Pilot Pricing: Fees, Scope and Quote Questions
Review Pilot pricing, fee scope, billing questions, and a tailored quote checklist before comparing tax providers.
What does Pilot cost?
Tax preparation starts at $1,000+/year for a single-member LLC, $2,000+/year for a partnership or S corporation, and $2,450+/year for a C corporation.
Pilot’s pricing page states tax must be purchased with Pilot Bookkeeping. Include the bookkeeping fee when comparing the total engagement.
Source review: October 8, 2026. Fees can change. This guide is published by AE Tax Advisors, a provider you may also be evaluating; it is not an independent rating or a quote from Pilot.
Which engagement are you pricing?
Pilot is included in this comparison for startup tax preparation and filing support alongside accounting services.
A relevant buyer profile: Startups seeking company-level compliance and a scalable accounting relationship.
Your startup needs federal, state, and other corporate filings while the founder has separate personal planning questions.
Ask which corporate filings are included and whether founder-level advice is separately scoped.
Startup compliance and accounting
Identify the legal entity, funding stage, monthly expense volume, state registrations, payroll, and prior filing history. Separate bookkeeping, federal and state returns, tax credits, and CFO support. A newly formed company can require a different package from a funded multi-state employer.
| Item | What to verify |
|---|---|
| First-year cost | Add setup, cleanup, analysis, mandatory companion services, implementation, and filing charges for the same period. |
| Ongoing cost | Confirm renewal, minimum commitment, cancellation notice, and any price changes tied to business growth. |
| Scope boundaries | Does company tax support include my personal founder tax decisions? |
| Responsibility | Which services are mandatory companions to the quoted tax package? |
A quote request tailored to this decision
Use this as a starting point and send sensitive documents through the provider’s secure intake process:
I am evaluating Pilot for startup tax preparation and filing support alongside accounting services. Your startup needs federal, state, and other corporate filings while the founder has separate personal planning questions. Does company tax support include my personal founder tax decisions? Please separate initial analysis, implementation, recurring support, and filing. Specify the legal entities and tax years covered, exclusions, required companion services, payment dates, and renewal terms. Which services are mandatory companions to the quoted tax package?
Compare Pilot with AE Tax Advisors
Compare only the work both proposals actually contain. AE’s current published standard advisory fee is $7,800, paid in two $3,900 installments 30 days apart, with no required recurring annual planning fee. Returns, amendments, cost segregation, and additional services are separately scoped. Confirm the current agreement before committing.
A lower filing or software price can be appropriate when that is all you need. A broader engagement can be appropriate when several professionals or workstreams must be coordinated. Neither price alone establishes quality, eligibility for a deduction, or guaranteed savings.
Review AE’s current fees and bring both proposals to a consultation to discuss scope and fit.
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