# Drake Tax review (2026): is it worth $299.99 a year?

> Professional tax preparation software for tax firms, desktop and web

Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA.

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.

- **Category:** Accounting & Invoicing
- **Made by:** Drake Software (since 1977)
- **Website:** https://www.drakesoftware.com
- **Runs on:** Web, Windows
- **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you are filing your own return, because it is sold to tax professionals.
- **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026

## 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).

- **Pricing model:** Free trial
- **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 | $299.99 per 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 | $379.99 per 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) | $1,995 per 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) | $2,445 per 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) | $2,495 per 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) | $3,295 per 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 https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/ on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Drake Tax before buying.

## Ways to pay less

- **Discounted prices through November 30** (Other savings): 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. Source: https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/
- **Bundle and save 40%** (Other savings): 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. Source: https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/

## 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.

## Good for

- Tax preparers and firms filing client returns
- Offices that want a locally installed program that works offline
- Part-time preparers with uneven volume, via pay-per-return pricing

## 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.

## ToolGPA grades

**GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. 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.

- **Value for money: D.** Drake 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.
- **Free plan and trial: C.** A 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.
- **Features: B.** Individual 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.
- **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. Setting up a tax office, EFIN and client files takes real learning.
- **Platforms and integrations: B.** Windows 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.

These are ToolGPA's own grades. 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.

## Where it 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.

The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/accounting

## Keep it, 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.

- You could not: Storing and serving files for other people.
- You could not: A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.

A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it.

## Works with

GruntWorx, TheTaxBook WebLibrary Plus, Rightworks, Drake Accounting

**Tags:** Works offline, File sharing

## Alternatives

- [TaxAct](https://toolgpa.com/tools/taxact): Online and downloadable tax filing for individuals and businesses. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/drake-tax-vs-taxact)
- [TaxDome](https://toolgpa.com/tools/taxdome): Practice management and client portal for tax and accounting firms. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/drake-tax-vs-taxdome)
- [Canopy](https://toolgpa.com/tools/canopy): Practice management software for accounting and tax firms. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/canopy-vs-drake-tax)
- [Karbon](https://toolgpa.com/tools/karbon): Practice management software for accounting firms. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/drake-tax-vs-karbon)
- [Jetpack Workflow](https://toolgpa.com/tools/jetpack-workflow): Workflow and project management built for accounting firms. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/drake-tax-vs-jetpack-workflow)

## Sources

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026:

- https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/
- https://www.drakesoftware.com/
- https://www.drakesoftware.com/products/drake-tax/
- https://www.drakesoftware.com/products/drake-tax-online/
- https://www.drakesoftware.com/about-us/about-drake/

Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/drake-tax
Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).