Key takeaways
- Wolters Kluwer sells CCH as on-premise CCH Central and the cloud platform CCH iFirm, which added Personal Tax and Accounts Production modules on 24 April 2025.
- From April 2028 every company must file accounts with Companies House in iXBRL using commercial software, Companies House confirmed on 23 October 2026.
- Capium charges £20, £40 or £60 a month plus VAT per module, including Accounts Production, Corporation Tax and Self Assessment, by practice size up to 500 clients.
- TaxCalc Accounts Production costs £164 a year for 12 clients up to £1,050 a year for 1,000 clients, checked 6 November 2026.
- IRIS Elements Tax covers the SA100, CT600 and SA800 and lists Tax Essentials at £116.18 per user a year on a 12-month contract, with a 30-day free trial.
- Xero Tax files accounts and company, partnership and personal returns and is free to UK Xero partners.
- VT Accounts Suite, an Excel add-in with iXBRL filing, costs £175 a year plus VAT for one user.
The main UK alternatives to CCH for accounts production and tax are BTCSoftware, Capium, IRIS, TaxCalc, VT Software and Xero Tax. They range from free (Xero Tax for Xero partners) to banded annual licences and monthly subscriptions. Products are listed alphabetically with prices from each provider’s own site on 6 November 2026; this is not a ranking.
What does CCH include today?
Wolters Kluwer sells CCH in two forms. CCH Central is the on-premise suite, with CCH Accounts Production and CCH Personal Tax. CCH iFirm is the cloud platform; a Wolters Kluwer release dated 24 April 2025 launched CCH iFirm Personal Tax and CCH iFirm Accounts Production, the latter for sole traders, partnerships and FRS 105 companies.
Wolters Kluwer does not publish UK prices, and its product pages blocked our checks on 6 November 2026. See IRIS vs CCH for CCH iFirm contract terms.
Why are firms reviewing their software now?
Two filing changes make this a natural time to compare. HMRC’s free accounts and Company Tax Return service closed on 31 March 2026, so commercial software has been needed since 1 April 2026.
Companies House said on 23 October 2026 that from April 2028 all companies must file accounts in iXBRL using commercial software, and web and paper accounts filing will close. The planned profit and loss filing requirement for small companies and micro-entities is paused. See Companies House pauses P&L filing.
CCH alternatives compared
This table shows the published entry price for each product. Prices exclude VAT unless stated.
| Product | Covers | Published entry price |
|---|---|---|
| BTCSoftware (BrightTax) | Accounts, tax | Not published |
| Capium | Accounts, CT, SA and more | £20 a month per module |
| IRIS Elements | Accounts, tax, practice | Tax Essentials £116.18 per user a year |
| TaxCalc | Accounts, tax | Accounts £164 a year (12 clients) |
| VT Software | Accounts, iXBRL filing | £175 a year (one user) |
| Xero Tax | Accounts, CT, SA, partnership | £0 for Xero partners |
What each alternative offers
BTCSoftware. BTCSoftware has joined the Bright group and is moving its tools to the BrightTax cloud platform. It says UK-based migration support is included at no extra cost. Prices are not published; its sales line is 0345 241 5030.
Capium. Capium prices each module at £20, £40 or £60 a month plus VAT for up to 100, 300 or 500 clients. That covers Accounts Production, Corporation Tax, Self Assessment and MTD for Income Tax. Its full suite costs £140, £280 or £420 a month. All plans run on a 12-month contract with 30 days’ notice to cancel, and include unlimited users.
IRIS Elements. IRIS Elements Tax covers the SA100, CT600 and SA800. Tax Essentials lists £116.18 per user a year and Professional £174.66, on 12-month contracts, with minimums of 5 and 10 clients or users. Trust returns need the separate Trust Tax product. Taxfiler’s pricing page now redirects to IRIS Elements Tax.
TaxCalc. TaxCalc Accounts Production costs £164 a year for 12 clients, £368 for 50 and £1,050 for 1,000. Bands from 50 clients include two concurrent users, and extra users cost £178. Medium and large company accounts need the FRS 102 add-on, from £82. Its shop page did not show tax product prices.
VT Software. VT Accounts Suite costs £175 a year plus VAT for one user and £90 for each extra user. VT Final Accounts is an Excel add-in that needs 32-bit desktop Excel. New customers get 60 days free.
Xero Tax. Xero Tax is free to UK Xero partners. It files accounts and corporate, partnership and self assessment returns to Companies House and HMRC. Xero’s page does not list the accounting frameworks it supports.
For more on each product, see accounts production software and our tax software guide.
Which applies to your practice?
- If you run CCH Central on your own server and want the cloud, compare CCH iFirm with the cloud options here before renewing.
- If you are a small firm with a few company clients, price TaxCalc’s 12-client band, Capium’s smallest band, VT or Xero Tax.
- If most clients use Xero, check whether Xero Tax covers your entity types and frameworks.
- If you prepare trust, charity or full FRS 102 accounts, confirm the module exists and price the add-ons.
- If you need MTD for Income Tax, check the product submits quarterly updates through your agent services account.
How to switch from CCH
- Check your notice period. Find the renewal date and notice terms in your CCH contract.
- List your workload. Count clients by entity type, framework and return type.
- Trial two products. IRIS Elements offers 30 days, VT 60 days.
- Ask about migration. Find out which CCH data the new supplier can import, and at what cost.
- Run in parallel. Prepare a few sets of accounts and returns in both systems before you move everything.
- Time the move. Avoid the January Self Assessment peak.
Our guide to switching accounting software covers data migration in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main alternatives to CCH in the UK?
BTCSoftware, Capium, IRIS, TaxCalc, VT Software and Xero Tax all offer accounts production, tax software or both for UK practices.
Does Wolters Kluwer publish CCH prices?
No. Wolters Kluwer sells CCH by quote, and its UK pages did not publish prices when we checked on 6 November 2026.
Is there a free alternative to CCH?
Xero Tax is free to UK Xero partners. HMRC’s free online accounts and Company Tax Return service closed on 31 March 2026.
Will I need new software for Companies House filing in 2028?
You will need commercial software that files iXBRL accounts, because Companies House closes web and paper accounts filing from April 2028.
How much does Capium cost?
Capium charges £20, £40 or £60 a month plus VAT per module, by practice size, on a 12-month contract.
Sources
Rates, thresholds and rules in this guide were checked against HMRC and GOV.UK guidance on 6 November 2026. Tax rules change, so check the current position on GOV.UK or with a qualified adviser before acting. This guide is general information, not personal advice.