Oct 10 2024 /

Best 8 tax practice management software for accountants and tax professionals in 2024

Best 8 tax practice management software for accountants and tax professionals in 2024 - Banner
17 Min

Key takeaways:

  • Tax accountants have to deal with huge spikes in demand and tight deadlines. The only way to handle these challenges while scaling your firm is with the right technology.
  • Tax practice management software combines all the features you need to run a highly efficient and profitable tax firm — and deliver an amazing client experience.
  • No two tax practice management platforms are the same, however. Some come with basic capabilities, while others offer advanced features and tax-specific integrations.
  • TaxDome stands out as a market leader thanks to its comprehensive features, simple pricing, and outstanding customer support.

When tax season comes around, many accountants go into survival mode — and no wonder. Last tax season, the IRS received almost 140 million tax returns, with roughly half being filed by tax professionals. That’s a lot of extra work to get through.

This huge spike in demand, coupled with pressing deadlines and demanding clients, can make tax season a stressful and exhausting experience for even the most seasoned professionals. But it doesn’t have to be. With the right tools, accountants can not only survive but also thrive during tax season and beyond.

In this article, we’ll list 8 of the best tax practice management platforms. We’ll explore the key role that this software can play in driving efficiency, improving communication, and building truly scalable tax workflows. 

What is tax practice management software?

Tax practice management software helps accountants manage all aspects of their business. This includes communicating with clients and managing teams, projects, documents, workflows, and more. 

Essentially, tax firms need two core pieces of tech: their tax or accounting software and their practice management software. The former helps with the actual accounting work, such as tax preparation. The latter helps with everything else. 

The best tax practice management software helps improve efficiency by automating and standardizing entire accounting workflows. At the same time, it boosts transparency, organization, and collaboration between teams — all while offering a slick digital experience for clients. 

Why you or your firm need tax practice management software

As a tax professional, you face all sorts of challenges in meeting your clients’ demands. These challenges can strain limited resources and act as a barrier to growth. For example, your firm has to: 

Juggle multiple clients

On any given day, you have to jump between different clients. Each client has their own demands, preferences, and goals. Then there are client documents to gather and store, deadlines to track, and communications to send. It can be hard to manage all these moving parts during the best of times, let alone during tax season. 

Onboard new clients

During tax season, your tax firm may be inundated with requests from new clients. Before you can prepare and file their tax returns, you need to onboard them to your firm. This involves gathering personal and tax-related information and documents. It also involves sending proposals and engagement letters, requesting signatures, and capturing payment details. 

Work to tight deadlines

Tax accounting involves working to tight deadlines. There are strict deadlines for filing income tax returns, and demand tends to spike exponentially in the build-up to those key dates. Without a dedicated system for tracking, assigning, and prioritizing tasks, you run the risk of something slipping through the cracks.  

Manage teams and delegate work

Without a clear understanding of who’s working on what at any given time, it’s difficult to delegate work and manage workloads effectively. On top of this, tax firms often take on extra staff during the busy season. While this can help meet the increased demand, it represents additional challenges from an organizational perspective. 

Tax practice management software can help you overcome these challenges with a suite of tools designed to help you manage your clients, teams, projects, and documents. And with workflow automation, you can put entire processes on autopilot. The result is: 

  • Automated client communication, document gathering, invoicing, and more
  • Complete visibility into tasks, deadlines, and workloads
  • Enhanced team collaboration and communication
  • Highly efficient and scalable workflows
  • An incredible client experience

In short, practice management software removes the barriers to productivity and growth for tax accountants. It helps your firm take on more clients without needing to scale your team. Using TaxDome, accounting firms across the world are saving time and scaling their client bases. For example: 

TaxDome is still a very new system we are using, but I can definitely see that it saves us a lot of time and increases our capacity. — Christopher Dahl, firm owner, Sovereign Solutions ApS

How to choose the right tax practice management software

Practice management is still an emerging software category, and there are more options to choose from each year. To help you make the right choice, here are some key criteria to consider: 

Ease of use

Software should be intuitive and easy to use. A practice management platform could have the most extensive feature set, but if it’s overly complex, you’ll struggle to maximize its value. Likewise, a steep learning curve can put staff and clients off, leading to poor adoption rates. Look for software that: 

  • Has a clean, easy-to-navigate interface
  • Is flexible and customizable to your needs
  • Comes with dedicated mobile apps for staff and clients
  • Provides hands-on training and a range of educational resources

Key features

When it comes to features, no two practice management platforms are the same. Beyond the basics, look for software that has the following key features: 

Workflow automation

Workflow automation is a true game-changer for tax practices. It allows accountants to set entire processes to autopilot. When one action is completed — e.g. signing an engagement letter — another is triggered — e.g. sending a welcome email. This way, you can onboard new clients or manage all administrative processes associated with tax preparation without lifting a finger.

