Comparing pricing models
Flat rate per firm, or priced per user and per device
The model matters more than the headline number, because it decides whether your bill moves when you hire a seasonal preparer or replace a laptop.
How the three models behave
| What happens when | Flat rate per firm | Per user | Per device |
|---|---|---|---|
| You hire two seasonal preparers in February | No change | Bill rises | Bill rises if they get devices |
| A preparer uses a laptop, a phone and a tablet | No change | Counts once | Counts three times |
| You replace a failed workstation | No change | No change | Depends on the contract |
| Staff leave after the season | No change | Bill falls, if the term allows | Bill falls, if the term allows |
| You can predict next year's cost in October | Yes | Only if headcount is stable | Only if the estate is stable |
This compares how the models behave, not what any named vendor charges. Read the terms of whatever you are considering, because the detail sits in the contract rather than the price page.
Why it shows up in this market
Tax firms are seasonal, and the counting models are not
A practice that runs four people in November and nine in March is the normal shape of this industry, not an edge case. Per-user and per-device pricing was designed for software where headcount is stable, and it transfers badly to a business with a hiring spike built into its calendar.
There is a second effect worth naming. When a device costs money to cover, there is a quiet incentive not to document all of them. The FTC Safeguards Rule asks for an inventory of data, personnel, devices and facilities at 16 CFR 314.4(c)(2), and the Massachusetts standards require encryption of personal information on laptops and other portable devices at 201 CMR 17.04(5). A pricing model that makes the complete inventory the expensive answer is working against the thing you are buying.
Questions worth asking any vendor
About the count
- What exactly counts as a user, and does a seasonal hire count for the year?
- Do phones and tablets count as devices?
- What happens mid-term when the number goes up, and when it goes down?
About the term
- Is the setup fee charged again if the firm changes shape?
- How much notice before a renewal price change?
- What do you keep if you leave?
We publish our own answers on the pricing page and in the terms.
Questions
What does ProtPTX charge?
A one-time setup fee and then a flat rate for the firm, banded by staff size rather than counted per seat. Unlimited devices, no per-user and no per-device charges. The three bands and both billing options are on the pricing page.
Why band by staff size at all, if not per user?
Because the work genuinely scales with the firm. A nine-person practice with two offices has more devices, more vendors and more access to document than a solo preparer. The band is set once from the shape of the firm, and it does not move because somebody bought a second monitor.
Is flat rate always cheaper?
No. For a stable one-person practice with one laptop, a per-user price can be lower. The argument for flat rate is predictability and a complete device inventory, not a guarantee of the smallest invoice.
What happens to my price if I add staff mid-year?
Plans are banded by staff size, so a firm that grows past its band moves band at renewal rather than being re-billed during the term. The bands are published on the pricing page and the renewal notice terms are in the terms.