Drake Tax review (2026): is it worth $299.99 a year?
Professional tax preparation software for tax firms, desktop and web
Black Friday: is there a Drake Tax sale?
Drake Tax report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a tax firm preparing client returns
Drake Tax is tax preparation software sold to tax professionals, in a Windows desktop edition and a cloud one. Drake Tax Online starts at $299.99 a tax year, but you pay per return past the first batch, add-ons cost extra, and the Windows desktop editions run from about $1,895 to $3,295 a year.
Who Drake Tax is for
- Fits if you run a tax practice and prepare returns for clients
- Works for firms that want a Windows desktop program with an online option
Who Drake Tax is not for
- Not for you if you are filing your own return, because it is sold to tax professionals
- Skip it if you use a Mac and want a native program, since the desktop edition is Windows only
- Pricey if you want the desktop suite, which runs about $1,895 to $3,295 a year
- Watch out: licences are per tax year, per site and per EFIN, and renewal prices show only inside your account
- Watch out: Portals, Workflow, E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products and Audit Defense are all extra
Why Drake Tax gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyDrake Tax Online is $299.99 a tax year, about $25 a month, in line with accounting's middle. That price comes with $49.99 per individual return and $74.99 per business return after the first batch, and the desktop editions sit at $1,895 to $3,295.
- CFree plan and trialA free trial download with sample clients and test returns, and a trial of the online version. The listing does not say a card is needed, but you cannot file real returns on it.
- BFeaturesIndividual and business returns, with other products around them. Portals, Workflow, E-Sign and Drake Pay cost extra, which is a price matter, not a gap in the core job.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. Setting up a tax office, EFIN and client files takes real learning.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows desktop program plus a web version, with 4 integrations on record. No Mac program; the vendor points Mac users to the online version or cloud hosting.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Drake Tax's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/drake-tax#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/drake-tax.svg" alt="Drake Tax: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Drake Tax stands among accounting and invoicing tools
Drake Tax's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 22 of the 65 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 15.
It stands best on features (B, above 51 of 65) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $18.09 for the category: 33 of the 54 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 66 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Drake Tax’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 65, level with 12
- CFree plan and trialAbove 15 of 65, level with 34
- BFeaturesAbove 51 of 65, level with 14
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 65, level with 56
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 13 of 65, level with 46
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 58 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Drake Tax, or make your own?
Keep it
Nothing Drake Tax does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
It costs $299.99 a year.
What you could not
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Drake Tax’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Drake Tax?
Drake Tax is tax preparation software sold to tax professionals, not to individuals filing their own return. It comes as a downloadable Windows program or as Drake Tax Online in the browser, and both prepare individual and business returns with federal and state e-filing. Practice tools such as client portals, workflow tracking, e-signatures and payments are sold separately.
Worth knowing
- Sold to tax professionals; it is not a product for filing your own return.
- The desktop program is a Windows application; for a Mac the vendor points to Drake Tax Online or cloud hosting.
- Licensing is per tax year, per physical site and per EFIN, and renewal pricing is shown only inside a customer's Drake account.
- Portals, Workflow, E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products and Audit Defense cost extra; Rightworks cloud hosting is listed at $114 per user / month.
Key features
- Individual and business returns
- Covers 1040, 1040-NR, 1040-SS and 709 returns plus 1120, 1120-S, 1065, 1041, 990 and 706 returns, with more than 4,300 federal and state forms and schedules.
- Federal and state e-file
- The pricing page says all states are included and e-filing carries no extra fee.
- Return review tools
- Hundreds of return diagnostics, plus DoubleCheck review, LookBack comparison with the prior year and LinkBacks from a diagnostic to its source entry.
- Data conversion
- Drake converts prior-year client data from most competing programs, and the vendor says the conversion is free for most packages.
- Practice management add-ons
- Drake Portals, Drake Workflow, Drake E-Sign and Drake Pay are separate products, bundled at a discount as the Practice Essentials Bundle.
- Support included
- Every package includes US-based support by phone, email or chat, plus a knowledge base, video tutorials and practice returns.
Drake Tax pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Drake Tax is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online).
- Starts at
- $299.99 per tax year, first user included (Drake Tax Online)
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- Free trial download of Drake Tax with sample clients and test returns; a free trial of Drake Tax Online is also offered.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Drake Tax Online | $299.99per tax year for the first user, then $99 per additional user | Browser-based. Returns are paid as you go at $49.99 per individual and $74.99 per business return, with discounts when bought in bulk (25 or more). |
| Pay-Per-Return | $379.99per tax year, multi-user | Desktop software with 10 individual returns included; further individual returns cost $49.99 and business returns $74.99. |
| Drake Tax 1040 (150 returns) | $1,995per tax year, multi-user, 150 individual returns included | For 1040-focused preparers. Business returns are $74.99 each and extra individual returns $49.99. Listed retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $1,895 until Nov. 30. |
| Drake Tax 1040 (unlimited) | $2,445per tax year, multi-user, unlimited individual returns | Unlimited individual returns, with business returns at $74.99 each. A single-user version is listed at $2,195. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $2,325 until Nov. 30. |
| Drake Tax Pro (250 returns) | $2,495per tax year, multi-user, 250 individual and business returns included | All return types. Extra individual returns are $49.99 and business returns $74.99. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $2,375 until Nov. 30. |
| Drake Tax Pro (unlimited) | $3,295per tax year, multi-user, unlimited individual and business returns | For high-volume firms. A single-user version is listed at $2,845. Retail price effective Dec. 1; the page shows $3,145 until Nov. 30. |
Read from drakesoftware.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Drake Tax before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savingsDiscounted prices through November 30
The pricing page shows reduced prices on Drake Tax Pro and 1040 packages (up to $150 off) through November 30, with the listed retail price taking effect December 1.
Stated on drakesoftware.com - Other savingsBundle and save 40%
The Practice Essentials Bundle (Drake Portals, Workflow and E-Sign) is priced from $599, listed as 40% off, for customers who buy Pro, 1040 or Drake Tax Online with 25 or more returns.
Stated on drakesoftware.com
Works with
- GruntWorx
- TheTaxBook WebLibrary Plus
- Rightworks
- Drake Accounting
Drake Tax alternatives
- Drake Tax vs TaxAct
Free plan · from $44.99/yr
- Drake Tax vs Canopy
From $74/mo
- Drake Tax vs Karbon
From $59/mo
- Drake Tax vs Jetpack Workflow
Free trial · from $40/mo
Common questions
Does Drake Tax have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Drake Tax is listed for Web and Windows.
Does Drake Tax have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Drake Tax is listed for Web and Windows.
Is Drake Tax open source?
Drake Tax is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Drake Tax work offline?
Yes, according to its own site. What works without a connection differs by plan and platform, so check the vendor's page for the detail.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.