Taxy
Your Year-Round AI Tax Strategist
Research concept, not a live product. One uncontested quadrant. 80% of 20 surveyed users rated it useful.
An AI tax strategist between $120/yr DIY software and $10K/yr CPAs: Proactive, affordable, CPA-backed.
Context
The Problem
70% of Americans file taxes reactively. Every existing option fails them somewhere.
Filing software
Annual. Reactive.
AI deduction scanners
Proactive but narrow.
Year-round CPAs
Complete but unaffordable.
Taxy · secondary research · Spring 2026
The Insight
Research changed the architecture, not the messaging.
"The barrier is price."
→"The barrier is who vouches for the AI."
Taxy · interviews · n=20 · Feb 2026
Validation Outcomes
Taxy · survey · n=20 · Feb 2026
Market Opportunity
The SAM is the unit that matters.
TAM
$17.6-20B
160M US taxpayers at $110-125/yr blended spend.
SAM
$3-4B
20-25M complex-situation filers at $150-200/yr willingness to pay.
SOM Target
$50-75M
Year 3 model: 2-3% SAM penetration, 125K-150K customers at $40/mo ARPU.
Taxy · market model · Spring 2026 · CMU
Why now
Competitive Positioning
Two axes. Seven players. One empty quadrant.
No affordable player owns proactive optimization.
Reactive · Filing-first
TurboTax · H&R Block
Annual. Commodity pricing.
Proactive · Filing-first
FlyFin · Keeper
Expense scanning only.
Proactive · Optimization
Year-round CPAs
$3K-10K/yr. Excludes most.
Proactive · Optimization · Affordable
Taxy
The empty quadrant.
Taxy · competitive analysis · 7 players · Spring 2026
Competitor grid
| Player | Year-Round | Proactive | Optimiz. | Affordable | CPA Trust |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxy | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Year-Round CPA | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| FlyFin / Keeper | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| TurboTax | No | No | Partial | Yes | No |
Customer Validation
20 interviews plus a survey, February 2026. Personas: Equity-comp W-2s and variable-income self-employed.
Taxy · interviews + survey · n=20 · Feb 2026
Trust Strategy
The barrier was trust, not price. We built the answer into the product.
CPA Review Layer
CPAs vet every material recommendation.
Penalty Guarantee
If advice triggers an IRS penalty, Taxy pays. Insured.
Read-Only Account Access
Plaid, read-only. Money can never move.
Transparent AI Reasoning
Every recommendation cites tax code and account data.
Pricing Logic
A freemium ladder anchored in the gap between $120/yr DIY software and $10K/yr CPAs.
Free
$0
- Deadline reminders
- Free "Opportunity Audit"
Pro
$29/mo
- Proactive alerts
- Bracket warnings
- CPA-reviewed recommendations
Premium
$49/mo
- Everything in Pro
- Equity and RSU guidance
- Direct CPA chat
GTM: Three Sales Motions
D2C: Pain-triggered search
SEO and Reddit. The free audit shows missed savings before asking for money.
CPA channel: Warm referrals
CPAs refer clients, earn fees. Modeled CAC $50-100 vs $150-300 paid.
B2B2C: Embedded partnerships
The tax layer inside QuickBooks, Gusto, FreshBooks.
Nobody owns year-round, proactive tax intelligence at a consumer price. One empty quadrant, addressable today.
The real barrier was who vouches for the AI. That insight made the CPA layer the moat.
Try the non-functional mockup