Karbon vs TaxCalc (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, TaxCalc grades higher than Karbon: 2.0 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Karbon grades higher on platforms. TaxCalc grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
TaxCalc
UK tax return and accounts software for accountancy practices
Which one is for you
Pick Karbon if
- Fits if you run an accounting firm and want shared client email and workflow in one place
- Makes sense if your firm already works in Gmail and Google Calendar
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want software for your own books, as it's built for firms
- Skip it if you want to try it yourself first, because there's no self-serve trial
- Pricey if you want automation: reminders and task automation need Business at $89 a user
- Watch out: monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users
Pick TaxCalc if
- Fits if you run a UK practice with up to 150 clients
- Works for sole practitioners who need a cheap band for 12 clients
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you work outside the UK, as it files to HMRC
- Tight if you grow past 1,000 clients, as larger practices are sold through sales
- Watch out: the page does not say whether prices include VAT
- Watch out: accounts production, VAT and MTD filers are separate products, and cloud hosting is a paid add-on
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAKarbonWeak | 2.0GPATaxCalcFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$59 a user a month billed yearly for Team and $89 for Business, where the automation is. That's past the $52 where the dearer quarter starts, and Business is above $75. | C£187 a year for up to 12 clients is about $17 a month, which sits in the typical range. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan, and the pricing page says self-serve free trials aren't offered, so access starts with a demo request. | DA trial exists for Tax Return Production, but its length is not stated, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CShared email, workflow templates, a client portal, time, budgets and billing. It runs a firm and doesn't keep a business's books, and automation isn't on Team. | BIndividual, partnership, corporation and trust returns with an HMRC connection cover the whole job of a UK tax practice. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up templates and client requests, and access starts with a demo. | CDesktop software with client bands and modules to set up, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, plus an API. | CA program for computers only (Windows, Mac and Linux), with no integrations listed. |
| Best for | practice management for accounting firms | UK tax return software for small practices |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Karbon and TaxCalc. How we grade
Price against what you get
Karbon starts at $59 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. TaxCalc starts at about $20.88 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and TaxCalc starts $38.12 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 28 score higher than Karbon for less, and 19 score higher than TaxCalc for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Karbon also covers tasks, shared inbox, workflow automation, time tracking and invoicing.
- TaxCalc also covers forms and reports.
At a glance
| Karbon | TaxCalc | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly) | £187 per year (Tax Return Production, up to 12 individual clients) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Trial available for Tax Return Production; length not stated on the pages read. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Karbon | TaxCalc |
| Price read from | karbonhq.com | taxcalc.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Karbon
- It is a tool for running a firm, not general ledger software for a business's own books.
- The pricing page says self-serve free trials are not offered; access starts with a demo request.
- Monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users.
- Automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations are not on the Team plan.
TaxCalc
- Prices are in pounds, UK only, banded by client numbers; practices above 1,000 clients are sold through sales.
- The pricing page does not say whether prices include VAT; the product page says 'per year'.
- Mixed tax return bundles are sold through sales; accounts production, VAT and MTD filers are separate products.
- CloudConnect cloud hosting is a paid add-on; Windows, Mac and Linux support comes from the page's structured data, not a visible requirements page.
Key features
Karbon
- Shared email triage
- Team members can share, assign and comment on client emails, with comments and @mentions on emails, tasks and notes.
- Workflow templates
- Work is created from templates with statuses and types. Limits rise by plan: 35, 50 or unlimited statuses and 40, 75 or unlimited templates.
- Client requests and portal
- Clients get requests, file uploads and comments through a portal. Automatic client reminders need the Business plan.
- Time, budgets and billing
- Track time against budgets, then bill and collect payment from inside the same workflow.
- Integrations and API
- Connects with Gmail, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, and has a public API for contacts, work items and timesheets.
TaxCalc
- Return types
- Prepares and files individual, partnership, corporation tax and trust returns, going back to 2012-13.
- HMRC connection
- Pulls client information from HMRC and files electronically.
- Check & Finish
- Validates entries before submission and links to errors.
- Multi-window working
- Several clients' returns can be open at once.
- Related products
- Shares a database with Accounts Production and AML Centre; CloudConnect cloud hosting is a paid add-on.
Plans
Karbon
Team$59
per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
Integrated email, workflow and to-do lists, time tracking and budgets, billing, payments and engagements. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
Business$89
per user / month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
Team features plus automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds an enterprise platform, a dedicated Karbon contact, customization and unlimited usage limits.
TaxCalc
Individual 12£187
per year, for up to 12 clients
1 user. Individual returns only.
Individual and Partnership 12-1£204
per year, for up to 12 clients
1 user included; adds partnership returns.
Individual and Partnership 30-2£235
per year, for up to 30 clients
2 users included.
Individual and Partnership 150-15£481
per year, for up to 150 clients
2 users included; 250 clients £573, 500 £723, 1,000 £919.
Corporation Tax 12£235
per year, for up to 12 clients
1 user; 50 clients £306, 150 £361, 1,000 £965.
Trust 150£246
per year, for up to 150 clients
2 users included; single SA900 trust return £57.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Karbon or TaxCalc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Karbon starts at $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly), and TaxCalc starts at £187 per year (Tax Return Production, up to 12 individual clients). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Karbon or TaxCalc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Karbon nor TaxCalc has a free plan. TaxCalc has a free trial.
Which platforms do Karbon and TaxCalc run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Karbon lists a web app and iOS and Android apps and only TaxCalc lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.