Busy season compresses a year of tax work into a few months. For many US CPA firms, the gap between the returns coming in and the preparers available to work them keeps getting wider. Tax preparation outsourcing closes that gap: an outside team prepares 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 990 and 1041 returns inside your firm’s tax software, and your reviewers keep the sign-off, the client relationship and the e-file.
This list is for firm owners, tax partners and operations leads who need overflow capacity for the next filing season, or who want to build a year-round offshore or onshore tax bench. Some providers on the list sell a managed service priced by the return. Others place dedicated preparers who work only on your files. A few offer both.
For each company we went to its own website and confirmed that it offers tax return preparation to CPA or accounting firms, which return types it lists, which tax software it names and where it delivers the work. We only mention security controls such as SOC 2 or ISO 27001 when the provider states them on its site. If you are outsourcing more than tax, see our companion list of accounting outsourcing companies for CPA firms, which covers bookkeeping, close and advisory support.
| Company | Headquarters | Best For | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| SurePrep Outsource (Thomson Reuters) | United States (Thomson Reuters) | Firms on CCH Axcess, GoSystem, Lacerte or UltraTax | Three-day standard and one-day expedited turnaround |
| QX Accounting Services | London, UK (US office in Bloomfield, NJ) | Firms with a wide mix of federal, state and estate returns | Dual review on every return, India and Mexico delivery |
| Unison Globus | Ahmedabad, India (US office in Coral Springs, FL) | Firms that want white-label returns in fixed packages | Packages from 50 to 5,000+ returns, expat forms covered |
| Madras Accountancy | Glendale, CA | Firms with estate, gift, trust and expat returns | US head office with three delivery sites in Tamil Nadu |
| Cogneesol | New York, NY (delivery in Mohali and Pune, India) | Firms with US, Canadian and UK filers | US, Canadian and UK return coverage, supervisor-led teams |
| VJM Global | Noida, India (US office in New York, NY) | Firms that want seasonal or year-round staff with US CPA review | Work reviewed by US-licensed CPAs before delivery |
| Acculink | India (offshore delivery offices) | Firms that want flexible hourly or per-return tax staff | Published rates from $8 per hour, 40-hour free trial |
| Taxfyle | Coconut Grove (Miami), FL | Firms that want US-based CPAs and EAs rather than offshore staff | 7,200+ US-based CPAs and EAs, Karbon integration |
| Flatworld Solutions | Princeton, NJ (offices in Bengaluru and Davao City) | Firms with business, estate, trust and payroll tax work | India and Philippines delivery, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 |
| Velan | India (offshore delivery center) | Firms on Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake or TaxWise | Broad tax software list, free trial |
SurePrep, now part of Thomson Reuters, runs a year-round tax preparation outsourcing service for accounting firms of every size. Its preparers take returns from start to finish, and the firm reviews and finalizes each one before filing. The service page lists individual (1040), fiduciary (1041), nonprofit (990), partnership (1065), C corporation (1120) and S corporation (1120S) returns.
Turnaround is the headline: a three-day standard process or a one-day expedited option. Firms can choose onshore or offshore processing. Outsource integrates with CCH Axcess Tax, GoSystem Tax RS, Lacerte and UltraTax CS, and it sits next to SurePrep’s own document automation tools, so firms already using SurePrep for scanning and workpapers can add outsourced preparation without a new workflow.
On security, the Thomson Reuters pages cite SOC 2 Type 2, SSAE 16/18, ISO 27001 and GDPR compliance. Thomson Reuters positions the service for small firms that need peak-season help, mid-size firms that want to grow without adding headcount, and large firms that want to move routine returns off their in-house teams.
Best for: Firms that want a per-return managed service with fixed turnaround times and no staff to manage.
QX Accounting Services is the accounting arm of QX Global Group, which has its head office at The Shard in London and a US office at 18 Broad Street in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Its US tax outsourcing service covers one of the widest return lists on this page: 1040, 1041, 990, 1065, 1120, 1120S and 706 returns, plus payroll returns, state sales and use tax returns and year-end 1099 reporting.
Preparers work in the firm’s own software. QX names ProSeries, CFS, Drake, Lacerte, TaxAct, UltraTax and CCH Axcess. Every return goes through what QX calls a 4-Eyed Review Process, a two-reviewer check before the return comes back to your firm. Engagements start with a scope definition and secure data transfer setup, followed by a dedicated team and regular review checkpoints.
Delivery runs from centers in India, and QX also offers nearshore staffing from Mexico. Its US site states SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, ISO 27001 certification for security and ISO 9001 for quality management. The company says it has served more than 500 CPA firms and processes more than 10,000 tax returns a year.
Best for: Mid-size and larger firms that need volume capacity across many return types with a built-in second review.
Unison Globus is a white-label outsourcing firm for CPA practices, headquartered in Ahmedabad with additional Indian offices in Surat and Hyderabad. It lists a US office in Coral Springs, Florida, and offices in London and Melbourne. Tax preparation is one of its core CPA services.