Here’s what Joseph Serrone, Managing Partner at Polaris Tax & Accounting, had to say about how TaxDome’s workflow automation has transformed how they serve clients during tax season:

When we add a client on a tax return, they automatically get a copy of the engagement letter to sign. Once they sign it, they move to the next stage, and they’re informed by email that we’re working on their return. Once that’s completed, they move on to the next stage, to let them know that the tax return has been reviewed. At all stages, our clients have a pulse on exactly what’s going on with their return, which stops them from having to call or email saying, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard from you, what’s going on?’

Secure client communication

Your practice management software should become the central hub for all interactions with your clients. And with email and SMS integration, you can contact your clients via multiple channels without jumping between different apps. Look for platforms that: 

  • Enable you to automate client communication via different channels
  • Provide email integration with a shared inbox for your entire team
  • Offer secure instant messaging and document exchange

Client portals 

Client portals are essential for any firm looking to provide an outstanding client experience. They provide a secure environment where clients can manage all interactions with your firm — from uploading and e-signing documents to messaging accountants and paying bills. 

While most platforms offer client portals on desktop, only a handful offer client mobile apps. So if you want your clients to be able to interact with you on the go, choose wisely.

Customisable forms

Look for practice management software with built-in forms and questionnaires. These enable you to automate the process of gathering client information and documents. With well-designed forms, you can cut out the back-and-forth communication that’s such a drain on resources and get the information you need faster. 

Billing management

When you’re handling multiple client jobs at once, you don’t want to waste time manually creating invoices or chasing payments. The best practice management software comes with automated invoicing and payments collection — so you can get paid on time, every time. 

Integrations 

While tax practice management software provides everything you need to run your firm from an operational perspective, you’ll still need to connect it to other systems, such as your accounting or tax preparation software.

Make sure your practice management software integrates seamlessly with your other core systems. Ideally, these integrations will be “out of the box” — i.e. native integrations that you can set up in just a few clicks. Alternatively, automation tools such as Zapier enable you to build custom integrations, but this requires more work on your part. 

Beyond software integrations, look for practice management platforms that enable you to connect with tax authorities, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This way, you can download official client transcripts directly from your practice management system. 

Scalability

As your firm grows, you need software that will scale with you. The best practice management systems act as an accelerator of growth, enabling you to take on more clients without needing to grow your team. Price is also a factor here — beware of software that forces you to pay more to unlock advanced features or puts arbitrary usage limits on key functionality. 

Customer support and education

Given the inherent complexity of practice management software, customer support is a crucial factor when choosing the right solution. Some software providers offer hands-on guidance during software migration and implementation — and 24/7 access to an expert thereafter. Others offer irregular support or limit your access to help depending on your pricing plan. 

Likewise, education is key to getting to grips with your new system. Look for software providers that offer a range of educational materials, from hands-on training and webinars to help articles and videos.

Top 8 tax practice management software solutions

1. TaxDome

TaxDome on desktop and mobile app.

TaxDome is a market-leading practice management platform for accountants, tax professionals, and bookkeepers. Its extensive range of features, simple pricing, and scalability make it a popular choice with firms of all sizes. 

Key features

TaxDome is one of the broadest offerings on the market. It combines tools for managing clients, tasks, documents, teams, and workflows on one intuitive, easy-to-use platform. It’s impossible to explore all of its features in detail here, so we’ll focus on key features and how they help tax professionals. For a broader look at TaxDome’s capabilities, check out this product overview.  

