What can CCH Axcess Tax Essentials do for you?
CCH Axcess Tax Features
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CCH Axcess Tax Essentials Explore and Learn
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Powerful tax compliance. Purpose-built packages for small firms.

Built on one of the most accurate and sophisticated tax return platforms in the industry, CCH Axcess Tax Essentials combines cloud-based tax compliance, automation, and intelligent workflow capabilities into purpose-built packages designed specifically for small firms. Whether you're looking to build a stronger foundation, reduce manual work, or gain greater visibility into performance, CCH Axcess Tax Essentials provides a clear path to grow at your own pace, while handling even the most complex returns with confidence.

*Please note: CCH Axcess™ Tax packages available on the eStore are intended for new customers only. These packages are not eligible for purchase by existing CCH Axcess or ProSystem fx® Tax customers. 

  • Save time and improve efficiencies
  • Master quickly
  • Ensure quality and accuracy

  • Grow your firm, your way

Tailor-made professional tax software for small firms

  • Gain efficiencies to grow your firm
    CCH Axcess Tax Essentials is designed to optimize your workflows, gain efficiencies to save you and your team time so you can focus even more on spending time with your clientele for higher quality engagements, automate processes, analyze data, and more, with the goal of gaining efficiencies to maximize the growth of your firm.
  • Time-saving digital workflows
    Boost efficiency and streamline the last mile of your tax process by automating time-consuming tasks like batch calculations, batch printing, and batch filing extensions with CCH Axcess Tax Batch Manager. Provide convenient e-signature collection for any document with CCH eSign, and enable near real-time e-file notifications with the Electronic Filing Status System.
CCH Axcess Tax Essentials Cloud-Based Tax Software

Get started swiftly with free ongoing support

  • Flexible and easy-to-use interface
    Leverage a flexible and modern interface that feels familiar and can be customized to the needs of each firm — and staff member. Display a combination of four tabs and windows at a time to view multiple worksheets and forms at the same time. Meanwhile, navigation history is recorded, so you can easily revisit worksheets and forms opened earlier in your session.
  • Easy set-up
    Designed for the needs of small tax and accounting firms — and focused on creating time-saving efficiencies. The setup wizard provides for a quick and easy implementation process that's optimized to get you and your firm up and running quickly and as effortlessly as possible.
  • Self-guided training
    CCH Axcess Tax Essentials makes learning and software adoption quick through the dedicated Learning Portal where you will a library of helpful videos. These will help you get adjusted so you can start preparing tax returns quickly. For example, the videos include tips and tricks about the CCH Axcess platform and dashboards, how to find the forms you need, how to work with multiple tabs for ease of use, where to find help with logging in if needed, and much more.
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Enjoy efficiencies and accuracies that you and your clients deserve

  • High-quality and accurate returns
    Keep e-file rejections to a minimum and ensure high-quality returns with features such as onscreen review tools and powerful, easy-to-understand, and actionable diagnostic tools. Improve accuracy and accountability at all stages of the tax prep workflow with collaborative notes, easy-to-use reports, multiple levels of tick marks, and the 1040 Return Dashboard.
  • Reliable and efficient
    Switching to new software can seem like an uphill battle, and switching from on-premise to cloud-based software may seem especially daunting. With CCH Axcess Tax Essentials, the transition from other professional tax software is free of charge for new customers, plus we've made switching as effortless as possible with tools specifically designed for switching tax software.

    By moving to CCH Axcess Tax Essentials, you will set up your firm for long-term success, giving you peace of mind and opportunity for growth in the future.
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Start simple, scale naturally

  • Start with the foundation you need
    Not every firm needs the same technology on day one. Build a connected foundation for tax preparation and client collaboration that helps you firm stay organized, improve communication, and streamline core tax workflows. Add capabilities as your needs evolve, without replacing your technology or disrupting the way you work. 
  • Expand your capabilities as you grow
    As your goals change, your technology should grow with you. Add Expert AI-powered automation to reduce manual work, increase capacity, and speed up turnaround times. Then gain greater visibility into workflows, deadlines, resources, and performance to help you run a smarter, more profitable firm.
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Why thousands of tax professionals and small accounting firms are using CCH Axcess Tax Essentials.

Power your firm with the same solution as the largest, fastest growing top firms in the United States.

94 of Accounting Today's Top 100

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16 of Accounting Today's 20 Fastest Growing

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Awards and recognition

Accounting Today Top New Product 2025 CCH AnswerConnect
Top 2025 New Products Winner
CCH Axcess Tax Essentials
Accounting Today 2025 Top New Products
BIG Innovation Award 2024
Innovative Software Product, winner
CCH Axcess Tax
2024 BIG Innovation Awards
2023 Silver Globee Business Awards logo
Achievement in Existing Product, silver winner
10 years driving innovation and transformation in the accounting industry
2023 Globee Business Awards 

CCH Axcess Tax Essentials tools and features

Discover more ways our solutions can make your workflows efficient.
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Additional resources
Forms and States Supported
Download the Fact Sheet
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CCH Axcess Tax Essentials success stories

Real stories from real firms, just like yours

  • America's CPA
  • Jamie Scott, CPA 

  • Michael Tchalikian, CPA

  • Andrew Kutter, EA
Brad Jacobs, CPA and Owner of America's CPA talks about how he's using CCH Axcess Tax Essentials as his professional small firm cloud-based tax software setting up his firm for future growth in the tax and accounting space.

CCH Axcess doesn't just replace what I had, it enables what I'm trying to build next.

