# Questions about the software small accounting firms run on

Source: https://bestsoftwareforaccountingfirms.pages.dev/faq/

> Firmary publishes this site and makes Firmary, one of the products below. It's labeled "Ours" wherever it appears.

Short answers that each stand alone, with a source for every product fact. Checked on 10 Nov 2026.

## What software does a small accounting firm need?

Most small firms need a ledger workspace for client books, tax preparation software and practice management software to run the work. Documents, proposals, payments and e-signing often come inside the practice tool: TaxDome, for example, includes proposals, invoicing and KBA e-signatures in its one plan.[^1][^2][^3] Buy separate tools only for jobs left over.

## What is happening to QuickBooks Online Accountant?

Intuit says QuickBooks Online Accountant goes away on 31 December 2026 and that firms should move to Intuit Accountant Suite, with no data migration or switching costs.[^4] The suite's Core plan is $0 a month, and its Accelerate plan, free to try now, costs $149 a month from 20 January 2027.[^5][^6]

## Does Xero have practice management for US accounting firms?

Yes. Xero said in July 2026 that Xero Partner Hub is live for all US partners, and its Practice Management tools cover jobs, time and billing.[^7][^8] Practice Management is free for Silver, Gold and Platinum partners; new and Bronze practices get a 14-day trial, then pay US$149 a month for up to 10 users.[^9]

## Which tax software publishes its prices?

Drake and ProConnect list prices: Drake Tax Pay-Per-Return is $379.99 a tax year with 10 individual returns, and ProConnect bundles start at $2,478 a year.[^10][^11] Lacerte lists only its $599 single-user license.[^12] UltraTax CS and CCH Axcess Tax prices are not published.[^13][^14] All as of 10 Nov 2026.

## Which practice management software integrates with tax software?

It depends on your tax program. TaxDome reads prior-year returns from Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax, CCH Axcess and others.[^15] Canopy saves files from UltraTax, Drake, Lacerte and ProSeries.[^16] Karbon lists ProConnect only.[^17] Financial Cents reaches tax files through Google Drive on Scale.[^18] Firmary doesn't integrate with tax software.[^19]

## How much does a full software stack cost a small accounting firm?

For a sample 6-person firm with 400 active clients and 200 ProConnect returns, we priced two stacks at list price as of 10 Nov 2026. One with Karbon and Ignition came to $14,664 a year; one with TaxDome, which includes proposals, came to $9,993.[^11][^20] The buyer's guide shows the arithmetic.

## Can one tool run an entire accounting firm?

None of the practice tools here prepares returns or keeps client books, so a firm still needs tax and ledger software. Firmary, for example, replaces separate tools for client requests, intake forms, task lists, proposals, e-signing and invoicing, while the general ledger and tax software stay where they are.[^21] Canopy and TaxDome cover a similar span and add tax-software links.[^16][^15]

## Which accounting firm software lets staff use Claude or ChatGPT with firm data?

Financial Cents has an MCP server for Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini on its Scale plan.[^22] Firmary staff can connect Claude as a custom connector, and Firmary's ChatGPT support is in testing.[^23][^24] Karbon announced an MCP server in June 2026 without stating when it would be available.[^25] TaxDome's firm MCP server needs its $200-a-month AI add-on.[^26]

## Does Firmary work with QuickBooks, Xero or tax software?

No. Firmary doesn't integrate with accounting software such as QuickBooks or Xero, or with tax software.[^19] It covers the client work around them, including requests, documents, proposals, e-signing and invoices, and your ledger and tax software stay where they are.[^21] Firmary is pre-launch, with a waitlist and unpublished pricing.[^27][^28]

## Where do e-signature costs show up in an accounting firm's stack?

In several places at once. ProConnect and Lacerte include Intuit Sign with KBA at no extra fee.[^29][^30] TaxDome includes unlimited e-signatures and KBA.[^3] Drake charges per signing event, from $2.50 down to $1.75 for KBA.[^31] Karbon sells credit bundles, with each KBA using two credits.[^32] Pay for KBA in one tool.

## What's the cheapest way to set up software for a new accounting firm?

At list price as of 10 Nov 2026, several pieces start free or low. Intuit Accountant Suite Core is $0 a month, Xero is free for new partners, Financial Cents Solo is $19 a month billed annually for one user, and Drake Tax Pay-Per-Return is $379.99 a tax year with 10 individual returns.[^5][^33][^34][^10]

## Does an accounting firm need a separate CRM?

Often not at first. Canopy and TaxDome include a CRM, and Karbon integrates with HubSpot, Pipedrive and Ignition rather than listing a sales pipeline of its own.[^35][^36][^37] Ignition's deals pipeline is included on Pro+ and a paid add-on below it.[^38] HubSpot's free CRM covers up to 2 users.[^39]