  • Workflow automation. TaxDome enables you to automate entire workflows from start to finish, including all client communications, document management, task management, and more. Onboard clients, gather tax documents, and get paid without lifting a finger. 
  • Custom-branded client portal. Clients can communicate with tax pros, upload and e-sign documents, pay bills, and stay updated on progress — all in one secure portal available on desktop or our top-rated client mobile app
  • Proposals and engagement letters. Impress clients with slick proposals. Outline your services and pricing, capture e-signatures, and secure payment in one seamless digital workflow. 
  • Customizable organizers. Automate the process of gathering client information and documents with smart digital forms that are simple to complete. Cut out the back-and-forth and serve your clients faster.
  • Time and billing. Use TaxDome’s built-in time-tracking tool to accurately capture billable hours. Automatically convert time data to professional invoices, or set up automated recurring payments. 
  • Smart team management. Gain top-down visibility into workloads, backlogs, and deadlines. Leverage AI-powered reporting to understand team performance, productivity, and profitability.
  • Accounting CRM. Manage and track your customer relationships, data, and communications in one centralized hub. Store unlimited contacts, filter accounts using tags, and quickly send bulk messages.
  • Integrations. TaxDome comes with native integrations for the most popular accounting and tax platforms, payment providers, and schedulers. You can also connect to the IRS (US) and Companies House (UK) in just a few clicks for seamless access to client transcripts and real-time account updates. 
  • Legally compliant e-signatures: In addition to regular e-signatures, TaxDome offers KBA signatures for tax filing with the IRS, as well as AdES and QES for use in the EU. 
Looking forward to tax season? If the answer is “no,” you need TaxDome. Automate your tax workflows, scale your practice, and impress clients with our market-leading software.
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What kind of firms use TaxDome?

TaxDome is popular with tax firms of all sizes, as well as accounting and bookkeeping practices. In total, more than 10,000 businesses rely on TaxDome worldwide. 

With its broad feature set and commitment to ongoing innovation, TaxDome is particularly popular with firms taking a tech-driven approach to improving efficiency, profitability, and the client experience.

Pricing

Unlike many of its competitors, TaxDome takes a simple and transparent approach to pricing. There’s one pricing plan: Pro. So all TaxDome users get access to all TaxDome features — whether they’re solopreneurs or large enterprises. There are no usage restrictions, paid upgrades, or hidden fees.

Pro is available on yearly plans. The longer you commit to, the more you save: 

  • 3-year subscription: $700 per user per year (equivalent to $58 per user per month)
  • 2-year subscription: $750 per user per year (equivalent to $63 per user per month)
  • 1-year subscription: $800 per user per year (equivalent to $66 per user per month)

Free trial?

Yes, TaxDome offers a 14-day free trial. 

User ratings

User reviews

A glance through user reviews shows appreciation for TaxDome’s broad capabilities, as well as its first-class customer support, education materials, and commitment to innovation — as Steve, a firm partner, points out in a recent review

Tech support is very fast and responsive. TaxDome is very oriented toward communicating with clients. The automations are unparalleled. Their TaxDome Academy resources are very helpful. I’m encouraged by how aggressive the team is about rolling out new improvements and continuing to develop the product. Integration with QuickBooks Online is seamless.

There’s generally a lot of love for TaxDome’s workflow automation, customizable organizers, and proposals and engagement letters, all of which are game-changers for tax professionals. The review below sums it up neatly

I was so impressed with the organizers and the automations! The organizers contained all of the questions that needed to be asked to tax clients, whether an individual or a business client. I loved most that we can set conditions on questions so clients don’t have to answer questions that don’t correlate to their circumstances. The automations were amazing as well! Not having to manually send clients proposals and invoices makes the onboarding process so much more efficient.

The only downside to TaxDome is that it can involve a lot of learning. This is an inevitable side effect of such a comprehensive platform. But with TaxDome’s industry-leading support and education materials — including regular webinars, bootcamp events, and hands-on training — this initial hurdle can be easily overcome. 

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
One of the most comprehensive offerings on the market There’s a lot to learn!
Workflow automation saves you time and boosts scalability
Client portal and client mobile app
Customizable organizers for rapid client onboarding
Industry-leading support and education
Integrations with popular tax software, as well as the IRS and Companies House

2. Canopy

Canopy's payments dashboard.