Brad F. Jacobs
Owner
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Read Case Study
Jamie Scott, CPA - Empower Ventures, LLC. Wolters Kluwer customer and user of CCH Axcess Tax Essentials and CCH Axcess Engagement
Wolters Kluwer customer and user of CCH Axcess Tax Essentials and CCH Axcess Engagement
Jamie Scott, CPA
Empower Ventures, LLC
Small business owner and professional tax preparer Michael Tchalikian of Tchalikian, CPA., Inc. switched from a competitive tax software provider (Intuit Lacerte) to CCH Axcess Tax Essentials to maximize cost savings, leverage new time-saving efficiencies, and enjoy overall enhanced satisfaction.
CCH Axcess Tax Essentials is exponentially better than what I previously had. 

I beat myself up for not having made the transition three years earlier...
Michael Tchalikian, CPA and Owner
Tchalikian, CPA., Inc.
Read Case Study
Read Case Study
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I have very raw experience of tax platforms. CCH Axcess Tax Essentials is by and far the most superior and significantly better platform in every way, shape, and form. I was extremely happy with how the actual software and how the processing worked. After getting through doing 600 returns, I have a really good understanding of it.
Andrew Kutter
EA & Tax Preparer
  • Benefit from cloud-based tax preparation 
  • Streamline communications
  • Workflow software

Anywhere, anytime access and cloud-based security

Built for the cloud, CCH Axcess Tax Essentials leverages technology and industry best practices to protect firm and client data from security, privacy, and insider threats while providing access to those who need it.

Take advantage of the benefits of cloud-based tax preparation, such as the benefits of working in full virtual environment, frequent file back-ups, offsite data storage, and protection against unforeseen business threats such as fires or other natural disasters.
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Streamline communications to enhance your business

Correspondence Manager will help your firm streamline the creation, management, and delivery of business communications — such as tax letters, notices, and client correspondence — within CCH Axcess Tax Essentials.

Ensure your correspondence is clear, compliant, and client ready. CCH Axcess Tax Essentials includes a limited version of Correspondence Manager, for full capability and enjoying the all the benefits, at $999 — reach out to your Solution Consultant to get set up.
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Add-ons to transform your workflow

Eliminate wasted time and free up your staff for higher value client engagements with CCH® ProSystem fx® Scan. Your firm will benefit from a complete end-to-end Digital Tax Workflow by utilizing its AI-enabled smart scanning, expanded Adobe® Acrobat® support, and simplified data extraction and importing.

Document management is key for your firm's digital workflow. With CCH Axcess™ Document's electronic filing and automated retention policy capabilities, your firm can take advantage of secure file storage and collaboration, file retention and version control, and multiple storage options.
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Frequently asked questions

From firms like yours

  • Returns: What is an authorization?
    An authorization is how CCH Axcess Tax Essentials calculates the usage of returns in a tax package. The authorization is considered used and deducted from your “bank” at the time a return is first calculated.
  • Packages & pricing: What are the biggest differences between CCH Axcess Tax Essentials 100, 200, 400, and Pay-Per-Return?
    • Each CCH Axcess Tax Essentials package is the number of authorizations included at either Pay-Per-Return, 100, 200, or 400. All features and benefits that are available with CCH Axcess Tax Essentials are the same with each package, just the number of authorizations varies per purchased package.
    • The number of users included is up to 9 full-time employees.
    • Pricing for each additional state after the included 5 states for each package, is charged at Pay-Per-State.
    • If you need to upgrade to a different package of CCH Axcess Tax (Essentials), you can discuss with your sales consultant (assigned after purchasing any package of CCH Axcess).
  • Conversion: How does conversion from other (on-premise) software to cloud-based CCH Axcess Tax Essentials work?
    • Converting your data from other professional tax software solutions is free of charge and comes at no cost to you and your firm. This includes Drake Software, Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS and GoSystem RS, Intuit Lacerte and ProSeries, and other Wolters Kluwer products including TaxWise and ATX Tax Preparation Software.
    • CCH Axcess Tax Essentials is completely cloud-based, you will be able to use it from anywhere granted you have a connection with the internet. You will not need an on-premise server or setup to connect to your software. Cloud-based software is designed to be accessed from anywhere, anytime, and it helps to prevent unforeseen disasters such as fires, floods, hurricanes, tornados, ice and snow, or theft to keep your business up and running at all times. You can read more about this topic here.
  • Support & onboarding: What kind of technical support and training does CCH Axcess Tax Essentials offer?
    • Support is free of charge and available at https://support.cch.com/oss/ml/. Additionally, self-guided learning and training is available with CCH Axcess Tax Essentials at no cost. The Learning Portal inside the CCH Axcess module has everything you need to get started and it offers how to learn everything that CCH Axcess Tax has to offer.
    • After purchasing, you will receive 2x emails with information on how to get started with CCH Axcess tax Essentials. If you do not receive these emails, please contact Support.
    • Onboarding is easy and straightforward via the CCH Axcess Tax Essentials Setup Wizard. Simply follow the steps in the wizard to set up administrator rights and software users.
    • After purchasing, you should be able to set up the software, take training and obtain familiarization with CCH Axcess Tax Essentials completely self-serviced. Support is always available when needed, you will also be assigned a sales consultant should you need further help when not available online.
  • System requirements: What are the systems requirements for CCH Axcess Tax Essentials?
    System requirements for CCH Axcess are available on the KnowledgeBase Support Site.

Ready to take the next steps with CCH Axcess Tax Essentials?

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