Comparison · updated monthly
Bright!Tax assigns you a CPA. If your situation isn't unusual, you're paying for a CPA you don't need.
Bright!Tax is a done-for-you CPA firm — a human prepares your return after a structured intake. The trade-off is price: $170 per Form 8621 with distributions on top of the base preparation fee. For straightforward expat returns, that's a steep premium over self-serve software.
Who Bright!Tax is for
Bright!Tax is the right call when you genuinely need a CPA — partnerships or trusts, an IRS examination in flight, FATCA disclosure with material gaps, or a structurally complex year where the marginal time saved is worth the bill. If you just hold a few PFICs, the value is harder to justify.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Atamatax | Bright!Tax |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat $299 / $499 / $799 per return | DFY CPA pricing; $170 per Form 8621 with distributions |
| Form 8621 (PFIC) | Unlimited within tier (up to 25), included. | $170 each (with distributions). |
| Who prepares the return | You, with the engine output and signature-ready PDFs. | Assigned CPA prepares and reviews. |
| Turnaround | Same session for the draft; immediate at file step. | Days to weeks depending on backlog. |
| Audit support | We don't represent you to the IRS. | CPA representation available. |
| Foreign brokerage CSV import | Generic CSV + Plaid for major US brokers. | Manual intake by preparer. |
| Treaty desks | FR / UK / DE / CA / AU with article citations. | CPA-level treaty knowledge across many countries. |
| Streamlined Foreign Offshore | $799 single workflow. | DFY pricing. |
Highlighted cell indicates which product handles the feature more completely as of May 2026. We update this page when their offering changes — tell us if it's out of date.
Bottom line
If you need a CPA — examinations, partnerships, complex disclosures — Bright!Tax is a legitimate choice. For the typical US expat with W-2 income and a few PFICs, you're paying CPA prices for software-grade work.
Sources
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