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The best tax preparers software for 2026 depends on your return mix. Drake Tax and TaxAct Professional give small and mid-size practices the lowest published cost for unlimited returns, Intuit ProConnect Tax suits firms that want browser-only prep tied to QuickBooks, and Lacerte or UltraTax CS fit firms with heavy partnership, corporate and multistate work. Whichever you choose, your preparers still need a current PTIN, and your firm needs an IRS EFIN before it can e-file.
This guide compares the best tax preparers software using prices and features published on each vendor's own site as of October 2026. The 2026 filing season, for tax year 2025 returns, is over for most firms, and vendors are now selling the tax year 2026 software you will use in the 2027 season, several at early discounts. Where a vendor does not publish a price, we say so.
Consumer products are built for one household filing its own return. Paid preparers need software that signs returns under a preparer identity, transmits through an authorized e-file account, and handles volume across many clients and entity types.
Four checks settle most shortlists:
The same questions apply when you plan the rest of your systems, which our CPA firm tech stack guide for 2026 maps out tool by tool.
No package lets you skip IRS registration. Three rules shape how you set up any platform.
PTIN for every paid preparer. The IRS states that "anyone who prepares or assists in preparing federal tax returns for compensation must have a valid 2027 PTIN before preparing returns" and that enrolled agents need one too. The fee is $18.75 for a new PTIN or a renewal, and 2027 renewals are open now on the IRS PTIN requirements page. Your software stores each preparer's PTIN and prints it on the returns they sign.
EFIN for the firm. To transmit returns, the firm applies through IRS e-services. The application involves a suitability check that may include credit, tax compliance and criminal background checks. Principals and Responsible Officials who are not CPAs, attorneys or enrolled agents must be fingerprinted, and the IRS says approval "can take up to 45 days from the date of submission," according to its page on becoming an authorized e-file provider. Approved firms receive an acceptance letter with their EFIN.
The e-file mandate. A specified tax return preparer is one who "reasonably expects to file 11 or more covered returns in a calendar year." Firms count in the aggregate, so if the firm expects 11 or more, every member must e-file, even a member who files fewer on their own. Most paper returns filed under an exception need Form 8948 attached. All of this is set out in the IRS e-file mandate FAQs.
Credential rules are separate from software. If you are deciding who on your team signs which returns, our explainer on CPA vs tax preparer roles covers representation rights and licensing.
The table lists prices we confirmed on vendor pricing pages in October 2026. Drake labels its prices as tax year 2026 software. TaxAct and Intuit do not print a tax year beside their prices, so confirm which version a quote covers.
| Software | Deployment | Entry option (published) | Unlimited or high-volume option (published) | Pricing source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Tax | Desktop; Drake Tax Online is cloud | Pay-Per-Return $379.99 with 10 individual returns; extra individual $49.99, business $74.99 | Drake Tax Pro unlimited, multi-user: $3,145 through Nov 30, then $3,295 | Drake pricing page |
| TaxAct Professional | Not stated on the pricing page | 1040 Pay-Per-Return $169.99 plus $29.99 per 1040 | Complete Bundle unlimited individual and business: $2,095 single user, $2,495 multi-user ($2,275 and $2,675 from Jan 1, 2027) | TaxAct pricing page |
| Intuit ProConnect Tax | Browser-based cloud | Essentials 50: $2,478 per year, 1 user, 50 individual returns | Advanced: $8,462 per year, multi-user, 400 individual returns; business returns extra | Intuit pricing page |
| Intuit Lacerte | Desktop, optional Intuit hosting | Pay-per-return: $599 annual license, then $105 per individual return and $148 per business return | Custom plans with bundles or unlimited returns through a consultation | Intuit pricing page |
| UltraTax CS | Part of Thomson Reuters CS Professional Suite | Not published; contact a representative | Not published | Thomson Reuters product page |
| CCH Axcess Tax, ATX, TaxSlayer Pro | Varies | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Vendor sites blocked our checks; request a quote |
Drake's page says "Take advantage of discounted prices through November 30th" with retail pricing effective December 1. TaxAct marks its higher figures as retail prices effective January 1, 2027. Intuit shows ProConnect package prices next to higher struck-through list prices, so ask what renewal will cost in year two.
Drake Tax suits small and mid-size firms that want clear published prices with every state included. On its pricing page, Drake lists "All states included," "Federal and State e-File," "4,300+ federal and state forms and schedules" and data conversion from most competitor software. Drake Tax Pro covers 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065, 1041, 990 and 706 returns on unlimited or tiered plans, and Drake Tax 1040 is the individual-only version.
Drake Tax Online costs $299.99 for the first user, $99 for each additional user, and then $49.99 per individual return and $74.99 per business return. For firms that prefer desktop Drake with remote access, Drake lists a Rightworks hosting option at $114 per user per month. Portals, workflow and e-signature tools come in a separate Practice Essentials Bundle.
Choose Drake if most of your work is individual returns and small business entities, and you want predictable annual pricing.
