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QuickBooks vs TaxJar

QuickBooks logo

QuickBooks

Software

Smart, simple online accounting software for small business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TaxJar logo

TaxJar

Software

Sales tax, simplified

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: QuickBooks chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count; TaxJar both published plans include only 200 orders per month, so higher volume costs more
  • They diverge on capability: QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, TaxJar covers Tax calculation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which QuickBooks and TaxJar actually diverge.

Attributes where QuickBooks and TaxJar differ
AttributeQuickBooksTaxJar
Starting price$30/month$29/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Api
Founded19832013

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in QuickBooks

  • Income & expense tracking
  • Invoicing
  • Payment processing
  • Financial reporting
  • Tax preparation
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Bill management
  • Mobile apps

Only in TaxJar

  • Tax calculation
  • AutoFile returns
  • Economic nexus tracking
  • Exemption certificates
  • Multi-channel support
  • WooCommerce
  • SOC 2
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Shopify
  • Amazon
  • Stripe
  • Bank-level encryption

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

QuickBooks

  • Bookkeepingnot TaxJar
  • Invoicingnot TaxJar
  • Expense trackingnot TaxJar
  • Financial reportingnot TaxJar
  • Tax preparationnot TaxJar

TaxJar

  • Calculating US sales tax at checkoutnot QuickBooks
  • Reporting sales tax liability by state and jurisdictionnot QuickBooks
  • Automatically filing state sales tax returnsnot QuickBooks

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

QuickBooks

  • Chart of Accounts is capped on every QuickBooks Online tier except Advanced; Simple Start, Essentials and Plus all have a limited entry count
  • Even the top Advanced tier caps bulk invoice uploads at 1,000 transaction lines per batch
  • Payroll is a separate paid add-on billed per employee per month (USD 6 to 10 depending on plan) on top of the base subscription

TaxJar

  • Both published plans include only 200 orders per month, so higher volume costs more
  • The Starter plan at $39 per month allows only 3 data import integrations
  • AutoFile state filings are metered: Starter includes 2 credits a year and each extra filing costs $50, Professional includes 4 and each extra costs $55
  • Real time tax calculation API access requires the Professional plan at $99 per month
  • Phone support, a Customer Success Manager and a dedicated onboarding specialist require the Professional plan
  • The developer sandbox requires the Professional plan
  • The 10% saving requires annual billing

Pricing, plan by plan

QuickBooks

$30/month
  • Simple Start$30/month
    • Income & expense tracking
    • Invoice & payments
    • Tax deductions
  • Essentials$60/month
    • Everything in Simple Start
    • Bill management
    • Time tracking
  • Plus$90/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Inventory tracking
    • Project profitability
  • Advanced$200/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Dedicated account team
    • 25 users

TaxJar

$29/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • Sales tax calculation
    • Reporting
    • 1 state filing

Which should you pick?

Choose QuickBooks if

  • You need income & expense tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want invoicing.
QuickBooks review

Choose TaxJar if

  • You need tax calculation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want autofile returns.
TaxJar review

Questions people ask

Is QuickBooks or TaxJar better?
Neither clearly leads. QuickBooks starts at $30/month and TaxJar at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, QuickBooks or TaxJar?
QuickBooks starts at $30/month and TaxJar at $29/month.
Does QuickBooks or TaxJar run on more platforms?
QuickBooks runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. TaxJar runs on Web, Api.
What is QuickBooks best used for?
QuickBooks is most often used for bookkeeping, invoicing, expense tracking, financial reporting. Of those, bookkeeping and invoicing are not what TaxJar is typically brought in for.
What can QuickBooks do that TaxJar cannot?
QuickBooks covers Income & expense tracking, Invoicing, Payment processing, Financial reporting. TaxJar covers Tax calculation, AutoFile returns, Economic nexus tracking, Exemption certificates. Both handle Shopify, Amazon, Stripe, Bank-level encryption.
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