UltraTax CS vs ATX

UltraTax CS8.5Visit AATX8.0Visit

Higher score UltraTax CS #6 in Small Business Tax Software 8.5/10 Pricing on request ✓ 0 of 4 features Visit UltraTax CS

vs

A ATX #10 in Small Business Tax Software 8.0/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 4 features Visit ATX

• UltraTax CS fits best

  Professional firms handling complex multistate returns

• ATX fits best

  Firms needing extensive forms and research

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Side by side

Feature	UltraTax CS 8.5/10 Visit ↗	AATX 8.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.5	8.0
Ranking	#6 in Small Business Tax Software	#10 in Small Business Tax Software
Best for	Professional firms handling complex multistate returns	Firms needing extensive forms and research
Pricing model	Paid	Paid
Starting price	Pricing on request	—
Free plan	Not checked yet	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop	Self-hosted, Desktop
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Solo
Features UltraTax CS 0/4 · ATX 2/4
Federal e-file	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
State e-file	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Bookkeeping imports	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Prior-year import	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Business entity support	Not checked yet	C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts
Included state returns	Not checked yet	0 returns
Our review
Pros	Covers federal, state, and local returns across major entity types Multistate allocation, apportionment, diagnostics, and validation tools Integrates with Thomson Reuters and partner practice-management products	More than 6,000 federal, state, and local compliance forms Diagnostics flag e-filing errors, omissions, and overridden entries Includes tax research, electronic signatures, and payroll reporting
Cons	Custom pricing varies by users, returns, states, and jurisdictions The feature breadth may exceed the needs of simpler tax practices Designed for professional preparers rather than individual taxpayers	ATX 1040 excludes state business returns Desktop software may not fit cloud-first workflows No free plan is available
Our verdict	UltraTax CS is professional tax preparation software for accounting firms and tax preparers. It handles federal, state, and local returns for individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates, trusts, nonprofits, and other return types. The… Read the review →	ATX is desktop, forms-based tax preparation software from Wolters Kluwer for CPAs, individual tax preparers, and small firms. It supports federal, state, and local returns across individual, C corporation, S corporation, partnership,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• UltraTax CS — where it wins

  • Covers federal, state, and local returns across major entity types
  • Multistate allocation, apportionment, diagnostics, and validation tools
  • Integrates with Thomson Reuters and partner practice-management products

  Where it doesn't

  • Custom pricing varies by users, returns, states, and jurisdictions
  • The feature breadth may exceed the needs of simpler tax practices
  • Designed for professional preparers rather than individual taxpayers

• ATX — where it wins

  • More than 6,000 federal, state, and local compliance forms
  • Diagnostics flag e-filing errors, omissions, and overridden entries
  • Includes tax research, electronic signatures, and payroll reporting

  Where it doesn't

  • ATX 1040 excludes state business returns
  • Desktop software may not fit cloud-first workflows
  • No free plan is available

• UltraTax CS8.5/10 · Pricing on request

  A broad tax preparation suite for firms managing complex multistate returns.

  Visit UltraTax CSFull verdict →
• AATX8.0/10 · Paid

  A forms-focused tax suite for firms handling complex federal, state, and local returns.

  Visit ATXFull verdict →