TaxAct Professional has the lowest published price for unlimited individual and business returns among the vendors we checked. Its professional pricing page lists the Complete Bundle, covering 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 1041 and 990 federal products with all states, at $2,095 for a single user and $2,495 for multi-user, before retail prices take effect January 1, 2027. The 1040 Bundle with unlimited individual returns is $1,175 single user and $1,375 multi-user.
The Business Pay-Per-Return option costs $279.99 a year, then $29.99 per 1040, $49.99 per business return and $49 per state edition. Lower-volume firms can also buy the 1040 Twenty Bundle at $725 for 20 individual returns.
Choose TaxAct if cost per return is your main constraint and your clients are mostly individuals and small entities.
Intuit sells three professional products. It describes ProConnect Tax as "delivered fully on the cloud with nothing to download," Lacerte as having "powerful tools designed for complex returns and multiple preparers," and ProSeries as offering "simple forms-based screens and one-click access to calculation details."
ProConnect Tax. The ProConnect pricing page lists Essentials 50 at $2,478 per year, Essentials 100 at $3,842, Plus at $5,868 with 2 users and 200 individual returns, and Advanced at $8,462 with multi-user access and 400 individual returns. Each package lists business returns "for an additional fee." Intuit Tax Advisor, which builds client tax plans from return and QuickBooks data, is included, and so are Intuit Sign digital signatures. Intuit also states that a paid User Access license is required to e-file and print returns, and each license covers one user for one calendar year.
Lacerte. The Lacerte pricing page lists a pay-per-return option: a $599 annual license, then $105 per individual return and $148 per business, partnership, trust or exempt return, each with one state. Firms can also ask Intuit for a custom plan with return bundles or unlimited returns. Hosting through Rightworks is a separate monthly add-on.
ProSeries. We did not find ProSeries prices on the Intuit pages we checked, so ask for a quote.
Choose ProConnect if your team works remotely and your clients keep their books in QuickBooks Online. Choose Lacerte if your volume of complex business returns justifies a negotiated plan.
Thomson Reuters describes UltraTax CS as offering "a full line of federal, state, and local tax programs, including 1040 individual, 1120 corporate, 1065 partnership, 1041 estates and trusts, multistate returns, and more." Thomson Reuters says data entered once into a client's return populates the relevant fields across other returns, and UltraTax is part of the CS Professional Suite alongside Practice CS and Accounting CS. Thomson Reuters does not publish UltraTax pricing and quotes it by users, returns and states.
CCH Axcess Tax from Wolters Kluwer is the other common enterprise choice, along with Wolters Kluwer's ATX for smaller offices and TaxSlayer Pro for high-volume 1040 shops. Their sites blocked our verification checks, so we have not listed prices or feature claims for them here. Request current quotes and a trial before you shortlist them.
UltraTax and CCH Axcess usually make sense once a firm has several reviewers, a large share of partnership and corporate returns, and the staff to manage a full suite. Firms evaluating AI add-ons from these vendors can compare them against our overview of how AI is changing tax preparation.
Take a firm with two preparers that expects 280 individual returns and 45 business returns (1065 and 1120-S) in the 2027 season, mostly in one state. Using the published figures above:
At this volume, pay-per-return plans cost several times more than an unlimited license. Pay-per-return only makes sense for a firm filing a few dozen returns or testing a new product alongside its main package.
License cost is a small share of season cost next to preparer and reviewer hours, and a familiar package can cost less overall than a cheaper one that slows every return. Before switching, run 10 to 15 of last season's returns through the trial version, including your hardest partnership return, and time the review.
Work through these steps in order:
What is the best tax preparers software for a small firm? For a small firm filing mostly individual returns and simple entities, Drake Tax and TaxAct Professional have the lowest published prices for unlimited returns. ProConnect Tax suits small firms that want browser-only access and QuickBooks Online data. Trial your own returns before deciding.
Do I need an EFIN to use professional tax software? You can prepare returns without one, but your firm needs an IRS-issued EFIN to e-file them. The IRS says approval can take up to 45 days, so apply well before the season starts.
How much does a PTIN cost for 2027? The IRS lists the fee at $18.75 for new applications and renewals, and it is processing 2027 PTIN applications and renewals now.
Is pay-per-return pricing cheaper than an unlimited license? Only at low volume. In the worked example above, a firm with 325 returns would pay about $17,252 on Drake pay-per-return versus $3,145 for Drake Tax Pro unlimited.
Which software handles complex partnership and corporate returns best? Intuit positions Lacerte for complex returns and multiple preparers, and Thomson Reuters lists 1065, 1120, 1041 and multistate programs in UltraTax CS. Neither publishes full pricing, so request quotes.
Can offshore preparers work in my tax software? Yes, if your software is browser-based or hosted and you control user access. Each preparer still needs their own PTIN and login.
Whichever platform you pick, the season still depends on people who can prepare and review returns in it. Madras Accountancy provides outsourced tax preparation for CPA firms, with staff who work inside your existing software and follow your review process. To see how 1040, 1065 and 1120 work can be split between your team and ours, read our tax prep workflow guide, compare busy season staffing options, or contact our team to plan capacity for the 2027 season.
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