The firm prepares 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120, 1120S and 990 returns, along with FBAR filings and expat forms 2555, 5471 and 5472. Firms can engage a dedicated resource for short or long periods, or buy tax packages that start at 50 returns and scale past 5,000. Unison Globus delivers draft returns, supporting workpapers and lead sheets, while your firm keeps client communication, tax advice, review, approval and filing.
The software list is broad: Drake, ProConnect, ATX, CCH, GoSystem, Lacerte, ProSeries and UltraTax. The site states ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and SOC 2 Type II compliance, and it flags March to April and August to October as the peak periods it staffs for.
Best for: Small and mid-size firms that want to buy a defined block of returns under their own brand.
Madras Accountancy has its head office at 330 Arden Avenue in Glendale, California, and delivery offices in Chennai, Coimbatore and Dharmapuri in India. It reports more than 160 offshore professionals serving more than 63 US CPA firms.
Its return list goes deeper than most: 1040 and schedules, 1040-NR, FBAR support and expat forms 2555, 5471 and 5472; 1065 with K-1 workpapers; 1120 and 1120-S with shareholder K-1 support; 706, 709 and 1041 for estates, gifts and trusts; 990 and 990-EZ for nonprofits; and Canadian T1, T2 and T5013 returns. Add-ons include sales and use tax, IRS notice and audit support and tax research.
The split of work is spelled out. Madras handles preparation, workpapers, tie-outs, document organization, planning inputs and deadline tracking. Your firm keeps client communication, technical positions, elections, reviewer sign-off and pricing. Engagements usually begin with a small pilot.
Best for: Firms with complex individual, estate or cross-border clients that want a US-based point of contact.
Cogneesol is an outsourcing firm that prepares tax returns for CPAs, tax firms and businesses, and it pitches the service directly at firms that need help with peak-season workloads. Its US office is at 30 Wall Street in New York, with further offices in Mississauga, Melbourne and Hayes in the UK, and delivery offices in Mohali and Pune in India.
On the US side it lists 1040 individual returns, 1065 partnership returns with K-1s and 1120 and 1120S corporate returns. It also prepares Canadian T1, T2, T4, T4A, T5 and T5018 filings and GST/HST returns, plus UK SA100, SA800 and CT600 returns and VAT100. That cross-border range is useful for firms with clients filing in more than one country.
Cogneesol publishes a case study for a New York City CPA firm in which a dedicated team, led by a supervisor who was the firm’s single point of contact, processed more than 1,800 returns in one season in Lacerte, chased missing documents and sent daily status updates. The site lists ISO 27001, ISO 9001:2015 and SOC 2.
Best for: Firms whose client base includes Canadian or UK filers alongside US individual and entity returns.
VJM Global is a chartered accountant-led firm with its corporate office in Noida and a US office at 447 Broadway in New York. It also lists offices in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Dubai and Dhaka, and is a member of EAI International, a network of independent accounting and tax firms.
Its tax preparation service for US CPA firms covers 1040, 1065, 1120, 1120-S and 1041 returns, other federal and state filings, multi-state returns, K-1s for partnerships and multi-member LLCs, amendments, extensions and estimated tax calculations. Its offshore accountants work in Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax and Drake, on hours that overlap with Eastern and Pacific time.
Firms can take seasonal staff for January to April or year-round support, and the team also helps with IRS notice responses. VJM says all work is reviewed by US-licensed CPAs before it reaches the client firm, and that your firm keeps the client relationship and quality control. Engagements start with a scoping call and a structured preparation plan with review stages and delivery dates.
Best for: Firms that want offshore capacity with an extra layer of US CPA review before returns come back.
Acculink supplies offshore tax preparers to US accounting firms from centralized offices in India. It reports more than 300 team members and more than 80 accounting firms served. Its preparers handle 1040, 1065, 1120 and 1120-S returns, Schedule C, K-1s, depreciation, extensions on Forms 7004 and 4868 and e-file management, and the FAQ adds 1041 trust and estate, 990 nonprofit and 941 and 940 payroll returns.
Preparers work inside your firm’s software. Acculink names UltraTax CS, CCH Axcess Tax, ProSystem fx, Drake Tax, Lacerte and ProConnect Tax Online. Your partner reviews and e-files under the firm’s own EFIN, and Acculink does not contact your clients directly.
The pricing options are the most flexible on this list: full-time, part-time or ad hoc dedicated staff, per-return pricing by return type and complexity, seasonal dedicated staff for January to April, and custom pricing for firms with more than 200 returns. Published rates start at $8 per hour, new clients get a 40-hour free trial and there is no long-term contract. The FAQ states SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
Best for: Small and mid-size firms that want to try offshore tax help with no long-term contract.