Canopy is another major player in the tax practice management software space. Launched back in 2014, it’s been a popular choice for accountants and tax professionals for a decade. 

Key features

Canopy is one of the more comprehensive offerings on the market. In addition to standard features such as document management, CRM, and time and billing, here are some of Canopy’s key features for tax professionals: 

  • Workflow management for increased efficiency
  • Canopy AI — a ChatGPT-style assistant that drafts and summarizes communications
  • Client portal on desktop and mobile 
  • Integrations with the IRS for accessing transcript data
  • Tax resolution management 
  • Engagements and proposals
  • Accounting intelligence for data-driven insights

What kind of firms use Canopy?

Canopy is popular with small and medium-sized accounting and tax practices. That said, its pricing structure stipulates a minimum of five users, which means very small teams and solopreneurs will want to look elsewhere.

Pricing 

Canopy takes a modular approach to pricing. All users start with its Client Engagement Platform as standard, and they can add the following additional modules at an extra cost:

  • Document Management
  • Workflow
  • Time & Billing

Each module is priced individually on a sliding scale — the more users you have, the more you pay. There are also add-on services that come at an additional cost, including Tax Resolution, Collection Cases, and Transcripts & Notices. 

In practice, this makes Canopy’s pricing needlessly complicated. Moreover, if you want the platform’s full capabilities, it becomes very expensive. 

Free trial?

Yes, Canopy offers a 15-day free trial.

User ratings

User reviews

Canopy ranks highly for ease of use. Its broad capabilities enable accounting firms to consolidate and simplify their tech stacks — as this review from a CPA and firm owner explains:  

I like that Canopy allows me to manage the majority of my firm’s workflow seamlessly. Previously, I relied on separate apps for billing, time tracking, project management, and client data storage. Since starting my own tax practice last year, Canopy has been awesome, it has helped me consolidate 90% of my tech stack into a single platform.

But it’s not all positive. Some reviewers struggle to get to grips with Canopy’s steep learning curve. This issue is compounded by the fact that you may have to pay extra for hands-on training. Here’s what a president from a small accounting firm had to say in a recent review

Software is confusing to use, adding new clients, contacts, organizers, etc. They also do not let you integrate with your payment processor and they only let you use their own payment processor so they can make money. I reached out to the support team for help and they offered $350/hr for training which is beyond ridiculous.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
Broad capabilities Steep learning curve
AI assistant for rapid email creation Overly complex pricing structure
Client portal and mobile app Gets very expensive if you want all modules
IRS integration + tax resolution management You may have to pay extra for hands-on training

3. Karbon

Karbon's Kanban view for active jobs.

Karbon is another big-hitter in the tax practice management space. Founded ten years ago, it’s popular with accounting and tax firms looking to streamline workflows and boost collaboration. 

Key features

Karbon offers standard practice management features, including document management, team collaboration, and project management tools. In addition to the basics, there are some key features that tax professionals will be interested in: 

  • Client portal — although on desktop only, not on mobile
  • AI-powered email drafting and insights
  • Workflow automation and templates for standardizing processes
  • Shared email inbox for smoother collaboration
  • Tools for tracking time and budgets
  • Data analytics for smarter decision-making

What kind of firms use Karbon?

Karbon is used by accounting and tax firms of all sizes. Given that its cheaper plans offer limited functionality and customer support, it may put off smaller firms looking for a comprehensive platform that will grow with them.

Pricing

Karbon offers three pricing plans: 

  • Team at $59 per user per month 
  • Business at $89 per user per month
  • Enterprise, which comes with custom pricing

The cheaper the plan, the fewer features you have access to. Cheaper plans also have stringent limitations on functionality, including templates, teams, and contacts. There are also limits on onboarding, support, and education. If you want hands-on support during setup, for example, you’ll need to pay extra. 

Free trial?

Karbon does offer a free trial, but there’s no information about how long it lasts. 

User ratings

User reviews

Karbon is praised for its ability to get teams organized and on the same page. Its task management capabilities have the most positive reviews of all its features. Here’s what one reviewer had to say

Karbon is an exceptional system that helps keep everyone involved in client work organized and on track as long as it is used accurately and daily. It excels in allowing teams to create recurring pieces of work, each with specific tasks, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks…

On the negative side, numerous risers critisize its email integration functionality. Here’s one example from a recent review

Karbon isn’t the best for managing incoming files/attachments on emails, there are a few improvements that could be made to how files are managed within Karbon (to make it easier to download them and save them in your document management system).

