Why TaxWise, and how it compares.
TaxWise is built for the kind of office most of our clients run: individual returns, bank products and a busy waiting room. Here is what it does well, where it’s weaker, and what the alternatives cost.
Made for 1040 and bank-product offices.
- TaxWise Online packages include TaxWise Desktop at no extra cost, with unlimited users in a single office.
- Enter returns on the forms or through an interview, whichever your preparers are faster with.
- Bank products built in, with four bank-product partners: Santa Barbara Tax Products Group, Republic Bank, Refund Advantage and EPS Financial.
- Spanish-language forms, a real advantage in South Florida and many other markets.
- Built and supported by Wolters Kluwer, the company behind CCH and ATX.
Where it’s weaker
We’d rather you hear it from us.
- Bought direct, its list price is higher than Drake’s, TaxSlayer’s or CrossLink’s. That gap is exactly what a service bureau closes.
- Returns started in Online and in Desktop stay in that version; the two don’t share returns.
- The look is traditional. Preparers learn it fast, but it isn’t flashy.
What professional tax software costs.
Each vendor’s list price as posted on its own site on September 24, 2026. Vendors are between seasons, so each row shows the season its page lists.
| Software | Built for | List price | What that covers | Season shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaxWise, through us | 1040 and bank-product offices | $1,295 / $695 / FREE | Base, Medium, Premium; placed by funded bank products | 2027 season |
| TaxWise, direct | 1040 and bank-product offices | from $1,849 | Online 100: 100 individual returns, Desktop included, plus a one-time $83 processing fee; business returns $61 each | No year shown |
| Drake Tax | Small to mid-size offices | $1,895 – $1,995 | 1040 150, single user: early price before Dec. 1, then retail. Pay-per-return: $379.99 for 10 returns, then $49.99 | Tax year 2026 |
| CrossLink | Seasonal and bank-product offices | $1,795 | CrossLink 1040, unlimited 1040 and state returns; additional fees apply | No year shown |
| TaxSlayer Pro | Seasonal offices | $1,395 – $1,695 | Classic, Web and Premium list prices (lower new-customer prices offered) | 2025 tax season |
| ProSeries | Small CPA and EA firms | $2,049 | Basic Unlimited; pay-per-return from $539 a year | Tax year 2025 |
| ATX | Small 1040 and business firms | $1,249 / $2,829 | ATX 1040 (75 e-files) / ATX MAX (unlimited) | "2026 packages" |
| Lacerte | CPA firms, complex returns | $102 per 1040 | Per return, on top of a license from $599 a year per user | Tax year 2025 |
| CCH Axcess Tax | CPA firms | $2,814 – $5,264 | Tax Essentials, 100 to 400 returns, for qualifying CPA firms | No year shown |
Sources: vendor pricing pages for Wolters Kluwer TaxWise, ATX and CCH Axcess; Drake Software; CrossLink; TaxSlayer Pro; Intuit ProSeries and Lacerte, read September 24, 2026. Prices change, and some vendors offer lower first-year prices. TaxWise® is a registered trademark of Wolters Kluwer; other names are trademarks of their owners.
What a service bureau is for.
A service bureau buys software at volume and supports the offices that file through it. A good one lowers your price and answers your calls. A bad one hides fees and disappears in February.
Lower software cost
Base $1,295, Medium $695, Premium free, against a direct list price from $1,849.
A person, not a queue
Call the Margate office and ask for Harry, who has worked in TaxWise for 20+ years.
Setup you don’t do alone
Bank-product enrollment, training and a launch checklist, before the first client walks in.
Questions about the software.
Why not buy TaxWise directly from Wolters Kluwer?
Who answers when I call during tax season?
I’m with another service bureau. Can I switch?
Save $100 when you start by October 31, 2026.
Tell us about your office and Harry will call you back, usually within one business day. Or call now and ask for Harry.