Yes, we make one of these. This comparison states facts about all four — checked against each product’s live site on the date above — and tells you honestly who should not buy ours.
The comparison
| IRD e-services | Simplebooks | TaxWise | LankanTax | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Rs 11,990 per return advertised (free computation to start) | Free tier; paid from Rs 5,900/yr; practice plans from Rs 14,900/mo | Rs 7,000 once (family, launch price) / Rs 15,000 per 25 filings (practice) |
| Runs | Browser | Cloud | Cloud | Your PC/Mac (hosted option for practices) |
| Your data | On IRD systems (required by law for submission) | Their servers (hosting location not published) | Their servers (AWS Singapore, per their site) | Your computer only (family edition) |
| Prepares the return for you | No — manual entry | Yes, with human review by their tax team | Yes — software computes; you file yourself | Yes — software computes; you file yourself |
| Multi-client | No | Not advertised — aimed at individuals | 5–50 clients (more on custom plans) | 25+ clients, Rs 1,000 per filing beyond 25 |
| IRD filing help | Is the IRD | They e-file for you | No portal integration — you submit yourself | Guided field-by-field fill (desktop) / Chrome-extension autofill (hosted practice edition) |
| Human tax help | IRD call centre (1944) | Yes — advisors by chat, phone, email | Product support tiers + AI advisor; human review of returns not advertised | No — software only |
| Best for | Simple returns, no budget | Wants it done for them, fine with cloud | Cloud self-serve; small practices | Privacy-first filers; 25+ client practices |
Competitor facts from simplebooks.com, tax.simplebooks.com and taxwise.lk as displayed on 28 August 2026 — both competitors were showing launch/promo pricing on that date. Check their sites for current prices before deciding.
Who should NOT buy LankanTax
- Salary-only employees with APIT correctly deducted. The law (s.94 of the Inland Revenue Act) generally doesn’t require you to file a return at all — you may not need any software. Check your situation in the income tax guide first.
- Anyone who wants a human to do it for them. Simplebooks’ reviewed service or a licensed tax practitioner is the better fit — LankanTax is software only.
- Rs 0 budget with a simple return. Use the IRD portal with our free step-by-step guide and the free calculator to sanity-check the numbers.
Our verdict, by situation
- “I just want it done for me” → Simplebooks or a tax practitioner.
- “I’ll do it myself and my data is private” → LankanTax Desktop.
- “I file for a handful of clients” → TaxWise or LankanTax for Accountants — compare both against your workflow.
- “I file for 25+ clients” → LankanTax for Accountants.
- “Rs 0 budget, simple return” → IRD e-services + our free guide.