A managed Windows server in a US data center
Your licensed program is installed on a server sized for your busiest week, with client data on fast shared storage. Every preparer opens the same live returns.
Tax Software Hosting
Tax Software Hosting for CPA and Tax Firms
Tax software hosting runs your licensed desktop tax program, such as Drake Tax, Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax CS, on a secure cloud server instead of a computer in your office. Preparers sign in from the office, from home or from a client’s conference room and work on the same live returns. TechFiscal builds, secures and manages that server, so your team spends the busiest weeks of the year on returns, not on IT.
Get a Tax Hosting Quote- MFA on every login
- Encrypted sessions, US data centers
- Nightly, restore-tested backups
- Moves scheduled away from deadlines
Understanding the service
What Is Tax Software Hosting?
Tax software hosting is a managed service that installs your licensed desktop tax preparation software on a remote cloud server and gives authorized preparers secure access over the internet. You keep the full desktop product, your prior years and your add-ons, while the hosting provider runs the server, security, backups and updates. It’s also called tax software cloud hosting or hosted tax software.
~300
data breaches reported by tax professionals to the IRS in the first half of 2025
30 days
to notify the FTC after a breach exposing unencrypted data on 500+ consumers
1 server
for every tax program, prior year and client QuickBooks file your firm uses
Why it matters
Desktop Tax Software Wasn’t Designed for How Firms Work Now
Professional tax programs expect every preparer to sit on the same office network as the data. Today, returns are reviewed at night from home, seasonal staff work remotely and partners sign off from wherever they are. A VPN into a back-office server is slow, breaks under load and is a favorite target for attackers. Hosting moves the software and the data into a data center and gives each preparer a secure window into it. If your firm still needs its written plan, our WISP compliance service builds it around the controls described here.
| Factor | Office server or peer-to-peer | Hosted desktop software (TechFiscal) | The vendor’s own cloud edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remote access | VPN or remote-control tools | Built in, from any device | Browser or vendor-hosted desktop |
| Keeps your current program and prior years | Yes | Yes, same program and data | Varies; some features differ |
| QuickBooks, Excel and PDF tools alongside | Yes | Yes, on the same server | Often limited |
| MFA, encryption and monitoring | Your responsibility | Managed and documented | Managed by the vendor |
| Office IT and WISP support | No | Yes, with TechFiscal managed IT | No |
Tax applications we host
Which Tax Software Can Be Hosted?
Most professional tax programs that install on Windows and support a network or terminal-server setup can be hosted. Browser-native products such as CCH Axcess Tax don’t need it, though the Excel, PDF and document tools around them often do.
Drake SoftwareDrake TaxThe full Windows edition with Drake Documents, Tax Planner, GruntWorx and every year you still open.View Drake hosting ↗IntuitLacerte TaxLacerte and Lacerte DMS on a server sized to Intuit’s 2 GB-per-user hosted guidance.View Lacerte hosting ↗IntuitProSeries ProfessionalProSeries for several preparers, which needs a ProSeries network license when hosted.Ask about ProSeries ↗Thomson ReutersUltraTax CS & CS SuiteUltraTax CS beside Practice CS, FileCabinet CS and Fixed Assets CS.Ask about UltraTax CS ↗Wolters KluwerCCH ProSystem fx & ATXInstalled CCH tax suites and ATX with their engagement and document tools.Ask about CCH & ATX ↗Other desktop programsTaxAct, TaxSlayer Pro & TaxWiseWe confirm the vendor’s network requirements before quoting.Check my software ↗AccountingQuickBooks DesktopClient books on the same server, so trial balances and imports flow into your returns.View QuickBooks hosting ↗AccountingSage 50 & Sage ERPHosted for clients who run Sage, with permissions kept separate from tax data.View Sage hosting ↗
How it works
Three Parts of a Hosted Tax Environment
An encrypted, MFA-protected session for each preparer
People sign in with a password and a phone prompt, then work in a remote desktop window. Returns never sit on a laptop in someone’s kitchen.
A team that runs it all year
We install each season’s release, patch Windows, watch for threats and test restores, so the server is ready before January.
Compliance
How Hosting Supports the FTC Safeguards Rule
Tax preparers are financial institutions under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, so the FTC Safeguards Rule applies. Hosting doesn’t make a firm compliant on its own, but it covers several of the rule’s required elements and gives you evidence for the rest.
| Rule requirement | What it asks of your firm | What TechFiscal hosting provides |
|---|---|---|
| Access controls | Limit who can see customer information | Named accounts and folder-level permissions |
| Encryption | Encrypt customer data in transit and at rest | Encrypted sessions and encrypted storage |
| Multi-factor authentication | MFA for anyone accessing customer information | MFA enforced on every login |
| Monitoring and logging | Track activity and detect unauthorized access | Activity logs and threat monitoring |
| Service provider oversight | Choose providers that can safeguard data | Documented controls for your WISP file |
| Incident response | A written plan for security events | Our response steps and contacts for your plan |
Plan around the calendar
When to Move Tax Software to the Cloud
Timing matters more for tax firms than for almost any other business. This is the calendar we plan migrations around.
May to September
The best window. Returns are filed, staff have time to test, and nothing urgent depends on the server.
Ideal for migrationEarly October
Possible for small offices, but extension work peaks before the October 15 deadline.
Move with careNovember and December
Vendors release the new tax year. We install it on the hosted server and test e-file before January.
Season preparationLate January to April 15
Filing season. We don’t migrate firms during it; we add capacity and preparers instead.
