Stop Risking a $32,500 IRS Penalty. Start Using TaxFile.
TaxFile is the secure document storage and e-signature platform built for solo tax preparers and small tax offices. Help support your IRC 6695(d) record-retention responsibilities, protect client data, and give clients a free portal to share documents — all starting at $29/month when paid annually.
- Designed to help tax preparers support IRS document-retention and FTC data-safeguarding expectations.
- Your clients get a free document portal. They share. You store. Your workflow stays organized.
Still Emailing Tax Documents to Clients?
Email is not a secure method for transmitting tax documents. The FTC Safeguards Rule requires financial service providers — including tax preparers — to implement safeguards for client data. Sending W-2s, 1040s, and Social Security numbers through standard email puts your clients at risk and puts you out of compliance.
When a client emails you a document, it travels through multiple servers unencrypted. If that data is ever compromised, the liability doesn't fall on Gmail. It falls on you.
- TaxFile uses encrypted cloud storage designed to support FTC safeguarding standards.
- Clients upload directly to a secure portal — no email attachments, no exposed data.
- You get an audit trail of every document shared and stored.
Stop emailing. Start sharing securely.
See How TaxFile Protects Your ClientsTax Preparer Plans
Every plan includes free client portals. Your clients never pay a dime.
No Cost
$0/month Free for 12 months
- 1 admin
- 1 user
- 15 clients
- AI Tax Assistant
- E-signature
- Payment link
- Client portal
- 1 year access to documents
Try it with real clients. No catch.
$35/month
Paid annually: only $29/month
- 1 admin
- 2 total preparers
- Unlimited clients
- AI Tax Assistant
- E-signature
- Payment link
- Client portal
- 3-year document retention
Everything a solo preparer needs. Nothing you do not.
$70/month
Paid annually: only $59/month
- 1 admin
- 5 total preparers
- Unlimited clients
- AI Tax Assistant
- E-signature
- Payment link
- Client portal
- 7-year document retention
Built for growing offices. Priced like you are still small.
$117/month
Paid annually: only $99/month
- 1 admin
- 12 total preparers
- Unlimited clients
- AI Tax Assistant
- E-signature
- Payment link
- Client portal
- 10-year document retention
Maximum retention. Minimum cost.
Not sure which plan fits? Call or text Eric directly at (517) 490-0816 or schedule a free 15-minute walkthrough.
How Does TaxFile Stack Up?
Most document management platforms were built for large accounting firms. You end up paying for CRM tools, billing workflows, and practice management features you may never use. TaxFile is built for preparers like you — and priced that way.
| Platform | Annual Cost (Solo Preparer) |
Free Client Portal |
IRS/FTC Compliance Focus |
AI Assistant |
Setup Complexity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TaxFile | $348/yr | ✓ Included | Core focus | Built-in | Low — ~10 min |
| TaxDome | $800/yr | ✓ Included | Generic | Reports only | High |
| SmartVault | $660/yr* | ✓ Included | Limited | Add-on | Medium |
| Liscio | $588/yr** | ✓ Included | Generic | Pro tier only | Medium |
| Canopy | $888/yr | ✓ Included | Generic | Checklists | High |
| SafeSend | ~$750/yr*** | ✗ N/A | No | Organizers | Medium |
* SmartVault pricing may vary by product tier, billing term, and user minimums.
** Liscio usage-based pricing. Base rate does not include e-signatures or tax gatherings beyond included limits.
*** SafeSend estimate may vary because pricing can be quote-based or return-volume-based.
Built by a Preparer, for Preparers.
I've been preparing taxes since 2009. I run SMP Inc., an accounting and consulting firm in Alabama, and I teach accounting at Alabama State University. I know what your document workflow looks like because mine looked exactly the same.
Client returns were scattered across email threads, shared folders, and filing cabinets. I knew the IRS penalty exposure was real — $65 per return, up to $32,500 a year — but the platforms designed to solve it were built for large firms and priced to match. A solo preparer does not need a CRM, a billing system, and a workflow engine. You need a secure place to store returns, share documents with clients, and prove you met your retention requirements.
So I built TaxFile. My own clients at SMP have used it for their tax documents, and the adoption has been nearly universal. That told me I had built something that actually works for the people I built it for.
If you have questions about whether TaxFile fits your practice, reach out directly. I am a tax preparer, not a software salesperson.
— Eric McKenney, MAcc | Founder, TaxFile | President, SMP Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for tax preparers considering TaxFile.
About TaxFile
TaxFile is a cloud-based platform designed specifically for tax preparers and taxpayers to share, sign, and store tax documents in a secure environment.
Our mission is to make tax document access easier for clients and more organized for preparers, without forcing small firms to pay for complicated practice-management software they do not need.
Questions?
Contact us with questions about features, pricing, onboarding, or which plan is right for your practice.