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
Intuitive, easy-to-use interface Limited functionality on some plans
Excellent task management features You have to pay extra for hands-on support during migration, setup, and beyond
Innovative approach with AI and analytics No client mobile app
Shared inbox with @mentions for internal collaboration  Issues with email integration
No IRS integration
Not the most cost-effective

4. Jetpack Workflow

Work dashboard in Jetpack Workflow.

Jetpack Workflow is a practice management platform that enables accountants to standardize, organize, and automate accounting workflows. Founded eight years ago, it’s seen as a simpler alternative to some of its broader, more complex competitors. 

Key features

Generally speaking, Jetpack Workflow lacks the scope and advanced features that competitors such as TaxDome, Canopy, and Karbon have. That said, it still has plenty to offer in terms of organizing and standardizing work, including:

  • Template builder and library for standardizing work 
  • Automation for recurring tasks
  • Global view of all tasks, projects, and deadlines
  • CRM with unlimited contacts
  • Team collaboration and communication tools

What kind of accounting firms use Jetpack Workflow?

Jetpack Workflow tends to be popular with smaller and medium-sized accounting, bookkeeping, and tax practices. Its lack of key practice management features makes it more suitable for businesses looking for a simple solution to organize tasks and workflows. 

Pricing 

Jetpack Workflow has a single plan with two payment options: 

  • Starter Yearly at $30 per user per month, billed annually
  • Starter Monthly at $45 per user per month, billed monthly

Free trial?

Yes, Jetpack Workflow offers a 14-day free trial. 

User ratings

User reviews

Jetpack Workflow has very few reviews overall compared to the bigger competitors on this list. This makes it harder to spot trends in positive and negative reviews. One thing is clear, however — Jetpack Workflow is a relatively simple offering with a narrow set of features. This is reflected in a recent G2 review that highlights both the benefits and drawbacks of Jetpack’s stripped-back approach: 

Jetpack Workflow does what it says it will very well: which is internal workflow management and data housing. The product is dependable and consistent. I found the support staff easy to work with.

This product is limited to a specific wheelhouse. We quickly outgrew the product and needed more features. We sought more of a CRM that could help us manage emails as a team, and we needed a mobile app to work on the go.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
Useful tools for organizing and standardizing work Not a complete tax practice management solution
Template builder and library No client portal or mobile apps
Simple and transparent pricing No invoicing or payments 
Limited task automation
No document management or e-signatures

5. Financial Cents

Financial Cents on desktop, showing work in progress.

Financial Cents is a practice management platform for accounting and tax firms. It’s designed to help professional teams manage their work, streamline processes, and boost productivity. Launched in 2017, Financial Cents serves hundreds of accounting firms across North America. 

Key features

Financial Cents offers most of the basic tools you need to run a modern accounting and tax firm. Some major omissions hold it back, however. For example, there’s no client portal or mobile apps, and invoicing is only available through an integration with QuickBooks Online. Here are its key features: 

  • Workflow management to keep track of who’s working on what
  • Automated client data collection and auto-reminders
  • Accounting CRM for managing client relationships
  • Capacity management for understanding workloads and identifying bottlenecks
  • ReCats for managing uncategorized transactions 
  • Email integration for smoother collaboration

What kind of accounting firms use Financial Cents?

Financial Cents is designed for small and medium-sized accounting practices. It also has a dedicated pricing plan for solo firms, making it a cost-effective choice for those just starting out. 

Pricing

Financial Cents has three pricing plans: 

  • Solo at $9 per month — for one user only
  • Team at $39 per user per month
  • Scale at $59 per user per month

The prices above are available when you pay annually. For monthly billing, the cost goes up by 20%. As you’d expect, more expensive plans unlock more advanced features. 

Free trial?

Yes, you can try Financial Cents with a 14-day free trial.