No migrationsWho it’s for
Who Tax Software Hosting Is For
Hosting pays off once more than one person prepares returns and anyone works outside the office.
Accounting firms
CPA Practices
Tax, write-up and client QuickBooks files on one server with per-client permissions, supported by our IT services for CPA firms.
Independent preparers
EAs and Small Offices
Data center security without a server closet, and seasonal preparers added in January and removed in May.
Hybrid teams
Remote Reviewers
Partners review and sign off from home on live returns, without copying client files to personal devices.
Growing practices
Firms Adding Offices
Every location works from one set of client data, and a merger doesn’t mean merging servers.
What’s included
What Every Hosted Tax Environment Includes
The same team plans, builds, secures and supports your environment. You get a server that’s ready for the season, not a login and a ticket queue.
01
Server Sized for Peak Season
A Windows server built to your software’s published requirements and your highest concurrent user count.
- Shared or dedicated options
- SSD storage for client data
- Capacity check every fall
02
Migration and Prior Years
We move client data and settings, install the prior years you still open and test everything before go-live.
- Current and prior-year installs
- Settings and client data moved
- E-file, print and import tests
03
Preparer Accounts
Unique logins for every preparer, reviewer and admin, with access limited to what each role needs.
- No shared credentials
- Seasonal staff in and out fast
- Client folder permissions
04
Security Mapped to the Rule
MFA, encryption, firewalls, endpoint protection and monitoring, written up so they drop straight into your WISP.
- MFA enforced
- Encrypted sessions and storage
- Monitoring and alerting
05
Nightly Backups, Tested
Client returns are backed up every night and copied off-site, and we test restores so recovery is proven.
- Nightly backups
- Off-site copies
- Restore testing
06
Season Updates and Add-Ons
Each year’s release, vendor updates and the tools around your tax program, installed and kept current.
- New tax-year installs
- Microsoft 365 and PDF tools
- QuickBooks Desktop
Buyer’s checklist
Questions to Ask Any Tax Software Host
Hosting plans range from cheap shared seats to dedicated servers. Get these answers in writing before you commit.
Security and compliance
- Is MFA mandatory for every user? The FTC Safeguards Rule requires it for access to customer information.
- Will you document your controls for our WISP? Your plan has to describe the safeguards your provider runs.
- Where is our data stored? Ask for the data center location and its audit reports.
- When was a restore last tested? A backup nobody has restored isn’t a recovery plan.
Tax-season readiness
- Which tax programs do you host today? Ask for the products and years, not general hosting experience.
- Does the vendor support hosted setups? Know who supports the program and who supports the server.
- How do you size for March and April? Ask about RAM and CPU per concurrent preparer.
- How do we leave if we need to? Agree on a full data export before you sign.
Common questions
Tax Software Hosting FAQs
What is tax software hosting?+
Tax software hosting is a service that installs your licensed desktop tax program, such as Drake Tax, Lacerte, ProSeries or UltraTax CS, on a secure cloud server so preparers can work from anywhere. The provider manages the server, security, backups and updates, and you keep the full desktop product and your prior years.
Which tax software can be hosted?+
TechFiscal hosts Drake Tax, Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax CS, CCH ProSystem fx Tax, ATX, TaxAct Professional, TaxSlayer Pro and TaxWise, plus QuickBooks Desktop and Microsoft 365. Most Windows-based professional tax programs that support a network or terminal-server install can be hosted, and we confirm compatibility first.
Is tax software hosting worth it for a small firm?+
Usually, once two or more people prepare returns or anyone works remotely. Hosting replaces server hardware, VPN maintenance and backup chores with one monthly cost, and it gives a small office security controls it couldn’t easily run on its own.
Does hosting make my firm compliant with the FTC Safeguards Rule?+
Not by itself. Hosting with MFA, encryption, monitoring and tested backups covers several required safeguards, but the rule also requires a Qualified Individual, a written risk assessment, staff training and a written information security plan. We document our controls so they fit straight into that plan.
Can I e-file from hosted tax software?+
Yes. Your program sends returns to the vendor’s e-file center from the server the same way it does from an office PC. Your EFIN, ERO settings and acknowledgments stay in the software.
How much does tax software hosting cost?+
Most plans are priced per user, per month. The total depends on the tax program, shared or dedicated resources, storage, prior years and add-ons. We quote after a short discovery call so the price matches your real setup.
When is the best time to switch?+
Between May and September. That leaves time to test every workflow and install the new tax year in November or December, well before filing season opens in late January.
What happens to our client data if we cancel?+
Your data is yours. We provide a full export of your tax data and documents, then securely delete the environment on the schedule your WISP sets.
Keep reading
Related Guides & Services
Tax softwareDrake Tax Software HostingDrake Tax desktop, Drake Documents and every prior year on one managed server.Learn more ↗Tax softwareLacerte Tax Software HostingLacerte and DMS sized to Intuit’s hosted requirements, with Fast Path seats planned for peak weeks.Learn more ↗ComplianceWISP Compliance for CPA FirmsTurn your hosting controls into the written security plan the FTC and IRS expect.Learn more ↗IT for CPA firmsIT Services for CPA FirmsManaged IT, security and compliance support planned around the tax calendar.Learn more ↗
Get started today
Start Next Season Without an Office Server
Tell us which tax software you run, how many preparers work at peak and what connects to it. We’ll come back with a plan, a fixed quote and a move date that stays clear of your deadlines.
Get a Tax Hosting Quote