Dedicated offshore preparers trained on Drake Tax software. The go-to platform for Enrolled Agent practices, solo CPAs, and small firms. Drake Documents, SecureFilePro portal, full state coverage. 200–350 returns per preparer per season.
Drake scope
Full Drake Tax return scope, Drake Documents workpaper management, and SecureFilePro client portal support.
Drake Tax is the most common professional tax software in small-firm and EA-led practices. Three reasons: it's meaningfully cheaper than Lacerte or UltraTax (by 40–60% on annual license), it handles high-volume 1040 work faster than desktop competitors, and it has the strongest bank product integration for firms doing pay-by-refund or refund advance services to underbanked taxpayers.
For offshore staffing, Drake has a specific advantage: the learning curve is shorter. An offshore preparer with general tax experience can be productive in Drake within 2 weeks of onboarding versus 3–4 weeks for Lacerte or UltraTax. That compression matters for firms that need to stand up capacity fast.
Independent storefront tax offices (not franchises) often run 800–3,000 returns per season with a small in-office staff supported by offshore production. Drake's strength in high-volume simple-return processing pairs well with offshore staffing economics – one offshore preparer can produce 350–450 simple returns per season at a direct labor cost under $10 per return. This is how storefront tax offices compete with larger franchise chains on volume economics.
Most Enrolled Agent practices we work with run Drake. The combination of Drake + dedicated offshore preparer is particularly well-suited to EA firms because (a) EAs have tight budgets and Drake's lower annual cost matters, (b) the work is almost entirely Drake-based (no complex tax planning software), and (c) a single EA reviewer can handle returns at volume when production is offshore.
If you're an EA firm specifically, see our Enrolled Agents page. For the broader tax prep service scope, see offshore tax preparation.
FAQ
Simple 1040 shops: 350–450 returns per season per preparer. Mixed complexity (1040 + small business returns): 200–300 per season. More complex returns (multi-state 1065, 1120 with apportionment): 150–200.
They log in under your Drake account as named preparers with proper PTIN entry. If you want them identified on the return as preparer, they need to obtain a PTIN (optional for support preparers).
Yes. Client document intake through SecureFilePro, secure return delivery, e-signature management is standard.
Yes. Drake bank product integration with Refund Advantage, EPS, and similar providers is supported. Our preparers understand pay-by-refund workflows.
For written correspondence and document preparation, yes – we have bilingual Spanish staff available. For phone-based client conversations in Spanish, we can support this but at premium rates; it's not our largest specialty.
No. Offshore preparer pricing is driven by their labor cost, not the software they work in. Drake engagements price the same as Lacerte or UltraTax engagements at the same complexity tier.
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