Questions solo tax professionals ask about software
Short answer
Short answers to the questions practitioners ask most: who can do resolution work, what AI can and cannot do, what one seat costs, and how this site ranks products. Each answer links to a page with the full explanation and sources.
By the BestTaxSoftware.com editorial team. Updated . Prices checked on vendor sites that day.
All questions
- Can a tax preparer without a credential do tax resolution?
- No. Collection representation requires a CPA license, EA enrollment, or bar admission. AFSP participants have limited rights that do not cover collections.
- What is tax resolution software?
- Software that helps a credentialed practitioner resolve IRS balances: it pulls transcripts, analyzes client finances against IRS standards, recommends a program, and drafts the forms.
- Can AI represent my client before the IRS?
- No. Representation is limited to credentialed individuals named on Form 2848. AI tools prepare work that a practitioner reviews and submits.
- What is the cheapest way to pull IRS transcripts for clients?
- The IRS Tax Pro Account and Transcript Delivery System are free with a valid authorization. Software adds bulk retrieval, decoding, and monitoring.
- How much does resolution software cost one practitioner?
- Published one-seat prices among the tools we track range from Brevitax Pro at $948 a year to suites priced higher; some vendors do not publish a price. See each review for the plan table.
- Is pay-per-return software cheaper than unlimited?
- At low volume, usually. The break-even depends on the package; compare the per-return price times your return count against the unlimited license.
- Do you accept payment for rankings?
- No vendor pays for placement. BestTaxSoftware.com and Brevitax share ownership, which we disclose on every ranking page, and Brevitax is scored on the same criteria as everyone else.
- How often are prices checked?
- Every price was checked on the vendor’s own site on the date shown on each page. We recheck before each tax season and when a vendor announces changes.
- Why don’t you list star ratings or user reviews?
- We have not collected user reviews, so we do not publish them. Scores come from our published criteria applied to vendor documentation.
- Which form should I file first on a new resolution client?
- Many practitioners file Form 8821 to review the record and quote the job, then Form 2848 when the client engages them to represent.