For firms
Prep is turning into a free product. Advice isn't.
The problem
The old model is getting squeezed from both ends.
Prep is commoditized
Clients compare your prep fee to software that costs little or nothing.
Filing is being given away
AI-native platforms are making the return itself free to the taxpayer.
The owner base is aging
There are roughly 40,000 small US firms, many with owners nearing succession and no plan for growth.
The model
Give away the return. Sell the advice.
Taxpayers come to your firm for a free return. AI does the prep work. Your CPAs review, run the planning reports, and identify which clients may benefit from a year-round advisory relationship. The target is roughly the top 20%.
The ZeroTax model
You've always wanted to be an advisor. Here's the path.
01 · Free return
Taxpayers come to your firm for a free return. The return is the front door, not the product.
Clients arrive without you paying to find them.
180 strategies
A library of 180 strategies built on incentives written into the tax code, ready for you to evaluate for each client.
Clients choose
Lay out the strategies that fit their facts. Clients pick a plan with you, with requirements, risks and documentation shown up front.
Advisor, not preparer
The return is the free first step. The relationship, the planning and the fee are where your expertise lives.
What the firm gets
- New clients, acquisition funded by ZeroTax
- AI-prepared returns ready for review
- Flags on returns that show planning opportunities
- Planning reports to run with each advisory client
What the firm does
- Reviews and signs every return
- Evaluates and models strategies for flagged clients
- Gives the advice and implements after review
- Keeps professional standards on every engagement
Educational information only. Not tax, legal, or investment advice. Strategies depend on your specific facts and are implemented only after review by a licensed professional.