Dated change · Tax preparation
Drake Tax: Dec. 1 retail price change and what it costs your firm
Drake’s lower tax-year-2026 prices end on November 30. From December 1 the struck-through retail prices apply. Here is every price pair, what the gap is in dollars, and when pay-per-return is the cheaper way to buy.
Today’s price vs the Dec. 1 retail price
| Licence (tax year 2026) | Price now | Retail from Dec. 1 | Difference | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tax Pro, unlimited returns, multi-user | $3,145 | $3,295 | +$150 | 4.8% |
| Tax Pro, unlimited returns, single user | $2,695 | $2,845 | +$150 | 5.6% |
| Tax Pro, 250 returns, multi-user | $2,375 | $2,495 | +$120 | 5.1% |
| Tax 1040, unlimited individual returns, multi-user | $2,325 | $2,445 | +$120 | 5.2% |
| Tax 1040, unlimited individual returns, single user | $2,075 | $2,195 | +$120 | 5.8% |
| Tax 1040, 150 individual returns, multi-user | $1,895 | $1,995 | +$100 | 5.3% |
Read on drakesoftware.com/pricing on November 10, 2026. Dollar and percent differences are our arithmetic. Add-on bundles and promotions are excluded.
What the deadline is worth
Buying on or before November 30 saves $100 to $150 per licence against the Dec. 1 retail price. That is real money on a $1,895 licence but small next to the return-count and user choices below; do not pick a bigger licence just to beat the date.
Pay-Per-Return vs a 150-return licence
Drake’s Pay-Per-Return product costs $379.99 and includes 10 individual returns; extra individual returns are $49.99 each. Tax 1040 with 150 individual returns is $1,895 now and $1,995 from December 1. On those list prices:
- Pay-Per-Return costs less than the $1,895 licence up to 40 individual returns ($379.99 + 30 × $49.99 = $1,879.69; at 41 it is $1,929.68).
- Against the $1,995 retail price the crossover moves to 42 individual returns ($1,979.67; at 43 it is $2,029.66).
- Business returns are $74.99 each in both products, so a firm with business returns should price its own mix.
This is our arithmetic from Drake’s published prices. The products differ in users and included features, so it compares price only.
Check before you renew
- Note which licence you hold: return count and single or multi-user.
- Find your line in the table and the date you plan to buy.
- Ask Drake whether any loyalty, early-pay or bundle terms apply to your account; those are outside the published list prices.
- If you pass the cost to clients, the licence difference is $100 to $150 a year, which on its own is a small reason to reprice.
Current and past figures: Drake pricing 2026 · Drake price history · Lacerte pricing 2026 · ProSeries pricing 2026
Questions
When does Drake’s Dec. 1 price change take effect?
Drake’s pricing page says its discounted prices run through November 30 and footnotes each struck-through price “Retail price effective Dec. 1”. From December 1 the retail prices apply (read November 10, 2026).
How much more does Drake Tax cost after Dec. 1?
On the six Tax Pro and Tax 1040 licences Drake lists, retail is $100 to $150 a year above the current price, about 4.8% to 5.8%. For example Tax Pro Unlimited Multi-User goes from $3,145 to $3,295 and Tax 1040 with 150 returns from $1,895 to $1,995.
Do Drake Pay-Per-Return and Drake Tax Online change on Dec. 1?
Drake’s page shows no struck-through retail price for Pay-Per-Return ($379.99 for 10 individual returns) or Tax Online ($299.99), so no Dec. 1 change is shown for them.
Is Drake Tax 1040 or Pay-Per-Return cheaper for a small firm?
By our arithmetic on list prices, Pay-Per-Return ($379.99 plus $49.99 for each individual return past 10) costs less than Tax 1040 with 150 returns ($1,895) up to 40 individual returns, and up to 42 against the Dec. 1 retail price of $1,995. Features and users differ; this compares price only.