Dedicated offshore tax preparers trained on UltraTax, Lacerte, Drake, ProConnect, CCH Axcess and ProSystem fx. Forms 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 990 and multi-state filings. Double your busy-season throughput without a US hire.
Forms we prepare
Individual, business, partnership, fiduciary, nonprofit, and multi-state – reviewed by your staff, prepared by ours.
Tax software
Your preparers log into your existing tax system. No file exports, no version-mismatch chaos.
| Platform | Forms supported | Workflow integration |
|---|---|---|
| CCH Axcess Tax | 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 990, 709, 5500 | Axcess Document, Axcess Workflow, ProSystem fx Engagement tie-out |
| ProSystem fx Tax | Full Wolters Kluwer stack | Engagement integration, CCH Engagement workpapers |
| UltraTax CS | All federal + 50-state forms | FileCabinet CS, NetClient CS, Accounting CS linkage |
| Lacerte | Individual, business, trust, exempt orgs | Lacerte Tax Planner, DMS integration |
| ProConnect Tax Online | Cloud-based Intuit platform | QuickBooks Online integration, Intuit Link client portal |
| Drake Tax | All federal + state forms | Drake Documents, SecureFilePro |
| TaxSlayer Pro | Individual and business returns | TaxSlayer Pro portal |
| ATX (Wolters Kluwer) | Small-firm individual and business | Native ATX workflow |
How firms engage us
Flat rate per return type
One seat, full busy season
Team of 3–10 preparers
The math on offshore tax prep is simple but worth walking through because it reshapes how a firm plans the busy season. A US senior tax preparer costs a firm roughly $90k–$130k loaded, produces about 300–400 returns between January and April, and is impossible to hire in October when you realize you need the capacity. An offshore preparer costs $28k–$45k loaded, produces 200–300 returns in the same window, and can be onboarded in 3 weeks in November. The cost-per-return difference is where the leverage comes from – firms that scale offshore typically run tax season at 35–50% lower direct cost per return than a US-only staffing model, which either drops to margin or funds lower pricing to win more clients.
Every CPA firm offshoring tax preparation has to obtain written consent from each client before disclosing tax return information to a preparer located outside the United States. This is governed by IRS §7216 and §301.7216-3(a)(3)(i)(B), and the consent has to be in the specific format the IRS requires: 18-point type, a specific paragraph stating that the preparer is located outside the US, and the client's signature. Violations carry civil penalties up to $1,000 per return plus criminal exposure. We walk every firm through this during onboarding and provide template language – full breakdown on our security page and a downloadable consent template (coming soon under /resources/compliance-forms/).
Alongside §7216, the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct §1.150.040 requires CPA firms to disclose the use of third-party providers to clients before confidential information is shared. This is an ethical obligation, not a statutory one, but state boards can discipline firms that skip it. The disclosure can be part of the engagement letter or a separate notification. We provide sample language you can drop into your engagement letters.
In a typical engagement, your US senior does the initial client meeting and identifies the return's complexity. The offshore preparer picks up the prepared source documents (1099s, W-2s, K-1s, brokerage statements) and builds the return inside your tax software. The return comes back to your US senior for review and e-file. During the review cycle the preparer handles all follow-up questions and rework. For high-volume firms, we staff a senior offshore reviewer who does the first pass of review before it reaches your US senior, cutting your review time by 40–60%.
Every return prepared offshore runs through a three-tier review: (1) offshore preparer self-check against a firm-specific QC checklist, (2) offshore senior reviewer does a technical review catching most errors, (3) your US senior does the final review and signs. On a mature engagement, 85–90% of returns pass your US review on the first pass. Firms that track review rework rates consistently see it drop from 15–20% in the first month to 5–8% by month three.
Client-facing work stays US. Strategic tax planning, multi-year analysis, IRS representation, complex reorganizations, and the client relationship itself all stay with your US staff. Offshore is the production layer: getting the return built accurately, on time, inside your software. That's where 70–80% of the hours go in a typical busy season, which is why shifting that layer offshore creates the biggest bandwidth gain.
If you're a CPA or tax firm planning next busy season, the window to onboard is September through November. Book a scoping call and we'll map your expected return volume against the staffing model that fits. Also worth reading: our page on offshore accounting for CPA firms and our guide to offshore accounting more broadly.
FAQ
Yes. IRS §7216 requires written consent from each client before tax return information is disclosed to a preparer outside the United States. The consent has a specific required format (18-point type, specific language naming offshore disclosure). We provide template language during onboarding and most firms roll it into their engagement letters.
CCH Axcess Tax, ProSystem fx, UltraTax CS, Lacerte, ProConnect Tax Online, Drake Tax, TaxSlayer Pro, and ATX. If you use something else, we'll train the preparer on it during onboarding.
A mid-level preparer produces 200–300 returns January through April on a full-time dedicated seat. A senior preparer with 7+ years of experience handles 150–250 complex returns (1065s, 1120s, multi-state). Volume scales roughly linearly with additional seats.
Yes, all 50 states. Offshore preparers are trained on multi-state apportionment, state-specific adjustments, composite returns, and PTE elections. The tax software drives the state filing, so the preparer only needs to know what adjustments to make – which is a training topic, not a compliance barrier.
Both. Our preparers are segmented by complexity – junior staff handle simple 1040s with W-2 and standard deduction, senior staff handle 1065/1120 returns with multi-state apportionment, K-1 rollforwards, and specialized entity structures. Match your returns to the right tier and complexity isn't a limiting factor.
No minimum for per-return pricing. For dedicated seats, the minimum viable is 150 returns per season (otherwise hourly or per-return pricing is more efficient). Most firms with 250+ returns find the dedicated model cheaper than per-return billing.
All work happens on controlled virtual desktops – preparers can see the data but can't download, screenshot, or email it out. Individual NDAs on every preparer. IRS §7216 client consent on record before any data touches an offshore workstation. Details on our security page.
Yes, but the ramp eats into your value. A preparer onboarded February 15th is productive around March 10th – which leaves 5 weeks of busy season instead of 13. Best practice is to sign in September–November, pilot 20 returns in December, and hit January fully staffed. If you're already in-season, we'll still onboard you but set expectations honestly.
Related
Book a scoping call. We'll model your return volume, recommend a team size, and walk you through §7216 compliance.
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