Unity vs. TaxAct
A 150-return office keeps about $5,700 a season by switching from TaxAct.
A busy one keeps far more. Same tax software you'd expect — every state, 1040s and business returns, works from your phone. What's different is what you don't pay: no transmission fee, no bank-product markup, no state fee stacked on every refund transfer.
What a TaxAct office keeps by switching to Unity
Based on a 70% refund-transfer rate — typical of the neighborhoods these offices serve — comparing TaxAct's per-return fee stack against Unity's flat $20. Your number depends on your volume and how many of your clients use a refund transfer.
Unity Savings Estimator
See how much you'll save
Enter your numbers and compare your current per-return fee stack against Unity's flat $20 per accepted return.
The honest comparison
Where TaxAct is genuinely good
TaxAct Professional gives you a clean client manager, secure document exchange, online data backup, and a preparer e-filing dashboard — with both desktop and online options. For a smaller office it's a solid, no-drama choice — though it isn't really built for high-volume shops.
The software isn't the problem. Here's what is.
The fee stack
- Transmission fee — every return. ~$20, bank product or not.
- Bank product fee — every refund transfer. ~$40, pulled from the refund.
- State fee — every refund transfer. Another ~$14.
At 300 returns with a 70% refund-transfer rate, that stack clears $17,000 a season. Unity's total for the same office: $6,000.
Why it looks too good
They make money a different way than we do.
The software looks the same because, at the professional tier, it is. But TaxAct — like the rest — earns its keep on the stack: transmission, bank-product markup, per-return charges. That's their revenue model. It's why they can't take those fees off. The fees are the business.
Unity built it the other way around. One honest fee, per accepted return, nothing hidden underneath. Same software, opposite business model — and one of them doesn't come out of your clients' refunds. That's the catch. There isn't a catch.
Everything you get for the flat $20
The software
- Every state, 1040s and business returns
- Cloud and desktop, work from anywhere
- Interview mode and direct forms entry
- 60+ forms in Spanish — prepare in either language, print in either
The banking
- Republic Bank refund transfers — no fee from the refund
- Direct deposit, check, or card
- Advances for clients who need money sooner
The extras
- Unlimited e-signatures — free
- Free mobile app — clients start on their phone
- Client portal, year-round storage
- Live webinars and on-demand training library
The support
- Onboarding often within 24 hours, one-on-one
- Free data conversion from TaxAct
- Year-round support with a bilingual first line
Frequently asked questions
How much does an office save switching from TaxAct to Unity?+
About $38 per return. At 300 returns a season, that's roughly $11,300 a year.
Is Unity's software as good as TaxAct?+
It's the same tier of professional software. The savings come from the business model, not from a lesser product.
What does the $20 per return include?+
Software, refund transfers, transmission, and year-round support — all of it.
How hard is it to switch?+
Free data conversion from TaxAct, setup often within 24 hours.
One flat $20 per accepted return.
Built for offices filing 75+ returns a season.
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