User ratings

User reviews

With such high ratings, it’s clear that Financial Cents is doing a lot right. Its lack of core features may put some firms off, but what it does, it does well. Here’s what one user had to say in a recent review:

Financial Cents has been a great tool for us. The features that it offers like client work tracking, document storage, and time tracking have helped with the efficiency and organization of our work. It has a user-friendly interface which makes it easy to use and integrate, making it an excellent choice for improving operational productivity in accounting practices. I highly recommend it.

On the other hand, some users complain about the lack of bulk actions for client communication and file management. Several users call out the somewhat limited customer service options as well — like this recent review

I wish that Financial Cents had stronger customer support as talking through my problems with a service representative can often help me understand the product and how it should be used. At the same time, I think the customer support is on par with the competitive price point.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
Capacity management tools Automation tools are rather basic
Email integration Invoicing only available through QuickBooks Online integration 
Decent option for solopreneurs on a budget No client portal or mobile app
Lack of bulk actions 
Limited customer support

6. Ignition

An example of a proposal in Ignition.

Ignition takes a different approach than the other platforms on this list. Instead of covering the broad spectrum of tools needed to run a modern tax practice, it focuses on a particular niche: engaging clients and getting paid. 

Key features

With its narrow focus, Ignition doesn’t offer standard practice management features such as a CRM, secure messages, task management, or broader workflow automation. For this reason, firms tend to use it alongside other practice management tools to complete their accounting tech stack. Here’s what it offers: 

  • Customizable proposals and engagement letters for engaging new clients
  • A range of templates for speedy document creation
  • Automated client billing and payments
  • Analytics for tracking revenue, sales, and payments

What kind of accounting firms use Practice Ignition?

Ignition is used by firms of all sizes. Because of its limited scope, it tends to be used by firms who are happy to have a standalone tool dedicated to client engagement and payments, alongside a more general practice management system. 

Pricing

Ignition has three pricing plans. Unlike other systems on this list, it charges a flat rate for each rather than a per-user rate, but the two cheaper plans have limits on how many users and clients you can have. There are also limits on features, such as e-signatures and templates. 

The prices below are when billing annually. If you choose to bill monthly, you’ll pay at least 20% more. 

  • Core at $99 per month, for up to three users
  • Pro at $199 per month, for up to 15 users
  • Pro+ at $399 per month, for unlimited users

Free trial? 

Yes, Ignition offers a 14-day free trial. 

User ratings

User reviews

Unsurprisingly, Ignition excels when it comes to proposals, engagement letters, and getting paid. Users particularly like the ability to collect payment at the start of an engagement, which helps to improve cash flow. Here’s a recent review from a happy Ignition user:

We’ve been using Ignition for our proposal and payment processing needs for two years, and it’s been a game-changer for our firm. The software helps bring consistency to our engagement letters, services, and pricing and it ensures we have clear expectations with our clients from the start. We particularly appreciate the option to require payment upon signing, which streamlines our operations and improves cash flow.

There are a few gripes about functionality, however. Ignition only allows one e-signature per proposal on its cheapest plan, for example, which can be a stumbling block. Also, the lack of a “reject” function for clients causes unnecessary friction — as this user points out in a recent review

We wish the software allowed for multiple signatures on engagement letters so we could add pages that require a separate signature, such as a Form 7216. We also wish the client could deny/reject a proposal themselves, so we don’t have to keep following up if they don’t want to engage us.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
A market-leading tool for driving revenue Not a complete practice management platform
Excellent proposals and engagement letters Could make your tech stack more complex than necessary
Automated billing and payments Very limited usage options on the cheapest plan

7. Mango

Mango's document management system.

Mango is a practice management platform built by accountants, for accountants. Launched back in 1999 by a practising CPA, then-called ImagineTime became Mango back in 2020, following a change in the business’s ownership. Since that acquisition, Mango has grown by more than 200%. 

Key features

Mango offers a broad range of practice management features. Here are some of its key offerings:

  • Secure document management, file sharing, and e-signatures (including KBA)
  • Workflow management and templates 
  • Project management tools and dashboard
  • Built-in engagement letters
  • Time, billing, and payments
  • Client portal
  • Firm analytics

What kind of accounting firms use Mango?

Mango has plans to suit accounting and tax firms of all sizes. 

Pricing

Mango has three pricing plans: 

  • Basic at $35 per user per month
  • Plus at $55 per user per month
  • Pro at $69 per user per month

The cheaper the plan, the more limited the features. You’ll have to upgrade to Plus or Pro to unlock features such as project management and document management, for example. 

