Instead AI features and pricing (October 2026)

Instead is a US tax platform for CPA firms, corporate tax teams and businesses. The workspace, multi-entity setup and e-filing are free, while an AI agent that researches, extracts documents, plans and prepares tax work is billed per credit.

Instead handles US entity types 1040, 1120, 1120-S, 1065 and 1041 and links related entities so a user can work across a client group. Modules include research, planning, filing to the IRS and more than 140 governments, IRS notice resolution, quarterly estimates and fixed asset depreciation. The company operates as Instead, LLC with a subsidiary in India, is a member of the BDO Alliance USA and is an IRS-authorized e-file provider. Its terms state that users must review all output before filing. Some items on the homepage, such as parts of return preparation, were marked as coming soon in September 2026.

• Researches tax questions with citationsThe Research agent answers complex questions on entity planning or deductions and cites the Internal Revenue Code, regulations and case law from more than 1,500 sources. Tax staff get a traceable first answer they can verify before advising a client or the business.
• Extracts data from tax documentsThe agent reads uploaded returns, statements and transcripts, pulls figures from forms such as K-1s, W-2s and 1099s and refers back to the source document in its analysis. This removes much of the retyping when a new client or entity is set up.
• Drafts tax plans and memosThe Planning agent produces tax plans, workpapers by entity, strategy memos and formatted reports that include the calculations. Advisers and in-house teams spend less time assembling deliverables and more time checking the recommendations.
• Runs repeatable tax workflowsWorkflows and Grids apply the same prompt or task across many entities, clients or documents to create tax files and snapshots. Teams handling a large number of similar returns can process them in batches instead of one at a time.

• The platform, unlimited users, entities and e-filing are free; only AI agent work is charged in credits, with no seat or filing fees.
• Covers individual, corporate, partnership and trust returns and links related entities in one workspace.
• Credits start at $30 each with an annual agreement and remain valid for 12 months from purchase.

Instead is an IRS-authorized e-file provider and covers US returns for individuals, C and S corporations, partnerships and trusts.

Instead is built for US federal and state taxes, so it suits US entities and firms that serve them. Estimate your credit consumption before signing the annual agreement, because credit pricing depends on volume. The security page shows a SOC 2 badge without naming the report type, and hosting location, SSO and the data processing terms are not published; request these before loading client data. Check which preparation features are live, since some were marked as coming soon.

No reviews yet. Be the first to share how your team uses it.

Every review shows its verification level. We read each one before it goes live. How we check reviews