Ranking · 3 tools
Best professional tax software for preparing returns
Short answer
TaxAct Professional is the best professional tax software for most solo preparers: a free evaluation edition, pay-per-return pricing, and small bundles keep first-year cost tied to volume. Drake Tax is the stronger pick once you file a full season of business returns. TaxSlayer Pro suits refund-heavy 1040 practices using bank products.
By the BestTaxSoftware.com editorial team. Updated . Prices checked on vendor sites that day.
How do the tools rank for this need?
- 1
TaxAct Professional
Best for low-volume and first-season preparers
67.5score of 100Professional prep with pay-per-return, low-volume bundles, and a free evaluation edition.
Where the 67.5 comes from of 100Price
Pay-per-return
Strongest point
Free evaluation edition
Main drawback
No transcript or resolution tools
- 2
Drake Tax
Best for full return coverage on one annual license
62.5score of 100Broad federal and state return coverage on an annual license with support included.
Where the 62.5 comes from of 100Price
From $2,375/yr
Strongest point
Broad individual and business return coverage
Main drawback
No monthly option
- 3
TaxSlayer Pro
Best for refund-season 1040 shops using bank products
61.0score of 100Unlimited 1040 preparation with bank products and a client mobile app.
Where the 61.0 comes from of 100Price
Not shown
Strongest point
Unlimited 1040s in every package
Main drawback
No prices on the main page
How are the weights adjusted on this page?
IRS record handling is set to zero on this page because none of these packages are built for transcript work, and scoring them on it would only add noise.
| Criterion | This page | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first case | 15% | 15% |
| Learning curve | 15% | 15% |
| Cost at one user | 20% | 20% |
| Revenue per case enabled | 15% | 20% |
| Automation depth | 20% | 10% |
| IRS record handling | 0% | 10% |
| Client experience | 15% | 10% |
Which features does each tool have?
| Prepares and e-files returns | Client-facing portal or app | Signatures inside the product | Month-to-month option | Price shown on vendor site | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaxAct ProfessionalLow-volume and first-season preparers | 67.5 | Pay-per-return | Yes | Partly | Yes | Not confirmed | No |
| Drake TaxFull return coverage on one annual license | 62.5 | $2,375 | Yes | Partly | Partly | No | Yes |
| TaxSlayer ProRefund-season 1040 shops using bank products | 61.0 | Not shown | Yes | Yes | Partly | Not confirmed | No |
What does each cost one practitioner per year?
Yearly cost at one user: professional prep
Lowest published yearly price for a single practitioner. Log scale. Table below lists the same figures.
Show chart data as a table
| Product | Yearly, one user | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Drake Tax | $2,375 | Drake Tax Pro list prices shown for tax year 2026 ran from $2,375 to $3,295 depending on returns and users. |
| TaxAct Professional | Not published | Pay-per-return, 20- or 40-return bundles, and unlimited bundles; prices not shown on the page we reviewed. |
| TaxSlayer Pro | Not published | Web, Premium, and Classic packages; prices not shown on the page we reviewed. |
Not plotted because no yearly price was on the vendor page we reviewed: TaxAct Professional, TaxSlayer Pro.
How do the three packages price a solo season?
| Package | Entry option | Full-season option | Monthly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| TaxAct Professional | Free Evaluation Edition (no e-file); pay-per-return | 20- or 40-return bundles, unlimited bundles | Not confirmed |
| Drake Tax | Pay-Per-Return with 10 individual returns included | Drake Tax Pro, $2,375 to $3,295 list for TY2026 | No, annual license |
| TaxSlayer Pro | Classic | Premium or Web, unlimited 1040s | Not confirmed |
What does professional prep software not cover?
IRS collection work. None of the three pull account transcripts into a case, compare collection alternatives, or build an offer package. If your clients increasingly owe rather than receive refunds, that is the gap a resolution tool fills.
Questions practitioners ask
- Is pay-per-return cheaper than unlimited?
- Below a break-even volume, yes. Divide the unlimited package price by the per-return fee to find it. Our pay-per-return page walks through the math.
- Do I need a PTIN to use professional tax software?
- You need a PTIN to prepare federal returns for compensation, and an EFIN to e-file. The software vendor will ask for both before e-filing is enabled.