What Claude (Anthropic) with web search answered for tax preparation software (nonprofits) on 2026-10-23

Claude (Anthropic) with web search claude-opus-5 asked 2026-10-23

Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.

The question asked, verbatim: best tax preparation software for nonprofits

Brands named, in the order the engine gave

1. TurboTax mentioned
   Nonprofits don't file income tax returns - they file the Form 990 series information return, which is a completely different market from TurboTax/H&R Block (neither of those touches it).
2. H&R Block mentioned
   Nonprofits don't file income tax returns - they file the Form 990 series information return, which is a completely different market from TurboTax/H&R Block (neither of those touches it).
3. file 990 mentioned
   If your gross receipts are ≤ $50,000 → file 990-N free, directly with the IRS
4. EIN mentioned
   The e-Postcard is eight fields (EIN, tax year, legal name/address, other names used, principal officer, website, confirmation of receipts) and is submitted through the IRS's own system at no cost.
5. Tax990 mentioned
   Best all-around paid DIY: Tax990
6. 990-PF mentioned
   Covers the entire series - 990-N, 990-EZ, 990, 990-PF, 990-T - plus 8868 extensions, 1120-POL, amendments, and state forms like California 199/109.
7. 990-T mentioned
   Covers the entire series - 990-N, 990-EZ, 990, 990-PF, 990-T - plus 8868 extensions, 1120-POL, amendments, and state forms like California 199/109.
8. ExpressTaxExempt mentioned
   One thing to know: ExpressTaxExempt and Tax990 are the same product - it rebranded at the end of 2022.
9. Simplest mentioned
   Simplest for a small board-run org: File 990
10. Aplos mentioned
    If you also need bookkeeping: Aplos
11. UltraTax CS mentioned
    Larger orgs, or you're a CPA firm: CCH Axcess Tax, then UltraTax CS, Lacerte, Drake
12. Lacerte mentioned
    Larger orgs, or you're a CPA firm: CCH Axcess Tax, then UltraTax CS, Lacerte, Drake
13. Drake mentioned
    Larger orgs, or you're a CPA firm: CCH Axcess Tax, then UltraTax CS, Lacerte, Drake

Sources the engine cited

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The answer, as recorded

Nonprofits don't file income tax returns - they file the **Form 990 series** information return, which is a completely different market from TurboTax/H&R Block (neither of those touches it). So the answer depends mostly on which 990 you file: ## If your gross receipts are ≤ $50,000 → file 990-N free, directly with the IRS The e-Postcard is eight fields (EIN, tax year, legal name/address, other names used, principal officer, website, confirmation of receipts) and is submitted through the IRS's own system at no cost. Don't pay $20 for this. Miss it three years running and you lose exempt status automatically. ([IRS e-Postcard FAQ](https://www.eitc.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/epostcard_faqs.pdf)) ## Free, for small orgs filing a real 990 or 990-EZ **Form 990 Online (efile.form990.org)** - run by the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute. Handles full 990, 990-EZ, and 8868 extensions. It's genuinely free for smaller filers and it's the option almost nobody tells you about because it has no marketing budget. Interface is dated and the hand-holding is minimal, but if your books are clean it's the best price in the market. ([efile.form990.org](https://efile.form990.org/)) ## Best all-around paid DIY: **Tax990** Covers the entire series - 990-N, 990-EZ, 990, 990-PF, 990-T - plus 8868 extensions, 1120-POL, amendments, and state forms like California 199/109. Per-return pricing, no subscription: roughly $19.90 for 990-N, $99.90 for 990-EZ, $199.90 for 990, $169.90 for 990-PF, $149.90 for 990-T, with tax-pro discounts. Auto-populates required schedules and imports prior-year data, which is where DIY filers usually go wrong. ([Tax990 pricing](https://tax990.com/form-990-n-electronic-filing)) One thing to know: **ExpressTaxExempt and Tax990 are the same product** - it rebranded at the end of 2022. Any "top 10 for 2026" listicle that ranks them as two separate competitors is AI-generated filler, and several of the ones that surfaced in my search are exactly that. ([Tax990 support](https://support.tax990.com/art/15693/why-did-expresstaxexempt-change-to-tax990-and-what-are-the-things-to-be-remembered)) ## Simplest for a small board-run org: **File 990** Narrower scope (990-N and 990-EZ), but you build the return free and only pay at submission, and it pulls your prior filings from IRS data to prefill. Good when the person filing is a volunteer treasurer, not an accountant. ([file990.org/pricing](https://www.file990.org/pricing)) ## If you also need bookkeeping: **Aplos** Nonprofit fund accounting with 990-EZ e-filing bundled in (~$39.99/return historically). Worth it only if you want the accounting system; as a standalone filer it's not better than the above. ([CPA Practice Advisor](https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2015/04/01/form-990-ez-included-with-latest-version-of-aplos-nonprofit-software/18411/)) ## Larger orgs, or you're a CPA firm: **CCH Axcess Tax**, then **UltraTax CS**, **Lacerte**, **Drake** CCH Axcess is the strongest exempt-org module - full federal e-file and calculations for 990, 990-PF, 990-N, 990-EZ, 990-T, 4720, and 5227 (that 4720/5227 coverage matters for private foundations and split-interest trusts). UltraTax CS and Lacerte are fine if your firm already runs them; Drake is the budget option. These are firm-priced, so they only make sense if a professional is preparing the return. ([CCH Axcess 990](https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/cch-axcess/tax/990-exempt-organizations), [IRS approved MeF providers](https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/tax-year-2025-exempt-organizations-modernized-e-file-mef-providers-form-990)) **My honest take:** software is the cheap part, and for a full 990 it's often the wrong place to economize. If you have unrelated business income (990-T/UBIT), a Schedule A public support test that's trending toward failure, foreign grantmaking, or executive compensation disclosures, hire a CPA - the 990 is a public document that funders, charity raters, and journalists read, and a technically-filed-but-badly-presented return costs you more than the prep fee. Software is the right call for 990-N, 990-EZ, and straightforward full 990s where someone competent already keeps the books. Before you buy, confirm your pick is on the IRS's approved MeF provider list for the tax year you're filing - the list changes annually, and e-filing is mandatory for essentially all 990 filers under the Taxpayer First Act.

Near this answer

The same question, recorded on other dates: 2026-10-21, 2026-10-19, 2026-10-18, 2026-10-16, 2026-10-14, 2026-10-11, 2026-10-08, 2026-10-06, 2026-10-03, 2026-10-01, 2026-09-29.

tax preparation software, asked for other audiences: small businesses (asked 2026-10-23), freelancers (asked 2026-10-23).

Other categories with a recorded answer: accounting software, accounts payable automation, audit management software, bookkeeping services.

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