Does StanfordTax require clients to create an account?

Its website describes organizer links clients open without a password. Evaluate that experience with your clients when comparing it with Taxably, which reads the folders your clients already send to.

Are the two prices for the same service?

No. StanfordTax includes client-facing intake and delivery. Taxably prepares the prep sheet your preparer works from and leaves intake and delivery to the tools you already use.

What does each cost at 500 returns?

StanfordTax Premium is $8,910 after its 5 free returns. Taxably is $4,960 after its 10 free clients, including the $5 monthly fee.

Intake, workpapers, and delivery

Taxably vs. StanfordTax

Client organizers, auto-assembled workpapers, and return delivery in one online platform. Taxably focuses on turning existing client folders into prep sheets.

Researched October 28, 2026 · USD

Pricing and what it covers

Taxably · Document organization and prep sheets

$10 per return

Plus $5 monthly firm fee

First 10 clients free, then $10 per return, plus $5 a month for the firm. No page charges.

The $5 monthly firm fee starts the day you add your card. The $10 per return starts after your first 10 clients. Card required to start.

Taxably pricing and billing details

StanfordTax · Published rate

$18 per return

Premium; unlimited firm users

A Free plan covers up to 5 returns with no card required.
Premium has no minimum purchase or implementation fee, and credits do not expire.
Enterprise starts at $25 per return, with a 5,000-client minimum and implementation from $10,000.

Official pricing source

These prices cover different work. A prep sheet, a software platform, and a professionally reviewed return are different deliverables.

What to budget for your firm

Compare a worked example, with the price basis and limits visible.

Returns to process in one year

Apply available free allowances and trial returns

Assumes 10 eligible free clients at Taxably. Includes the five returns on StanfordTax's Free plan. Clear this option if those allowances are unavailable.

One firm, one return per client for one tax year, and 12 monthly firm fees where applicable. Before tax, staff time, existing tax software, and unlisted add-ons. Different products cover different work; these are budget calculations, not promised savings or measured performance.

Taxably

Calculated annual cost

$4,960

490 paid returns × $10 + 12 × $5.

$9.92 per return across 500 returns, including the firm fee.

Document organization and prep sheets. Your firm still prepares and files the return.

Taxably pricing and billing details

StanfordTax

Calculated from published rates

$8,910

Premium usage

495 paid returns × $18. $17.82 per return across the selected volume.

Uses the $18 Premium rate, not Enterprise. With free usage selected, the 5 returns on the Free plan count toward the chosen volume; otherwise every return is paid. No seat or implementation fee is listed for Premium.

Source for this estimate

What StanfordTax does

StanfordTax sends clients a personalized organizer link, assembles the documents they return into bookmarked workpapers with diagnostics and splitting, and delivers the finished return for e-signature. It lists 1040, 1120, 1120-S and 1065 on every plan and connects to seven tax programs and practice tools such as Karbon, Canopy and TaxDome.

Client intake, workpapers and delivery in one place.
Document diagnostics, splitting, annotations and sign-offs.
A published Premium rate with no seat fees or minimums.
Works with seven tax programs and several practice-management tools.

How the workflow compares

How the workflow differs between Taxably and StanfordTax
Workflow	Taxably	StanfordTax
How work starts	Reads connected client folders on your Windows computer. Clients keep their existing way of sending documents.	Clients answer a personalized organizer through a link, with automated reminders for missing documents.
What you receive	A bookmarked PDF prep sheet per client and tax year, with source documents and items needing attention.	Bookmarked workpapers with diagnostics, splitting and sign-offs, then a return summary, e-signature and delivery.
Tax software	Works alongside your tax software. Does not enter figures into it or e-file returns.	Lists UltraTax, CCH Axcess, CCH ProSystem fx, Lacerte, ProSeries, ProConnect and Drake. Organizers are built from your tax software's backups.
Who reviews	Your preparer checks the source documents, resolves open items, and prepares the return.	Your team reviews and signs off on documents inside its workpaper tools.
Document handling	Documents and prep sheets on your firm's systems; external reading of document images. Your firm manages backups.	Client documents are uploaded to and stored in StanfordTax's cloud. It shows a SOC 2 badge; ask for the report and where data is kept.

How work starts

Taxably: Reads connected client folders on your Windows computer. Clients keep their existing way of sending documents.
StanfordTax: Clients answer a personalized organizer through a link, with automated reminders for missing documents.

What you receive

Taxably: A bookmarked PDF prep sheet per client and tax year, with source documents and items needing attention.
StanfordTax: Bookmarked workpapers with diagnostics, splitting and sign-offs, then a return summary, e-signature and delivery.

Tax software

Taxably: Works alongside your tax software. Does not enter figures into it or e-file returns.
StanfordTax: Lists UltraTax, CCH Axcess, CCH ProSystem fx, Lacerte, ProSeries, ProConnect and Drake. Organizers are built from your tax software's backups.

Who reviews

Taxably: Your preparer checks the source documents, resolves open items, and prepares the return.
StanfordTax: Your team reviews and signs off on documents inside its workpaper tools.

Document handling

Taxably: Documents and prep sheets on your firm's systems; external reading of document images. Your firm manages backups.
StanfordTax: Client documents are uploaded to and stored in StanfordTax's cloud. It shows a SOC 2 badge; ask for the report and where data is kept.

Source documents and prep sheets stay on your firm's systems. Document images go directly from your computer to an external reading provider, which is not permitted to train on them. This is not an entirely offline workflow. Taxably's data handling

Which fits your firm?

Consider Taxably when

Your clients already send documents through a portal or shared folder you are happy with, and you want each client turned into one prep sheet for less per return, with the files staying on your firm's systems.

Consider StanfordTax when

You want to replace how clients send you documents with one organizer, workpaper and delivery platform.

Before you decide

Clients use StanfordTax's organizer and upload instead of the way they send documents now.
After 5 free returns, every return is $18, against $10 at Taxably after 10 free clients.
No data location, retention period or SOC 2 report date is published.
Enterprise commitments differ substantially from Premium.

Common questions

Sources and review date

Sources reviewed on October 28, 2026. Follow the source for current terms.

Pricing and Free plan (opens in a new tab)
Free, Premium and Enterprise rates, minimums, implementation and return types.
Product and integrations (opens in a new tab)
Organizers, workpapers, delivery, and listed tax and practice software.
Security (opens in a new tab)
Hosting providers and encryption statements.

See it on your own client folders.

Watch a sample prep sheet, then create your account and point Taxably Connect at one client folder. The download is in your account once it is set up.

Get started Book a demo

Published by Taxably. Reviewed October 28, 2026 using the official sources linked on each page. Product descriptions are vendor statements, not independent performance tests. Prices are in USD; quotes, taxes, contract terms, and availability may differ. Trademarks belong to their owners. Send corrections to support@taxably.ai. Suggest a correction