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4 Filed Alternatives Rated 4.5+ Stars (Free & Paid)

Not sure if Filed is right for you? Here are the best tax preparation alternatives to consider in 2026.

About Filed

AI tax software that reads, sorts, and preps returns to review-ready status

Rating: β˜… 4.5 Pricing: paid from $99/mo

Feature Comparison

Tool Rating Pricing Key Features
Filed (current) β˜… 4.5 paid from $99/mo Automated return preparation, Document intake and sorting, Firm preference learning View
Black Ore β˜… 4.3 enterprise AI/ML data processing, Tax software integration, Comprehensive workpapers View
CoCounsel Tax β˜… 4.6 paid from $199/mo Multi-state tax research, Retirement optimization analysis, Entity selection guidance View
Hive Tax β˜… 4.1 paid from $79/mo Year-round AI tax assistance, Tax research automation, Client communication tools View
TaxGPT β˜… 4.4 freemium from $19/mo AI tax research assistant, Document analysis and review, Agent Andrew audit tool View

Detailed Look at Each Alternative

1. Black Ore

β˜… 4.3/5

Black Ore is an AI-assisted tax preparation platform built for CPA firms. It integrates directly with your existing tax software to enhance workflow, not replace it. The platform is designed for accounting practices that serve complex, high-growth clients such as those in venture capital, technology, or with intricate equity and international tax needs. Its core function is to augment your team by automating data processing and providing AI-driven analysis to identify potential issues or opportunities within a return. Key features include the generation of comprehensive, auto-populated workpapers that ensure audit-ready documentation and a preliminary review service conducted by US-based CPAs who have Big 4 experience. This provides a crucial second-layer quality check before the partner’s final sign-off. The main benefit is scalable precision. It allows your firm to handle more complex returns with greater consistency and reduced risk, freeing senior staff from routine review tasks to focus on high-value advisory services. For example, when preparing a return for a startup client with multiple funding rounds, complex cap table calculations, and R&D credits, Black Ore organizes the data, prepares the supporting workpapers, and flags areas for specialist attention, streamlining the entire engagement.

Pros:
  • βœ… Big 4 level quality
  • βœ… Integrates with existing tax software
  • βœ… Scalable for growing firms
Cons:
  • ❌ Enterprise pricing
  • ❌ Requires onboarding process

2. CoCounsel Tax

β˜… 4.6/5

CoCounsel Tax by Thomson Reuters is an AI-powered assistant built specifically for tax professionals. It streamlines complex tax planning and analysis by delivering fast, authoritative answers and generating detailed client-ready documents. The tool draws from trusted sources like Checkpoint and IRS guidance to provide reliable support. It is designed for tax accountants, CPAs, and advisors who need to efficiently handle sophisticated client scenarios. The main benefit is a significant reduction in manual research and drafting time, allowing professionals to focus on strategic advice and client service. Key features include its ability to research multi-state tax implications and entity selection in minutes, and to generate technically accurate memos and projections. Two standout capabilities are creating multi-year tax projections to model different strategies and automatically formatting comprehensive tax proposals with a professional look. A clear use case involves a client considering expanding their business into a new state. A professional can use CoCounsel Tax to quickly analyze the multi-state income and franchise tax consequences, compare the outcomes of operating as an LLC versus an S-Corp, and then produce a detailed technical memo and a formatted multi-year proposal for the client reviewβ€”all within a single workflow.

Pros:
  • βœ… Backed by Thomson Reuters authority
  • βœ… Trusted research sources
  • βœ… Professional-grade output
Cons:
  • ❌ Higher price point
  • ❌ Steep learning curve

3. Hive Tax

β˜… 4.1/5

Hive Tax is a comprehensive AI tax assistant suite designed to enhance CPA practices not just at tax time but year-round. It serves as a personal AI tax bot that helps with tax research, client communication, document management, and practice workflow optimization. The platform integrates with existing tax software.

Pros:
  • βœ… Year-round utility beyond tax season
  • βœ… Personal AI assistant approach
  • βœ… Good integration capabilities
Cons:
  • ❌ Relatively new platform
  • ❌ Limited user community

4. TaxGPT

β˜… 4.4/5

TaxGPT is an AI tax assistant that helps both tax professionals and individuals navigate tax preparation. It features Agent Andrew, an AI-powered audit and review tool that analyzes prepared tax documents. The platform offers instant document search by client, year, and type, and can search content inside files for rapid information retrieval.

Pros:
  • βœ… Powerful AI research capabilities
  • βœ… Comprehensive document analysis
  • βœ… Good for both pros and individuals
Cons:
  • ❌ Not a full tax filing solution
  • ❌ Accuracy depends on input quality

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best alternatives to Filed?
The top alternatives to Filed include Black Ore, CoCounsel Tax, Hive Tax, TaxGPT. All are Tax Preparation tools with AI-powered features.
Is Filed the best Tax Preparation tool?
Filed is a strong option rated 4.5/5, but the best choice depends on your needs. Compare features and pricing across all 5 tools in this category.
How do I choose a Filed alternative?
Consider your budget, team size, required integrations, and specific tax preparation needs. Compare the features table above to find the best fit.