# What your firm's tools cost today

Most small firms pay for five or six tools and never add them up. Put in your own numbers to see the total. Then see what one subscription would count in its place.

## What you pay for today
Most firms pay for tax software once a year, often a few thousand dollars. Practice software is billed for each person, each month. A client portal and e-signing come on top. Bookkeeping software is billed for each client you keep books for. Filing 1099s and W-2s is billed for each form. The calculator adds these up for a year, so you see the whole cost in one place.

## What the subscription counts
One subscription takes the place of those tools. It counts each preparer's seat, with individual returns included. It counts each business return, and each trust and estate return. It counts each client whose books you keep, each month. It counts each 1099 or W-2 you file, and each court accounting. The calculator shows how many of each your firm has, from the same numbers you put in.

## Why one seat beats five tools
Each tool you drop is one less bill, one less sign-in and one less place for a client's papers to hide. The client record, the return, the books and the bill all sit together. Nobody copies figures from one tool into the next. So the time your staff spends keeping tools in sync goes back to client work.

## The time the tools cost you
The bills are only part of the cost. Count the hours spent typing figures from client papers, chasing missing papers and sending reminders. Here, papers are read onto the return for you, and reminders go out on their own. Many firms find the hours matter more than the bills. A person on our team can walk through both with you.

## Your numbers stay with you
The calculator does not save your figures, and you do not need to sign in to use it. Your figures travel in the address of the page, so you can send the result to a partner if you wish. Change any figure and press the button again to see the new total. Start from the example figures if you are not sure, then change the ones you know.

## Talk with us about your firm
A person on our team works out what your firm would pay, from the same numbers you put in here. They can walk you through the hours your staff would get back, too. Bring your list of tools, and we will add them up together. [Try the platform](/try?for=accounting), [talk with us](/contact) about your firm, or read more about [switching to Rutledge](/switching-for-firms).