ClearTax vs Tax2win: ITR Filing Compared (2027)

Quick answer: For a salaried filer or a small business owner, the real choice is between self-filing and a paid expert, not between brands. ClearTax ITR publishes expert-assisted plans from ₹2,499 (Basic) to ₹14,999 (Luxe) and offers free self-filing. Tax2win offers a self e-file route and a personal eCA route, with its rupee prices on its own pricing page. Pick the form first (ITR-1 to ITR-7), then the plan.

How we researched this: We read ClearTax's homepage, e-filing, GST and advance-tax pages, Tax2win's landing page, and the Income Tax Department's pages on ITR form eligibility, downloads, advance tax and FAQs. Facts are as of October 2026; plan prices change, so confirm at checkout.

ClearTax vs Tax2win filing software review: what each actually offers

Both products do the same core job: pull your data, compute tax, pick a form and file with the Income Tax Department. They differ in how much help sits behind the filing button.

If you want a side-by-side that also includes TaxSpanner and Quicko, see our ClearTax, TaxSpanner and Quicko ITR guide. This article is narrower: it helps you decide between the two names in the title, and it anchors every tax rule on incometax.gov.in.

Income tax e-filing software ITR 1 to 7: pick the form before the product

Good software auto-selects the form. ClearTax says "right form, right regime — both auto-selected". You should still know which one you should land on, because choosing the wrong plan (say, a salary plan for a business owner) is the commonest paid-software mistake. The Income Tax Department's downloads page lists all seven forms for AY 2026-27:

The department's eligibility page for AY 2026-27 adds the detail that decides plans:

• ITR-1 needs total income up to ₹50 lakh from salary or pension, one house property and other sources, agricultural income up to ₹5,000, and section 112A long-term capital gains up to ₹1,25,000. It cannot be used by company directors, anyone with short-term capital gains, unlisted equity shares, foreign assets or foreign-source income, or brought-forward losses.
• ITR-4 is for presumptive business or professional income under sections 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE, with the same disqualifiers as ITR-1, and the page notes it is optional.
• ITR-3 is for people not eligible for ITR-1, 2 or 4, such as a proprietor keeping books.

The page states it is a general overview and the Act, forms and rules govern. The department's advance-tax page also says FY 2026-27 payments fall under the Income-tax Act, 2025, so check the downloads page for newly notified forms before the 2027 season rather than assuming this year's layout.

ClearTax plan prices and Tax2win's two routes (checked October 2026)

ClearTax: four assisted plans

On its homepage, ClearTax shows four expert-assisted plans, each with a struck-off list price and a current price. The page does not say whether GST is added.

These are ClearTax's own descriptions; its "guaranteed" claims carry an asterisk on the page, so read the terms. The "Start Filing For Free" button covers self-filing, with prefill from Department records.

Three examples show how to read the table. A Nashik software engineer who only sold some mutual funds fits Basic's capital-gains line, but one holding foreign RSUs should look at Elite, which lists ESOP/RSU gain protection and Schedule FA filing. A Jaipur freelance designer on presumptive taxation should start at Premium, where freelance income is listed. A Coimbatore trader with business income above ₹50 lakh is pointed to Elite or Luxe by ClearTax's own table, and probably wants a standing CA relationship anyway.

Tax2win: the two routes and what to confirm before you pay

Tax2win's landing page gives two doors: file yourself ("convenient, free") or hire a personal eCA with "customised" and "discounted" plans. The page lists benefits such as maximum refunds, low-cost CA support and beginner-friendly design, which are Tax2win's own claims.

Because Tax2win prices vary by income band and complexity, ask three things on its pricing page before paying:

1. Which exact plan matches my income sources (one Form 16, multiple, capital gains, business)?
2. Does the plan price include GST, and what is the add-on for capital gains?
3. Does the plan include a call with a CA, and for how long?

Write the answers beside the ClearTax Basic or Premium line so you compare like with like. Do not compare a free self-filing screen on one side with a CA-assisted plan on the other.

Business owners: ITR-3, ITR-4 and ITR-5 in practice

Most SMB owners get stuck here, because the form depends on the entity.