Free trial?

Yes, Mango offers a 10-day free trial. 

User ratings

User reviews

Users are generally pleased with Mango’s ability to streamline core accounting and tax workflows. The addition of KBA signatures is also a handy perk for tax accountants, as this recent review explains

The secure client portal has streamlined gathering documents from clients, plus the ease of use for the secure upload option without a log-in is great for less tech-savvy clients. The KBA signature option for signing e-file forms also worked great this tax season.

However, there are some major concerns about Mango’s customer support. Several users complain that simply getting in touch with someone is challenging. The review below is a recent example:

The customer support is awful! They want you to use their chat room, but it takes hours to get an answer to a question.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
A broad set of practice management features Key features unavailable on cheaper plans
KBA e-signatures for compliance with the IRS Unreliable customer service
Client portal Performance issues that take a long time to resolve

8. Pixie

Task to-do list in Pixie.

Wrapping up our list, Pixie is a relative newcomer to the practice management software scene. Launched in 2019, it’s designed to help small accounting, bookkeeping, and tax firms run like clockwork. 

Key features

When it comes to features, Pixie has a few glaring omissions. There are no mobile apps for staff or clients, for example. That said, it offers a fairly broad range of capabilities for tax accountants. Here are some of its key features: 

  • CRM for accountants
  • A range of team and task management tools
  • Workflow management with templates for rapid deployment
  • Automated recurring tasks
  • Email integration for smoother collaboration
  • Streamlined client onboarding workflows

What kind of accounting firms use Pixie?

Pixie is designed for small and medium-sized accounting and bookkeeping practices. Its intuitive interface makes it a popular choice with firms looking for a relatively simple yet modern and easy-to-use platform. However, due to its per-client pricing model, firms with small teams may find more cost-effective solutions elsewhere.

Pricing

Pixie prices its software based on the number of clients you have, using the following categories:

  • Fewer than 250 clients: $129 per month
  • 251-500 clients: $199 per month
  • 501-1000 clients: $329 per month
  • More than 1000 clients: pricing is available on application

The above prices are all flat fees, with no limits on the number of people you have in your team. 

Free trial?

Yes, Pixie offers a 30-day free trial. 

User ratings

User reviews

A glance through Pixie’s online reviews shows that users love its intuitive, user-friendly interface and overall simplicity. It also does a great job simplifying processes, as this recent review explains: 

Pixie is easy to use, integrates with our email well and gives us the flexibility to create our own workflows, as well as providing us templates to use as we wish. We don’t use our outlook anymore, logging straight into Pixie every morning and receiving daily reminders for outstanding tasks.

The platform’s simple and clean approach can be a double-edged sword, however — especially if you’re looking for more advanced features. The review below sums this up perfectly:

It’s not a dislike, but through its simplicity, there is a lack of complexity, and sometimes need workarounds in terms of how reports are produced, there are also some development possibilities around statistics and this would be splendid.

Pros and cons

👍 Pros 👎 Cons
Intuitive and easy to use No client or firm mobile apps
Decent client portal Lacks the depth and complexity of its main competitors
All features are available to all users Pricing structure doesn’t work for solo firms
No IRS integration or tax-specific features

To sum up

With multiple clients and tight deadlines to manage, tax accountants have a lot to juggle. The only way to grow your firm and stay sane is to use the right tech. Practice management software provides the tools tax firms need to automate workflows, organize teams, and enhance the client experience. 

In this article, we’ve looked at eight of the best tax practice management platforms on the market. While each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, TaxDome stands out as the complete package. 

From workflow automation to IRS integration, TaxDome offers a comprehensive set of features to help tax accountants work faster and smarter. And unlike many of its competitors, TaxDome also offers simple pricing and industry-leading support and education. 

So, if you want your firm to thrive during tax season and beyond, request a TaxDome demo today.

Nicholas Edwards

As a content writer for TaxDome, Nicholas combines a deep understanding of accounting processes with a passion for technology. With years of experience in the accounting industry, he enjoys transforming complex financial and tax concepts into accessible, actionable insights. His writing helps accountants and firms leverage technology to streamline workflows and optimize their practices.

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