[^1]: TaxDome, "Proposals and engagement letters ... Up to 3 tiers for clients to pick from." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^2]: TaxDome, "Automatic invoices for ongoing engagements. ... Reduce A/R with a paywall until paid." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^3]: TaxDome, "Unlimited e-signatures ... IRS-compliant signature requests with KBA." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^4]: QuickBooks Online Accountant, "QuickBooks Online Accountant is going away December 31, 2026. Get ahead and transition to Intuit Accountant Suite—no data migration, no switching costs, no starting over." https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants/intuit-accountant-suite/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^5]: QuickBooks Online Accountant, "Core Centralized firm operations, workflows, and service delivery. $0/mo" https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^6]: QuickBooks Online Accountant, "*$149/mo starting on January 20, 2027. Remains free for ProPartner Accountants at the Premier tier and above." https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^7]: Xero, "Following rollout in the UK earlier in the year, Xero Partner Hub is now live for all partners in the US, Ireland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Africa and Canada ... if you use Xero Practice Management tools, then Jobs, Time and Billing are there too." https://blog.xero.com/us/product-updates/xero-partner-hub-rolls-out-more-regions/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^8]: Xero, "Practice Management includes job tracking, task assignment, staff scheduling, time entry and invoicing, work in progress reporting, and customizable job templates and workflows." https://www.xero.com/us/accountants-bookkeepers/partner-hub/practice-management/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^9]: Xero, "It's included free for practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum level. If you're new to Xero or at Bronze level, you can try it free for 14 days, then subscribe for USD $149 per month for up to 10 users." https://www.xero.com/us/accountants-bookkeepers/partner-hub/practice-management/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^10]: Drake Tax, "Additional returns can be purchased individually: $49.99 per individual return and $74.99 per business return." https://www.drakesoftware.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^11]: ProConnect Tax, "ProConnect Plus For growing firms managing individual and business returns that need more capacity and alignment. starting at $8,802 $5,868per year+ applicable taxes 2 users 200 individual returns, all states included" https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/tax-online/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^12]: Lacerte, "Pay-per-return pricing: An annual license fee (Fast Path) is required to purchase returns on a per-return basis. If purchasing a bundle, this fee is included." https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/lacerte/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^13]: UltraTax CS, "Custom pricing for UltraTax CS is available based on the number of users, tax returns, and states and jurisdictions of operations." https://tax.thomsonreuters.com/en/products/ultratax-cs (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^14]: CCH Axcess Tax, "Please note: CCH Axcess™Tax packages available on the eStore are intended for new customers only. These packages are not eligible for purchase by existing CCH Axcess or ProSystem fx® Tax customers." https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/cch-axcess/tax/packages (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^15]: TaxDome, "Works with Drake, ProSeries, UltraTax, ATX, CCH Axcess, and Lacerte." https://taxdome.com/taxdome-ai (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^16]: Canopy, "CCH Axcess (Coming Soon) ... Intuit Proconnect (Coming Soon) ... Save files from Drake Tax to Canopy." https://www.getcanopy.com/integrations/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^17]: Karbon, "tax returns in ProConnect become repeating work items in Karbon, and tax return statuses become filterable work statuses" https://karbonhq.com/integrations/intuit-proconnect/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^18]: Financial Cents, "Tax Integrations: Drake, UltraTax, ProConnect, ProSeries, CCH Axcess" https://financial-cents.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^19]: Firmary, "What not to say: ... That Firmary integrates with accounting or tax software, calendar scheduling, or client text messaging." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^20]: TaxDome, "Clients beyond 150 are priced in volume bands, from $15 each on their own down to $5 each in the largest band. ... 400 active clients: $4,125 per year ($0.86 per client a month)" https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^21]: Firmary, "Firmary replaces the separate tools around client work: portal logins, document requests by email, intake forms, task lists, message threads, proposals, e-signing, and invoicing. Your general ledger and tax preparation software stay where they are." https://firmary.app/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^22]: Financial Cents, "Available on the Financial Cents Scale plan." https://financial-cents.com/mcp/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^23]: Firmary, "In Claude, open Customize → Connectors and choose Add custom connector (Firmary isn’t in Claude’s directory yet) ... Claude only ever acts as you. ... Claude asks you to confirm before it runs, unless you’ve set that tool to always allow. ... Every change made through Claude is recorded in your firm’s audit log." https://firmary.app/claude/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^24]: Firmary, "Claude connects today as a custom connector; ChatGPT support is in testing." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^25]: Karbon, "Public MCP server: Connects Karbon to external AI tools via an open standard" https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/06/03/karbon-introduces-ai-coworker-kai/184484/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^26]: TaxDome, "Yes, with the TaxDome AI add-on. The open Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector lets your AI tool read and act on TaxDome data directly." https://taxdome.com/taxdome-ai (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^27]: Firmary, "Firms join the waitlist at https://firmary.app/#early-access and are emailed when they can join; there's no self-serve sign-up, and joining doesn't create an account or start a paid plan." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^28]: Firmary, "Pricing isn't published." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^29]: ProConnect Tax, "Unlimited digital signatures and authentication included, no additional purchase." https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/tax-online/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^30]: Lacerte, "Digital signatures and KBAs for all tax clients" https://accountants.intuit.com/tax-software/lacerte/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^31]: Drake Tax, "KBA E-Signatures Identity-verified signing Events Cost Per Event 0-99 $2.50 100-499 $2.25 SAVE 10% 500+ $1.75 SAVE 30% Minimum purchase: 5 E-Sign events" https://www.drakesoftware.com/products/drake-e-sign/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^32]: Karbon, "Each eSignature request with knowledge-based authentication uses two credits." https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^33]: Xero, "All new partners can use Xero and Xero Partner Hub for free, with more products added at higher status levels." https://www.xero.com/us/accountants-bookkeepers/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^34]: Financial Cents, "Solo ($19/mo annual) – Best for single-user firms. Team ($49/mo annual, $69/mo monthly) ... Scale ($69/mo annual, $89/mo monthly)" https://financial-cents.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^35]: Canopy, "A centralized system to manage all your client relationships, cases, and records in one place." https://www.getcanopy.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^36]: TaxDome, "One secure, organized CRM for client records." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^37]: Karbon, "Shared contact profiles, activity timelines, and automated client requests." https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^38]: Ignition, "Create and track leads, send proposals, and close deals - all in one place." https://www.ignitionapp.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^39]: HubSpot, "Free for up to 2 users. No credit card required." https://www.hubspot.com/pricing/crm (checked 10 Nov 2026)