• Sole proprietor on presumptive tax (44AD/44ADA): ITR-4 if total income is up to ₹50 lakh and no disqualifier applies. Presumptive taxpayers also pay their entire advance tax in one instalment on or before 15 March, per the department.
• Sole proprietor with books or losses to carry forward: ITR-3.
• Partnership firm (not LLP) with presumptive income: the department lists ITR-4 for firms other than LLP up to ₹50 lakh. Otherwise ITR-5.
• LLP, AOP, BOI: ITR-5. Private limited company: ITR-6.

Business filers also need billing data to be tidy before they file. If your sales sit in an accounting tool such as Zoho Books, the guide to filing GST returns straight from billing data shows how the same records feed both GST and the P&L you carry into ITR-3. CAs who file for many clients will find the income tax software for CA firms list more useful than a consumer plan.

Advance tax calculator software India: dates and rules

The department's ITR-1 FAQ gives the instalments: 15% of the tax liability on or before 15 June, 45% (less advance tax already paid) by 15 September, 75% by 15 December and 100% by 15 March. Under the department's tax-payments page, advance tax is payable when the tax payable for the year is ₹10,000 or more, and the Income-tax Act, 2025 governs tax year 2026-27 payments while the 1961 Act governs FY 2025-26. Interest for shortfall sits in sections 424 and 425 of the new Act (1% per month or part of a month for non-payment under 424).

ClearTax's advance tax page publishes a calculator walk-through and says tax is estimated on total income after deductions, then reduced by TDS and TCS. A calculator helps only if you feed it realistic numbers. Do this each quarter:

1. Estimate the year's total income, including capital gains and interest.
2. Subtract TDS and TCS that will be credited.
3. Pay the instalment due, note the challan, and tick it off against your AIS.

For businesses with GST and TDS duties, TDS compliance software, Clear TDS and Zoho Books TDS sit beside the advance-tax calendar.

ClearTax GST portal filing software: when you need more than an ITR tool

ClearTax's GST page is a separate suite aimed at businesses and CAs, so think of it as ClearTax GST portal filing software rather than an add-on to your personal ITR plan. It lists returns from GSTR-1 and 3B to GSTR-9 and 9C, plus GSTR-4, 6, 7 and 8, PAN-level filing, import of data from any ERP, GSTR-2A/2B pulls and AI-assisted ITC reconciliation. The page also names E-Invoicing, E-WayBill and MaxITC among the modules it integrates with SAP and Microsoft systems. It offers a demo rather than a public price, so budget by asking. Input credit on software subscriptions needs similar care; see claiming GST input credit on SaaS, and compare options in e-invoicing and e-way bill software. See ClearTax GST and, for reconciliation specifically, our guide to GSTR-2B reconciliation software. Compare it with other GST software before signing.

Before you buy: a short checklist

• Download your AIS and Form 26AS from the portal and confirm TDS matches.
• Identify your form from the department's eligibility page.
• Choose self-filing if the form is ITR-1 or ITR-4 with no complications; choose a CA-assisted plan if you have business books, capital gains or foreign assets.
• Check what happens after filing. Per the department's FAQ, a return that is not e-verified needs the signed ITR-V sent within 30 days, and from AY 2026-27 a revised return can be filed until 31 March of the relevant AY.

Browse more tax software once you know your form, or move to accounting software if you want the books to feed the return.

A calendar for the 2027 filing season

Start in the quarter before you plan to file, not in the week of the deadline.

• Quarter before: Log in to the e-filing portal, open your Annual Information Statement and Form 26AS, and list any income the employer's Form 16 does not show (interest, dividends, capital gains, rent).
• Two months before: For business owners, close the books for the year in your accounting tool and reconcile GST sales to the ITR turnover. Mismatches are easier to fix before you pay a preparer.
• One month before: Decide self-filing or assisted. For a first-time filer with one Form 16 and ITR-1 eligibility, self-filing is reasonable; add expert help only for capital gains, foreign assets, business books or a notice.
• Filing week: Prefill, review each schedule, check the refund bank account is validated, file, then e-verify. Keep the acknowledgement.

Whichever product you choose, the discipline of keeping the year's documents in one folder is worth more than any plan tier.

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