Taxfyle is the only provider on this list that relies entirely on a US-based workforce. Headquartered in Coconut Grove, Florida, it runs a platform that connects accounting firms with licensed CPAs and Enrolled Agents for tax preparation, review and bookkeeping. The company reports more than 7,200 US-based CPAs and EAs on its network, more than 100 firm partnerships and more than 100,000 returns prepared.
Firms send work through Taxfyle’s job management system, which integrates with Karbon, and track engagements and communicate with the assigned professional in one place. Taxfyle says it can handle anything from ten returns to 1,000, and that every professional is background-checked and vetted before picking up jobs.
Client data is encrypted, and the site displays SOC 2, ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 badges and points to a Trust Center for details. Because the preparers are US-licensed, Taxfyle suits firms whose clients object to offshore data handling.
Best for: Firms whose clients or policies require US-based preparers for overflow work.
Flatworld Solutions is a business process outsourcing company with a US office at 116 Village Boulevard in Princeton, New Jersey, and delivery offices in Bengaluru, India, and Davao City in the Philippines. Its CPA tax service is built for firms that are swamped during tax season, and it follows each client firm’s own preparation and documentation processes.
The scope covers business returns by entity type, individual and high-net-worth personal filings, estate and trust returns and payroll tax filings. Its preparers work in Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, UltraTax and ATX, and Flatworld says it uses RPA for data entry and form filling. The tax page states ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification.
Best for: Firms that want a large BPO provider with two delivery countries for overflow tax and payroll work.
Velan, in business since 2007, runs bookkeeping and tax processing for US accounting firms from an offshore delivery center that it describes as an extension of the client’s office. It offers white-label and back-office arrangements for CPA firms that plug into the firm’s own review process.
On tax, Velan prepares 1120 and 1120S corporate returns, partnership returns for LLPs, LLCs and LPs, 1040, 1040NR and 1040X individual returns, FBAR and FATCA filings, franchise tax returns and payroll tax returns, and it works with tax-exempt organizations and foundations. It says it has experience with every state. The software list is long: Lacerte, ProSeries, Drake, TaxWorks, TaxWise, TaxAct, TaxPoint and TurboTax. Firms can start with a free trial.
Best for: Firms on less common tax software that want an offshore team already trained on it.
Ask for the exact forms the team prepares today, not the forms it could learn. Individual 1040s are offered almost everywhere. Partnership returns with multi-tier K-1s, 990s, 1041s and estate returns are where capability varies. If your book has expat clients or many multistate filers, ask for sample workpapers on those returns before you send live work.
The cleanest setups have preparers log into your licensed UltraTax, CCH Axcess, Lacerte, Drake or ProConnect environment so no return files leave your systems. Confirm the provider has trained staff on your exact platform and version, and ask how they handle your firm’s templates, organizers and diagnostics.
Every provider says it checks its work. Ask how many review layers sit between the preparer and your reviewer, who performs them and what the provider does when your reviewer sends a return back. Providers on this list range from a single supervisor check to a two-reviewer process or a US CPA review. Your firm should still sign and file under its own credentials.
Ask for the SOC 2 report or ISO 27001 certificate itself, not just a badge on a web page. Confirm how the provider collects IRS Section 7216 consent when data goes offshore, whether staff work in clean-desk offices or remotely, and whether access runs through your systems or theirs.
Per-return pricing suits firms with a spike of simple returns during busy season. Dedicated hourly or monthly staff suits firms with year-round work that can keep a preparer busy. Ask what happens to a dedicated hire after April 15, what the minimum commitment is and how quickly you can add or drop capacity.
It is an arrangement in which an outside team prepares tax returns for your firm’s clients, usually inside your tax software. Your firm reviews, signs and files the returns and keeps the client relationship.
Yes, with conditions. IRS rules under Section 7216 generally require written client consent before tax return information is disclosed to a preparer outside the United States, so build that consent into your engagement letters.
Most firms start with straightforward 1040s and simple pass-through returns, then add more complex entity, trust and nonprofit returns once the provider has learned the firm’s workpaper standards.
Start in the fall. That leaves time for a pilot on prior-year returns, software access setup, consent forms and a review of the provider’s first batch before January volume arrives.
Yes. Taxfyle uses a network of US-licensed CPAs and EAs, and SurePrep Outsource offers an onshore processing option alongside its offshore service.
The right partner depends on how your firm works. If you want a managed service with fixed turnaround and no staff to supervise, SurePrep Outsource is built for that. QX and Unison Globus suit firms that need volume across many return types, and Madras Accountancy, VJM Global and Velan cover estate, trust, expat and less common software needs. Cogneesol fits firms with Canadian or UK filers, Acculink and Flatworld Solutions offer flexible offshore capacity, and Taxfyle is the choice when the work has to stay in the US.
Run a pilot on last season’s returns, check the review notes your partners would write and confirm the security paperwork before busy season. For broader back office help, see our guide to back office outsourcing companies.