employed UK freelancers must register for Self Assessment by October 5 following the end of their first self-employment tax year.

Do tax apps work for self-employed people?

Yes — but only apps with dedicated self-employed tiers work properly. Apps with purpose-built self-employed versions — TurboTax Premium, H&R Block Self-Employed, TaxSlayer Self-Employed, FreeTaxUSA, and Cash App Taxes — handle Schedule C, SE tax, quarterly estimates, and business deductions correctly. Generic or free-tier versions of these same apps frequently exclude Schedule C entirely. Always confirm that Schedule C (US), T2125 (Canada), SA103 (UK), or the Business Items schedule (Australia) is explicitly included before starting any return.

What is the $600 rule for freelancers?

The $600 rule is your client’s reporting obligation, not your filing threshold. The IRS requires any business paying a self-employed individual $600 or more in a calendar year to issue a 1099-NEC (IRS Instructions for Form 1099-NEC). You must report all self-employment income regardless — including payments under $600, cash payments, and income from foreign clients. Every dollar of net self-employment income above $400 triggers both SE tax and income tax. Good tax software reconciles your 1099s against total bank deposits to catch income that was paid but not formally reported.

How much will I be taxed as a freelancer?

Your total rate depends on income, deductions, and country — but rough estimates help with planning. For a US freelancer earning $80,000 gross with $15,000 in deductible business expenses: net SE income is $65,000, generating approximately $9,179 in SE tax. After the 2026 standard deduction of $16,100 and the 50% SE tax deduction, federal taxable income is roughly $39,521, producing approximately $4,547 in federal income tax. Total federal obligation: approximately $13,726 — an effective federal rate of about 17.2% on gross income before state taxes. For a UK freelancer earning £60,000 net, the effective combined rate including Class 4 NICs typically sits between 32% and 37% depending on allowable expenses.

How do I get the biggest tax refund when self-employed?

Maximize every legitimate deduction you are entitled to claim — the five most under-claimed are home office, vehicle mileage, health insurance premiums, SEP-IRA contributions, and software subscriptions. Beyond deductions, the single most impactful change is switching from once-a-year filing to year-round tracking. QuickBooks Self-Employed, FlyFin, and Sage capture expenses in real time as they occur, which consistently produces higher total deductions at filing than reconstructing a year of spending from memory in March. A good tax app does not manufacture refunds — it ensures you are not overpaying by leaving deductions unclaimed.

Conclusion: The Right App Pays for Itself

The tax app you choose as a freelancer is not an administrative decision — it is a direct input into your annual tax liability. The difference between software that captures 60% of your legitimate deductions and software that captures 90% is measured in hundreds or thousands of real dollars. Over a career, that gap compounds significantly.

For US freelancers: if you have a straightforward situation and know your deductions, FreeTaxUSA at $15.99 state is the rational choice. Cash App Taxes is right if you want $0 for both federal and state with a strong mobile experience. For complexity above $60,000 with multiple deduction types, TurboTax Premium or H&R Block Self-Employed deliver better deduction outcomes than the price difference suggests. For AI-powered year-round tracking, FlyFin and QuickBooks Self-Employed take different approaches to the same problem and are both worth evaluating against your specific spending patterns.

For UK freelancers: the MTD adoption window is closing. From April 2026, those above £50,000 gross must submit quarterly digital records to HMRC. Sage and QuickBooks UK handle this without requiring you to become an accounting expert. The threshold drops to £30,000 in April 2027 — most UK sole traders should be building compliant habits now rather than rushing a transition under deadline pressure. If you want zero ongoing tax admin, Hnry’s 1% model removes the entire quarterly cycle.

For Canadian freelancers: prioritize software that monitors your rolling GST/HST revenue threshold in real time. TurboTax Canada handles T2125 preparation, CRA e-file, and GST/HST tracking within a single workflow. The 14% lowest marginal rate for 2026 and the continued $30,000 GST/HST trigger make accurate tracking genuinely valuable this year.

For Australian freelancers: the combination of PAYG instalment management, BAS lodgement support, and the new $1,000 standard work deduction option narrows the field to QuickBooks Self-Employed AU, Xero, and Hnry. If hands-off compliance appeals to you, Hnry’s automatic withholding model eliminates the quarterly anxiety entirely. If you want control and lower annual cost, QuickBooks or Xero with a registered tax agent relationship gives you the flexibility to manage the process yourself.

The next step is simple: confirm your country’s specific forms and deadlines from the official sources linked throughout this guide, identify whether you need once-a-year filing or year-round tracking, and choose the tool purpose-built for your exact situation. Your tax bill next April will directly reflect that choice.