Tax professionals are looking for the best value in their tax software program, and are quickly learning bigger is not always better.

CPA Trendlines has released recent survey results that indicate ATX, Drake Software, ProSeries, TaxAct, and TurboTax have had a recent surge in popularity, leaving the “big three” tax software packages -ProSystem fx, Lacerte, and Ultra Tax CS – with a significant 12 percent slip in market shares.

There are several explanations for these new market trends, but the top reason is that tax professionals are looking to spend less on their tax software program.  Another reason can be attributed to the growing momentum in the profession for small, highly networked firms looking for a software provider who can suit their needs at, again, the best price.

Smaller software providers offer much more than low prices.  Tax professionals often find the customer support, products, and training is easier to access and easier to understand.  Drake Software, for example, leads the pack in reliability, ease of use, price, and customer support year after year.