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Drake Tax

Name: Drake Tax
Price: 1895 USD

Free trial MacWebWindows

What Drake Tax is

Drake Tax is professional tax preparation software for preparers working on federal and state income tax returns. All states are included without separate state modules. Drake says its diagnostic and validation tools run hundreds of checks to help with accuracy. Preparers can import electronic tax forms, bring forward prior-year data with LookBack, trace calculations using LinkBacks, and compare scenarios in Drake Tax Planner. E-filing carries no additional fees.

The product is available as desktop software and as an online version. Drake Tax Desktop is natively a Windows application; Drake identifies cloud hosting and Drake Tax Online as options for Mac users. Drake Tax Online runs in a browser without local installation and supports preparing, reviewing, and e-filing returns. Drake says every package includes unlimited U.S.-based support by phone, email, or live chat, along with training resources. A free trial download includes sample clients and practice returns for 1040 and business forms.

Plans range from Pay-Per-Return at $379.99 a year to Drake Tax Pro Unlimited at $3,145 a year, billed for tax year 2026. Drake Tax Online is listed at $299.99 a year. Additional fees may apply to integrations and add-ons, which include Drake Accounting and Payroll, Drake Workflow, Drake Portals, Drake E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products, TheTaxBook WebLibrary Plus, and GruntWorx. Drake describes its Pro package for complex, high-volume firms and its 1040 package for preparers focused on individual returns.

Who it suits

Drake Tax suits professional preparers who need federal and state return preparation, with all states included. Drake describes its Pro option for complex, high-volume firms and its 1040 option for preparers focused on individual returns.

What it does well

Includes federal and state income tax preparation for all states.
Runs hundreds of return diagnostics and validation rules.
Includes electronic filing without additional e-filing fees.
Offers prior-year data, calculation tracing, and scenario comparison tools.
Packages include unlimited U.S.-based support and training resources.

What to know first

There is no free plan.
Drake Tax Desktop is natively Windows-based.
Additional fees may apply to integrations and add-ons.

Limits

Pay-Per-Return costs $379.99 a year and includes 10 individual returns; additional individual returns cost $49.99 each and business returns cost $74.99 each. Drake Tax Online’s 2025 desktop data-entry mode for certain return types requires a Windows-based PC, and its included desktop software cannot independently prepare or file returns.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Drake Tax 1040 Unlimited — Single User	Tax year 2026 · Unlimited individual returns · business returns $74.99 each	$1,895 a year
Drake Tax 1040 150 — Single User	Tax year 2026 · 150 individual returns · additional individual returns $49.99 each · business returns $74.99 each	$2,075 a year
Drake Tax Pro 250 — Single User	Tax year 2026 · 250 total individual and business returns · additional returns: $49.99 individual, $74.99 business	$2,375 a year
Drake Tax Online	Tax year 2026 · First user included · additional users $99 each · individual returns $49.99 each · business returns $74.99 each	$299.99 a year
Drake Tax Pro Unlimited — Single User	Tax year 2026 · Unlimited individual and business returns · single user	$3,145 a year
Pay-Per-Return	Tax year 2026 · 10 individual returns included · additional individual returns $49.99 each · business returns $74.99 each · multi-user	$379.99 a year

As drakesoftware.com lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Visit the Drake Tax product website.
Choose a desktop or online option that fits your workflow and platform.
Download the free trial to use sample clients and practice returns.
Select a plan for tax year 2026.
Use the included support by phone, email, or live chat, or consult the training resources.

Verdict

Choose Drake Tax if you prepare federal and state returns and want diagnostics, prior-year data tools, and included e-filing. The main reason to look elsewhere is platform fit: the desktop application is Windows-based, and certain Drake Tax Online data-entry work requires a Windows PC.

Questions

Does Drake Tax have a free plan?

No. Drake offers a free trial download with sample clients and practice returns for 1040 and business forms; no trial duration is stated.

What is the starting price?

The listed starting price is $379.99 a year for Pay-Per-Return, billed for tax year 2026. Drake Tax Online is listed at $299.99 a year.

Which platforms can I use?

Drake Tax Desktop is natively Windows-based. Drake Tax Online works in a browser without local installation, and Drake identifies it and cloud hosting as options for Mac users.

Are state returns included?

Yes. Federal and state income tax preparation is supported, and all states are included without additional state modules.

What integrations and add-ons are listed?

They include Drake Accounting and Payroll, Drake Workflow, Drake Portals, Drake E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products, TheTaxBook WebLibrary Plus, and GruntWorx. Additional fees may apply.

What support comes with a package?

Drake says all packages include unlimited U.S.-based support by phone, email, or live chat, plus training resources.

Facts from Drake Tax's own pages

Accuracy tools: Drake says it runs hundreds of return diagnostics and validation rules to help ensure accuracy. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Audience: Drake describes Drake Tax Pro as best for complex, high-volume firms and Drake Tax 1040 as ideal for 1040-focused preparers. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Cloud security: Drake Tax Online states that it uses 128-bit encryption in transit and at rest, MFA, U.S.-based SOC 2-compliant servers, role-based access controls, strong password policies, and automatic session timeouts. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Coverage: The software supports federal and state income tax preparation, and all states are included without additional state modules. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Data and planning: Features include importing electronic tax forms, accessing prior-year data with LookBack, tracing calculations with LinkBacks, and comparing scenarios with Drake Tax Planner. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Desktop platform: Drake Tax Desktop is natively a Windows-based application; Drake identifies cloud hosting and Drake Tax Online as options for Mac users. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Founded: 1977 · drakesoftware.com, 28 Sept 2026
Headquarters: Franklin, North Carolina, United States · drakesoftware.com, 28 Sept 2026
Integrations: Listed integrations and add-ons include Drake Accounting and Payroll, Drake Workflow, Drake Portals, Drake E-Sign, Drake Pay, bank products, TheTaxBook WebLibrary Plus, and GruntWorx; additional fees may apply. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Notable limit: Drake Tax Online’s 2025 desktop data-entry mode for certain return types requires a Windows-based PC, and the included desktop software cannot independently prepare or file returns. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Online version: Drake Tax Online lets users access returns through a browser without local installation and prepare, review, and e-file returns online. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose: Drake Tax is professional tax preparation software designed to streamline tax preparers’ workflows. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Returns and fees: There are no additional e-filing fees, and Drake Tax Pro 250 and Drake Tax 1040 150 users can purchase additional returns individually. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Security: The pricing page lists multi-factor authentication, role-based access control, automatic session timeout, file backup, and encryption in transit and at rest among its security and backup features. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Support: Drake says all packages include free, unlimited U.S.-based support by phone, email, or live chat, plus training resources. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026
Trial: Drake offers a free trial download with sample clients and practice returns for 1040 and business forms; the page does not state a trial duration. · drakesoftware.com, 4 Oct 2026