ATAX franchise
A retail office providing tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services. At the end of 2025 there were 111 ATAX locations in the US, all franchised.
- Cost to open
- $59K–$89K
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Royalty
- 14%; annual minimum applies
- Locations, 2025
- 111+13 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From ATAX LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a ATAX franchise costs
Opening U.S. retail office costs an estimated $59,150 to $89,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: ATAX LLC, 2026 filing, page 28
ATAX franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: ATAX LLC, 2026 filing, page 21
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 14% of gross revenue, subject to an annual minimum royalty. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: ATAX LLC, 2026 filing, page 24
Sales and earnings
Shares figures ATAX publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: ATAX LLC, 2026 filing, page 56
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 111 (+13) | 2 | 7 |
| 2024 | 116 (+5) | 1 | 15 |
| 2025 | 111 (−5) | 0 | 22 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
Source: ATAX LLC, 2026 filing, page 59
How ATAX compares
Of the 6 tax franchises on this site, ATAX is the 4th cheapest to open and the 4th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | ATAX | Typical tax |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $59K | $54K |
| Royalty | 14% | 14% |
| Closed or left per year | 13.2% | 9.7% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | +13.3% | −3.5% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 5 of 6 |
Typical is the median across the 6 brands in tax franchises.
