There's last-minute shopping, and then there's of-the-minute shopping. In this case, we were interested in the latter: What is it that people were ordering on Amazon ($AMZN) on Christmas day?

In some cases, the answers aren't surprising: new videogames for new consoles. But in other cases, we saw people spending their days off ordering tax-preparation software in anticipation of filing season.

In fact, of the top-20-selling items on Christmas day in Amazon's Software category, 10 were tax-prep software packages. Here's the full list:

Sales Rank 12/25

Name

List Price.Description

1

TurboTax Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019 [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Disc]

$49.88

2

TurboTax Home & Business + State 2019 Tax Software [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Disc]

$79.88

3

TurboTax Premier + State 2019 Tax Software [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Disc]

$69.88

4

Microsoft OEM Windows 10 Home, 64-Bit, 1-Pack, DVD

$99.99

5

Norton 360 Deluxe – Antivirus software for 5 Devices with Auto Renewal - 15 Month Subscription [Download]

$19.99

6

McAfee Total Protection, 3 Device, Antivirus Software, Internet Security, 1 Year Subscription- [Download Code] - 2020 Ready

$19.99

7

TurboTax Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019 [Amazon Exclusive] [PC Download]

$49.88

8

H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019 with 4% Refund Bonus Offer [Amazon Exclusive] [PC Download]

$34.97

9

TurboTax Premier + State 2019 Tax Software [Amazon Exclusive] [PC Download]

$69.88

10

H&R Block Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019 with 4% Refund Bonus Offer [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Disc]

$34.98

11

TurboTax Home & Business + State 2019 Tax Software [Amazon Exclusive] [PC Download]

$79.88

12

Norton 360 Premium – Antivirus software for 10 Devices with Auto Renewal [Download]

$27.99

13

Microsoft Windows 10 Home | Download

14

Microsoft Office Home and Business 2019 Download 1 Person Compatible on Windows 10 and Apple macOS

15

GoPro Plus | Monthly Subscription With Auto-Renewal | Unlimited Cloud Storage | Damage Replacement for Your GoPro + More

$4.99

16

Quicken Deluxe Personal Finance - 14-Month Subscription [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Online Code]

$39.99

17

Microsoft Windows 10 Pro | Download

18

TurboTax Business 2019 Tax Software [PC Disc]

$119.99

19

TurboTax Deluxe 2019 Tax Software [Amazon Exclusive] [PC/Mac Disc]

$39.88

20

Microsoft Office 365 Personal | 12-month subscription, 1 person, PC/Mac Download

$69.99

The most-popular tax-prep software on Christmas day was Intuit's ($INTU) $49 TurboTax Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019, an "Amazon Exclusive" that comes in disc format (the download-only version is $10 less). The "Home & Business" version of the same software was the second-most popular tax-prep package on Amazon.

H&R Block's ($HRB) software graced the top-10 on December 25 with its $35 "Tax Software Deluxe + State 2019 with 4% Refund Bonus Offer". This package promises a 4% refund bonus if the filer allocates "all or a portion" of thei Federal refund to an Amazon.com gift card — a clever way to turn refunds into revenue for Amazon, at the very least.

So begins the tax cycle, in which software companies cash in annually on one of the greatest American traditions. Each new year sees tax-prep software rise to the top of the software heap, above perennial best-sellers Microsoft Office and Windows.

We're just at the beginning of tax software's best time of the year. In 2017 and 2018, the average sales rank for software with the word "Tax" in it jumps every January 1, as seen in the graph above.

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: