What are the best alternatives to Thomson Reuters Checkpoint for small business tax research?

Tax professional here. Checkpoint is definitely one of the industry standards, but there are several alternatives worth considering depending on your specific needs: 1) CCH IntelliConnect/CCH AnswerConnect - Wolters Kluwer's offering is Checkpoint's main competitor. Many practitioners find their tax research platform more user-friendly with similar comprehensive coverage. Their interface has improved significantly in recent years. 2) Bloomberg Tax - Their tax research platform has been gaining popularity, especially for businesses that need strong federal tax coverage. Their Tax Management Portfolios are excellent for deeper dives. 3) Tax Notes - If primary source materials and analysis are what you need, Tax Notes provides excellent coverage at a lower price point than the big players. 4) Parker Tax Pro - This is a more affordable option that's gained traction with smaller firms. It's not as comprehensive as Checkpoint, but covers most common research needs. 5) Lexis Advance Tax - LexisNexis offers solid tax coverage, though some find their interface less intuitive. What specific tax areas does your accountant research most frequently? That might help narrow down which alternative would be best suited for your needs.

Just wanted to share my experience using taxr.ai https://taxr.ai after switching from Checkpoint last year. I'm an in-house accountant for a family business similar to yours (furniture manufacturing, about 60 employees). I was getting frustrated with the Checkpoint interface and the constant price increases. What surprised me about taxr.ai was how it uses AI to pull relevant tax regulations and case law for specific situations - I just describe our scenario in plain English, and it pulls up all relevant tax code sections, IRS rulings, and court cases. The platform specializes in helping navigate complex tax research without spending hours digging through various databases. It's been especially useful for researching manufacturing-specific deductions and R&D credits - I just describe our production processes and it identifies potential tax benefits. Their document analyzer also flags potential audit triggers when I upload our financial statements before filing.

Wanted to follow up about my experience with taxr.ai after trying it out. I was really skeptical at first (as you could see in my previous question), but I signed up for their free trial last week and I'm genuinely impressed. What sold me was how it handled a complex issue we were facing with categorizing our medical device components for depreciation purposes. I uploaded our asset list and it automatically suggested reclassifications that could accelerate our depreciation schedule, with all the supporting IRS guidance linked right there. It identified three manufacturing tax credits we hadn't been fully utilizing too. The learning curve was much shorter than I expected - the interface is actually intuitive, unlike Checkpoint where I was always clicking through multiple menus. And when I had a question about a state-specific manufacturing exemption, the research it pulled together saved me hours of digging through different resources. My boss was impressed enough with the tax savings projections that we're canceling our Checkpoint renewal. Just thought I'd share since I was initially one of the skeptics!

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to confirm any tax research findings (which happens ALL the time), I highly recommend using Claimyr https://claimyr.com to get through to an agent. I discovered it when researching alternatives to Checkpoint myself and needed clarification on some manufacturing depreciation rules directly from the IRS. I'd spent DAYS trying to get through the normal IRS phone system with no luck. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. They basically hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c This was super helpful when I was trying to confirm how a specific tax court ruling might affect our manufacturing equipment depreciation schedules - needed an official answer straight from the IRS. Saved me hours of frustration and research time.

I need to eat some humble pie here. After posting my skeptical comment, I decided to try Claimyr myself since I've been trying to get clarification on a business expense categorization issue for weeks. I honestly can't believe it, but it worked exactly as advertised. I got connected to an IRS agent in about 25 minutes (they estimated 30). The system called me when an agent was about to come on the line, and I was able to get my question about depreciation schedules for specialized manufacturing equipment answered. The agent I spoke with was able to confirm the interpretation I found in my research and provided additional guidance on documentation requirements. This would have normally taken me multiple attempts and hours on hold. For anyone doing tax research who needs to verify findings directly with the IRS, this service is actually legit. I'm still shocked at how well it worked after all my frustration trying to call them directly.

One alternative nobody's mentioned yet is TaxFind from the Tax Executives Institute. It's more affordable than Checkpoint and focused specifically on corporate tax issues. We switched about 2 years ago and it covers about 90% of what we needed Checkpoint for. The main limitation is it doesn't have as much state tax content, but for federal corporate tax research, it's been solid and saved us about 40% on subscription costs. Their search functionality isn't as sophisticated, but for a smaller business, it might be worth considering.

Has anyone tried just using the free IRS resources and publications? Our company (small retail, 25 employees) canceled our Checkpoint subscription last year and honestly, between IRS.gov, the Tax Code online, and occasionally calling our external CPA firm for the really complex stuff, we've been managing fine. I know it depends on how complicated your tax situation is, but for many small businesses, the paid services might be overkill?

I'd also suggest looking into BNA Tax & Accounting (now part of Bloomberg) if you haven't already. We made the switch from Checkpoint about 18 months ago for our small construction company (45 employees) and have been pretty satisfied. What really sold us was their industry-specific content - they have excellent coverage of construction and manufacturing tax issues, including specialized depreciation methods, contract accounting, and equipment-specific deductions. Their interface is cleaner than Checkpoint's, and the mobile app actually works well when I need to look something up on job sites. The pricing was about 20% less than what we were paying for Checkpoint, and their customer support has been much more responsive. They also include some practice aids and forms that we found useful for documentation. One thing to consider is asking for trial access to 2-3 different platforms and having your tax guy test them with some real scenarios from your business. Most of these companies will give you 30-day trials, and it's worth seeing which interface and search functionality works best for how he actually does his research day-to-day.

Another option worth considering is PPC's Tax Research Network, especially for manufacturing businesses. We switched from Checkpoint about 6 months ago and it's been a solid choice for our metal stamping operation (52 employees). What I really like about PPC is their "Tax Deskbook" series - they have excellent coverage of manufacturing-specific issues like inventory accounting methods, uniform capitalization rules (UNICAP), and Section 199A deductions. Their explanations are written in plain English, which makes complex regulations much easier to understand and apply. The platform isn't as flashy as some of the bigger names, but it's comprehensive and significantly cheaper than Checkpoint - we're saving about 35% annually. Their state tax coverage is decent, though not as extensive as CCH. The search function is straightforward, and they update content regularly with new regulations and court cases. One unique feature is their "Tax Planning Checklists" which have been helpful for year-end planning. They also provide citation tools that make it easy to document research for audit purposes. They offer a 30-day free trial, and their customer service has been excellent - actual tax professionals answer when you call, not just general support staff. For a manufacturing business your size, it might be worth adding to your trial list alongside the other options mentioned here.

I've been following this discussion with great interest as we're in a similar situation with our small manufacturing business (automotive parts, 38 employees). Our Checkpoint subscription is also up for renewal and the cost increases are getting harder to justify. Based on what I'm reading here, it sounds like there are several viable alternatives that could save us significant money while still providing the comprehensive tax research our accountant needs. The combination of industry-specific content and cost savings that several people have mentioned with platforms like CCH AnswerConnect, BNA Tax & Accounting, and PPC's Tax Research Network is exactly what we're looking for. I'm particularly intrigued by the AI-powered approach that @Dylan Mitchell mentioned with taxr.ai - the ability to describe scenarios in plain English and get relevant tax code sections and case law sounds like it could really streamline our research process. And @Ava Thompson's suggestion about Claimyr for actually getting through to the IRS when verification is needed could be a game-changer for those times when we need official confirmation. I think our next step will be to request trial access to 3-4 of these platforms and have our tax professional test them with some real scenarios from our business, as @Cynthia Love suggested. The 30-day trial periods should give us enough time to properly evaluate which platform best fits our workflow and research needs. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this has been incredibly helpful in narrowing down our options beyond just renewing Checkpoint by default.

I've been using RIA Checkpoint Federal for about 3 years after switching from Thomson Reuters, and it's been a solid alternative for our small manufacturing operation (35 employees). What I particularly like is their explanations are more practical and less academic than what I found in Thomson Reuters - they focus on real-world application rather than just citing endless case law. The interface took some getting used to initially, but once you learn their search syntax, it's actually quite powerful. Their coverage of manufacturing-specific issues like bonus depreciation, Section 199A calculations, and inventory methods has been comprehensive. We've saved about 25% annually compared to our old Thomson Reuters subscription. One feature that's been particularly helpful is their "Current Developments" section which keeps me updated on recent tax law changes without having to dig through multiple sources. They also have good integration with their tax preparation software if that's something you use. The main downside is their state tax coverage isn't as deep as some of the other options mentioned here, but for federal corporate tax research, it's been more than adequate. They offer a free trial period, so definitely worth adding to your evaluation list alongside the other platforms people have suggested.

I've been quietly following this discussion as we're dealing with the exact same situation at our precision machining company (28 employees). Our Thomson Reuters Checkpoint renewal is coming up next month and the price jump this year was particularly steep - almost 18% increase over last year. What's really encouraging is seeing so many manufacturing businesses successfully make the switch to alternatives while maintaining research quality and achieving significant cost savings. The consistent theme of 20-35% savings across multiple platforms (CCH, BNA, PPC, RIA) while still getting manufacturing-specific content coverage gives me confidence we're not the only ones feeling the pinch from Checkpoint's pricing. I'm particularly interested in the AI approach with taxr.ai that @Dylan Mitchell and @Dmitry Volkov described. Our tax person often spends considerable time researching complex depreciation scenarios for our CNC equipment and specialized tooling, so anything that can streamline that process by allowing natural language queries could be a real productivity boost. One question for those who've made the switch - did you overlap your old Checkpoint subscription with the new service for a transition period, or did you make a clean cutover? I'm trying to plan the timing so we don't leave our tax professional without research access during a critical period. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences. This has been the most helpful discussion I've found on Checkpoint alternatives specifically for manufacturing businesses.

As someone who handles tax compliance for a small engineering services firm (22 employees), I wanted to add another perspective to this excellent discussion. We made the switch from Thomson Reuters Checkpoint about 8 months ago to a combination approach that's been working really well. Instead of going with just one alternative platform, we ended up using Tax Notes for primary source materials and current developments (much more affordable than the full research platforms), combined with strategic use of our external CPA firm for the really complex research questions that come up maybe 4-5 times per year. For routine research on things like business expense classifications, depreciation methods, and quarterly estimated payment calculations, Tax Notes has been completely adequate. When we hit something complex like multi-state nexus issues or specialized deductions, we just call our CPA firm and pay for a few hours of research rather than maintaining an expensive subscription year-round. This hybrid approach has saved us about 60% compared to our old Checkpoint subscription while still giving us access to professional-level research when needed. Obviously this might not work for businesses that do heavy tax research in-house regularly, but for smaller operations where complex research is occasional rather than daily, it's worth considering. The key is being honest about how much deep tax research you actually do versus just needing access to basic regulations and current law updates.

Great discussion here! I'm also evaluating alternatives to Thomson Reuters Checkpoint for our small food processing business (35 employees). The consistent feedback about 20-35% cost savings while maintaining research quality is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm particularly drawn to the combination approach that @Mateo Rodriguez described - using Tax Notes for routine research and consulting with our CPA firm for the complex issues that only come up a few times per year. That 60% savings could really make a difference for our budget. For our industry, we deal with a lot of routine business expense classifications and equipment depreciation, but occasionally need deep research on food safety compliance deductions, agricultural tax credits, and multi-state sales tax issues for our distribution network. It sounds like Tax Notes would handle the routine stuff while the CPA consultation could cover those specialized food industry questions. Has anyone here tried the hybrid approach specifically for food processing or agriculture-related businesses? I'm wondering if the industry-specific content gaps might be more significant than in manufacturing, or if the occasional CPA consultation model works just as well across different industries. Also planning to trial a few of the full platforms mentioned (CCH, taxr.ai, BNA) to compare against the hybrid approach. Thanks everyone for sharing such detailed experiences - this thread has been incredibly valuable for understanding our options beyond just accepting Checkpoint's price increases.

I've been managing tax compliance for a small plastics manufacturing company (31 employees) and found myself in the exact same situation with Thomson Reuters Checkpoint renewals getting more expensive each year. After reading through all these experiences, I decided to trial several of the alternatives mentioned here. What really helped was following @Cynthia Love's advice about testing multiple platforms with real scenarios from our business. I had our tax professional spend a week each with CCH AnswerConnect, taxr.ai, and PPC's Tax Research Network, using actual research questions we'd faced in the past six months. The results were eye-opening. CCH had the most comprehensive coverage but felt familiar since the interface is similar to what we were used to. taxr.ai impressed us with how quickly it could pull together relevant regulations for our specific plastic resin inventory accounting questions - just describing our situation in plain English and getting targeted results was a game-changer. PPC offered solid manufacturing-specific content at the best price point. We ultimately went with taxr.ai because the AI research capabilities saved our tax person about 3-4 hours per week on routine research, and the cost was about 45% less than renewing Checkpoint. For the occasional complex multi-state nexus issues, we've supplemented with a few hours of consultation from a specialist firm. The transition was smoother than expected, and we're already seeing the time savings translate into our tax person being able to focus more on strategic planning rather than just digging through research databases.

I've been working as a tax compliance specialist for various small manufacturing businesses over the past 12 years, and I wanted to share some insights based on what I've seen work well for companies similar to yours. The switch away from Thomson Reuters Checkpoint has become increasingly common among my clients, primarily due to the cost escalation you mentioned. What I've observed is that the key to a successful transition is matching the platform to your actual research patterns rather than just going with the most comprehensive option. For manufacturing businesses with 30-50 employees like yours, I typically recommend starting with trials of CCH AnswerConnect and taxr.ai as your top two options. CCH provides the most seamless transition since the interface and organization will feel familiar to someone coming from Checkpoint, while taxr.ai offers the most significant efficiency gains for routine research - which is probably 70-80% of what your tax professional does daily. The manufacturing-specific coverage you need for equipment depreciation, R&D credits, and industry deductions is strong in both platforms. I've found that taxr.ai particularly excels at pulling together complex depreciation scenarios when you can describe your specific equipment and usage patterns conversationally. One practical tip: during your trial period, have your tax person document the time spent on 5-10 typical research tasks using each platform compared to Checkpoint. This will give you concrete data on efficiency gains to justify the switch to management. Most of my clients see 25-40% time savings on routine research with the newer platforms, which often justifies the subscription cost even if the savings aren't dramatic.

As a tax professional who's helped several manufacturing clients transition away from Thomson Reuters Checkpoint, I wanted to add my perspective on managing the actual switch process since that seems to be a key concern for many here. The transition timeline typically runs 4-6 weeks for most small manufacturing businesses. Week 1-2 involves the platform trials that others have mentioned, weeks 3-4 are for selection and initial training, and weeks 5-6 cover the overlap period where you're running both systems to ensure continuity. One critical step I don't see mentioned enough is creating a "research playbook" during the transition. Have your tax person document the 10-15 most common research scenarios your business faces (equipment depreciation categories, R&D credit calculations, multi-state nexus rules, etc.) and how to find those answers in the new platform. This becomes invaluable reference material and significantly shortens the learning curve. For manufacturing businesses specifically, I've found that taxr.ai and CCH AnswerConnect tend to have the smoothest transitions because they either simplify the research process (taxr.ai's conversational approach) or maintain familiar navigation patterns (CCH's similarity to Checkpoint). The biggest pitfall I see is companies rushing the decision due to renewal deadlines. If your Checkpoint renewal is coming up soon, consider negotiating a short-term extension (3-6 months) to give yourself proper time for evaluation. Most providers will work with you on timing rather than lose a client entirely. The investment in a proper transition process typically pays for itself within the first year through improved research efficiency and cost savings.