TaxCaster by TurboTax - Free for Android

Intuit's TaxCaster app can quickly estimate your federal tax refund based on just a few bits of personal information. Even for the most inexperienced taxpayer, it's incredibly simple to understand and use.

At the top of the screen is a meter that displays your estimated tax refund. As you make your way through the app, it considers your answers and recalculates its estimate accordingly. And of course, the more answers you provide, the more accurate its estimate gets.

Three main tabs sit just below the meter, each housing a different category of questions: About You; Total Income; and Deductions, Credits, & Payments. Tap any to begin your dive into TaxCaster's questionnaire.

One thing I love about TaxCaster is the simplicity of its questions. Sliders and toggle switches ensure that you know the type of answer that's required. And, most importantly, all of the language is accessible, as the app doesn't use any of the IRS jargon that normally scares people away from tax forms. And in the unlikely event that you do get lost, you can always hit the Help button in the top-right corner to pull up deeper explanations of any item on the screen.

Overall, I think TaxCaster is a great way to estimate your federal tax refund and kick off your tax season. While it does somewhat serve as an advertisement for Intuit's flagship tax software TurboTax, there's no arguing that it is still a useful tool. And if you do end up using TurboTax, then all the better.