The first 10 preparers get TaxOwl Pro free.
We’re building a tax software for solo and small-firm preparers who are tired of $2,000+ annual price hikes, per-state fees, and revenue cuts. We need ten in-the-field references from preparers who switched and made it work — and we’re willing to give the software away to get them.
What you get
Software
TaxOwl Pro, season 2027 — $0.
- Full unlimited license (normally $649)
- Unlimited federal returns
- All 50 states + DC included
- No per-return, per-state, or revenue cuts
Onboarding
White-glove migration support.
- 30-min migration consultation call
- Direct support for Drake/ProSeries data conversion
- EFIN/ERO transition help
- Bank-product enrollment guidance
Support
Direct line to the team during peak season.
- Priority response (within 4 business hours)
- Direct chat with the engineers
- Quarterly product roadmap input
- Feature requests reviewed first
Future seasons
Locked-in founding-cohort pricing.
- Year 2 (season 2028): $399 (vs. standard $649)
- Year 3 (season 2029): $499
- Year 4+: standard pricing, but you keep grandfathered status
What we ask in return
This is a real exchange — not free software with hidden strings. We need ten honest references and case studies. Specifically:
- One 30-minute interview after the season closes (mid-April 2027). We’ll ask about your migration experience, what worked, what was painful, and the outcome — number of returns filed, time saved, dollars saved vs. your previous software
- Permission to publish the case study on our site with your name, photo, firm name, and the metrics from the interview. You review and approve the published version before it goes live — no surprises
- One peer referral if you know a candidate fit — a fellow preparer who’d be a good fit for TaxOwl Pro. Just an introduction, no obligation on your peer to switch
- Honest feedback throughout the season, even when it’s negative. We want to hear what’s broken so we can fix it before the next cohort
That’s it. No social media obligations, no testimonial scripts, no posting requirements. Just a real conversation after a real season, with permission to share the result.
Who qualifies
The founding cohort is for working preparers who’ll actually use the software. Specifically:
- Active PTIN in good standing for season 2027
- 30 to 300 returns/year — solo preparers and small-firm preparers (1-5 person practices). If you file fewer than 30 returns/year, the migration math doesn’t work for you. If you file more than 500, you may need firm-tier software
- Currently using a different professional tax software (Drake, ProSeries, ATX, TaxSlayer, TaxWise, UltraTax, Lacerte, etc.) — we want preparers who can compare us against a real alternative. Brand-new preparers without prior software don’t have that reference frame for the case study
- Willing to commit to a real migration, including the parallel-run period and EFIN/bank-product transition work in summer/fall 2026
- Comfortable being publicly named in the eventual case study. If you need to stay anonymous for client-confidentiality reasons, the standard $649 license is the better fit
You do NOT need to be a CPA or EA. AFSP-only and PTIN-only preparers are fully welcome — in fact, they’re our most-likely-to-fit profile.
Timeline
- Now → October 31, 2026: Application window. Apply via the form below. We’ll respond within 48 hours with either an acceptance, a request for more info, or a polite “this isn’t a fit.” First 10 qualified applicants in
- July → November 2026: Migration window. Onboarding consultation, data conversion, EFIN/ERO transition, bank-product setup, parallel-run testing — all completed before season 2027 opens
- January → April 2027: Season 2027. You file your client returns on TaxOwl Pro. We provide priority support throughout
- Mid-April 2027: Post-season interview. 30 minutes, scheduled at your convenience. We discuss the experience and confirm the case-study content
- May 2027: Case study published with your review/approval. Founding-cohort year-2 pricing kicks in for season 2028
Ready to apply?
Use our standard application — flag the founding cohort in the notes field and we’ll prioritize your review.
Apply for the founding cohort →Frequently asked
What’s the catch?
Genuinely none. We need ten reference customers more than we need ten more $649 licenses right now — the case studies will drive way more than $6,490 of future revenue once published. The “exchange” is your time for the post-season interview and your permission to publish the result. If anything beyond that is asked, walk.
What if I have a terrible season and want to leave?
You leave. No clawback, no fee, no obligation. We still want the post-season interview because honest negative feedback is more valuable to us than a fake-positive testimonial. We won’t publish a case study you don’t approve.
What if TaxOwl Pro doesn’t support a form I need for a client?
TaxOwl Pro runs on the CrossLink tax engine, which supports the full IRS form catalog — every federal form, every state, all schedules. If you encounter a form gap, it’s almost certainly a UI issue (not a calculation gap), and that’s exactly the kind of feedback we need from the founding cohort to fix.
Can I switch back to my old software mid-season if it doesn’t work out?
Practically: returns you’ve already filed on TaxOwl Pro stay there. New returns can technically be started on either software, but switching mid-season is operationally risky for the same reason migrating mid-season is — see the migration guide. The founding-cohort program assumes a real commitment to season 2027 on TaxOwl Pro; if you’re not ready to commit to that, the standard $649 license without the cohort obligations may be a better fit.
What happens if more than 10 qualified preparers apply?
We take the first 10 qualified applicants in. If we get a strong wave of applications and the 11th-15th are all clearly qualified, we may expand to 20 — but we’re capped at 20 hard. After that, applicants go on a waitlist for a season 2028 cohort (which won’t be free, but will get founding-tier pricing).
Is this a marketing gimmick?
It’s a marketing strategy, yes. It’s not a gimmick. We genuinely need real preparers’ real-world experience to build the case studies that future preparers will rely on when evaluating us. We could fake testimonials. We refuse to. The founding-cohort program is the price we’re willing to pay to keep our reviews honest.
Questions before you apply?
Email apply@taxowl.co with “Founding Cohort Question” in the subject. We respond within one business day.
Apply now →