Tool profile
UltraTax CS: cost, fit and limits
UltraTax CS is professional tax preparation software made by Thomson Reuters Corporation that prepares federal, state and local returns, including Forms 1040, 1120 and 1065, for accounting firms, as part of the CS Professional Suite.
What to know first
UltraTax CS is sold by quote only. Thomson Reuters prices it by number of users, tax returns, and states and jurisdictions of operations. It sits in the CS Professional Suite beside Accounting CS, Accounting Payroll CS and Practice CS. The product page lists CoCounsel Tax, an AI-powered assistant, as a related solution. The page frames it as separate rather than as a built-in UltraTax CS feature.
UltraTax CS at a glance
| Maker | Thomson Reuters Corporation, Not stated on the vendor pages |
|---|---|
| Free plan | No |
| Entry price | Quote only |
| API access | No |
| Category | Best AI Tax Preparation Software in 2026, rank 6 of 10 |
| Website | tax.thomsonreuters.com/cs-professional-suite/ultratax-cs/ |
Who UltraTax CS is best for
Firms already using Accounting CS or Practice CS
UltraTax CS belongs to the same suite, so a firm on those products avoids bridging a separate tax vendor. Accounting CS, Accounting Payroll CS and Practice CS are named as part of the same CS Professional Suite.
Firms preparing mixed return types
One product handles 1040, 1120 and 1065 returns at federal, state and local levels, which suits practices with individual and entity clients.
Practices that use document workflow tools
The page lists integrations with 1040SCAN, SPbinder, Onvio Firm Management and SafeSend One around the return. Together these cover scanning, binder assembly, firm management and return delivery around the tax return itself.
UltraTax CS plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| UltraTax CS | Custom quote | Priced by users, tax returns, and states and jurisdictions of operations; covers federal, state and local returns including 1040, 1120 and 1065. |
| CS Professional Suite | Not published | Accounting CS, Accounting Payroll CS and Practice CS sit alongside UltraTax CS; the page gives no suite price. |
| CoCounsel Tax | Not published on the page read | An AI-powered assistant listed as a related solution; the UltraTax CS page does not say whether it is bundled or sold separately. |
Checked November 2026.
What UltraTax CS does
- Multi-jurisdiction returns
- Federal, state and local returns are listed, including Forms 1040, 1120 and 1065, so one engine covers individuals, corporations and partnerships. That range covers individual, corporate and partnership clients without a second tax product.
- CS Professional Suite links
- The product connects to Accounting CS, Accounting Payroll CS and Practice CS, so client data can move between accounting and tax. Accounting CS and Practice CS feed the same suite, so client data does not have to be re-keyed between products.
- Document integrations
- 1040SCAN, SPbinder and Onvio Firm Management are named integrations, covering scanning, binders and firm management. 1040SCAN handles scanned source documents, SPbinder builds electronic binders and Onvio Firm Management covers firm operations around the return.
- SafeSend One
- The page lists a SafeSend One integration, which relates to sending and signing returns. The page lists it among the integrations, and does not spell out which delivery or signature steps it covers.
- CoCounsel Tax link
- The vendor describes CoCounsel Tax as an AI-powered assistant that combines trustworthy answers, automation and firm knowledge. It appears as a related solution. It appears under related solutions on the page, so its price and data terms are separate from the tax engine.
How UltraTax CS handles your data
The product page links no dedicated security page. The Thomson Reuters privacy statement says personal information is retained as the company's enterprise records retention requires, and may be stored in and accessed from multiple countries including the United States. It references a FedRAMP addendum for U.S. federal and state government contracts. It does not say whether tax data trains AI models. A firm should request the data processing terms for UltraTax CS and CoCounsel Tax separately.
Where UltraTax CS falls short in practice
- Quote-only pricing. No price appears on the page, and the quote depends on users, returns and jurisdictions, so a firm cannot budget before a sales conversation. A small practice would have to schedule a sales call just to learn what a season costs.
- AI is a separate product. CoCounsel Tax is listed as a related solution, so a firm should confirm whether it needs a separate contract and data terms. The AI assistant therefore needs its own contract review, data terms and price before a firm counts on it.
- No linked security page. The product page does not link a dedicated trust or security page, leaving certifications to the corporate privacy statement. The vendor's corporate privacy statement is the main data document read, and it covers far more than tax work.
- Built for firms. The pages describe a professional suite, so a person filing a single return has no sensible entry point. A sole preparer filing a few dozen returns would find the suite structure larger than needed.
Works with
Alternatives to UltraTax CS
UltraTax CS: common questions
How much does UltraTax CS cost?
Thomson Reuters does not publish a price. Its page says pricing is custom and based on the number of users, tax returns, and states and jurisdictions of operations. Request a written quote listing those three inputs, and compare it with Drake Tax, which prints tax-year prices on its pricing page.
Does UltraTax CS include AI?
The product page lists CoCounsel Tax, an AI-powered assistant, as a related solution rather than a built-in UltraTax CS feature. The page does not say whether it is bundled or priced separately. Ask Thomson Reuters which AI functions are inside your UltraTax CS contract and which require CoCounsel Tax.
Which returns does UltraTax CS prepare?
The page lists federal, state and local returns including Forms 1040, 1120 and 1065, which are individual, corporate and partnership returns. It does not list specific states or form counts, so a firm filing in unusual jurisdictions should confirm coverage with the vendor before purchase.
What does UltraTax CS integrate with?
The page names 1040SCAN, SPbinder, Onvio Firm Management and SafeSend One, plus the rest of the CS Professional Suite: Accounting CS, Accounting Payroll CS and Practice CS. It lists no API on the page read, so custom automation would need a vendor conversation.
Where is UltraTax CS data stored?
The Thomson Reuters privacy statement says personal information may be stored in and accessed from multiple countries, including the United States. The product page names no specific hosting region. A firm with regional storage requirements should ask for the data processing terms and the list of data centers.