Google Ads
Mandatoryrketing including all digital marketing related to your Franchised Business. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Campaigns. We may negotiate contracts with vendors such as Google AdWords. If y
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
ATAX
Financial servicesSoftware purchasing at ATAX is controlled at the franchisor level, with mandated systems covering payroll, tax prep, accounting, and payments. The brand operates 111 franchised units, all single-unit operators, and the 2026 FDD names Interim CEO Timothy Tyler Wynn and Director of Growth Jose Leal as key HQ contacts. For vendors selling financial services or tax-tech tools, this is a concentrated, mandate-driven account with a $162K average unit volume.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
111
111 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-4.31%
vs prior filing
AUV
$162K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$59K–$89K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
3%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
ADP
5 per taxpayer Preparation transaction, paid by the client QuickBooks Online / Xero Point of Sale, Bookkeeping, $30 per month per Accounting bookkeeping client, paid by the client ADP, Gusto Payroll V
CrossLink
to subscribe to such software as we specify; presently the following software is specified or recommended at the monthly costs listed: Software Name Nature Approx. Cost per month Crosslink Tax Prepara
Facebook
tion’s contact information. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, a
Gusto
taxpayer Preparation transaction, paid by the client QuickBooks Online / Xero Point of Sale, Bookkeeping, $30 per month per Accounting bookkeeping client, paid by the client ADP, Gusto Payroll Varies
Instagram
ion. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), applicat
QuickBooks Online
osts listed: Software Name Nature Approx. Cost per month Crosslink Tax Preparation Personal & Business Tax Free to use, $5 per taxpayer Preparation transaction, paid by the client QuickBooks Online /
SOCi
$258,856.94. The remaining $147,379.30 was carried over to 2026. Advertising Fund expenditures were allocated as follows: Category Percentage Website Development 20% Textellent 8% SOCi 20% Marketing S
Stripe
kBooks Online / Xero Point of Sale, Bookkeeping, $30 per month per Accounting bookkeeping client, paid by the client ADP, Gusto Payroll Varies (typically $50- $60/month) MB Card / Stripe Credit Card P
Textellent
.24 and spent $258,856.94. The remaining $147,379.30 was carried over to 2026. Advertising Fund expenditures were allocated as follows: Category Percentage Website Development 20% Textellent 8% SOCi 2
Twitter
tact information. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagr
Xero
e Name Nature Approx. Cost per month Crosslink Tax Preparation Personal & Business Tax Free to use, $5 per taxpayer Preparation transaction, paid by the client QuickBooks Online / Xero Point of Sale,
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
21 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 10 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 7
You must subscribe to such software as we specify for bookkeeping, accounting, and other needs.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
You must at all times give us unrestricted and independent electronic access to your computer systems and information as well as your security camera systems.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are an approved supplier of advertising material but not the only approved supplier of such items.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
We have a Franchisee Advisory Council (“FAC”) composed of franchisees that advises us on operational and advertising policy.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In our last fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, we did not derive any revenue from required purchases or leases by franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 21
The Company also generates revenue for referring certain vendors to its franchisees.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
10Item 8
approximately 10- 15% of your operating costs.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to purchase products or services from a non- approved vendor, you must submit the vendor for approval.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
As a condition to signing the Franchise Agreement, we have required that you appoint us Attorney in Fact, to take effect upon the expiration or termination of the Agreement, as to the telephone numbers, listings, and advertisements (collectively “Listings”) relating to your Franchise.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 1
You must also ensure that you comply with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) requirements, standards, regulations, and rules.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to review your business operations, in person, by mail, or electronically, during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice (except in cases of suspected fraud or material breach, in which case no notice is required), and to inspect your operations and obtain your paper and electronic…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We may revise the Manual from time to time to adjust for legal or technological changes, competition, or attempts to improve in the marketplace.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must approve any site you select before you sign a lease for that location.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You are not allowed to have an independent website or obtain or use any domain name (Internet address) for your Franchised Business, without first obtaining our written approval.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
We require you to spend a minimum of $1,200 per year on local advertising pursuant to our guidelines and provide evidence of such expenditures upon our request.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase supplies and inventory pursuant to our specifications, which may include vendor designations.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment from a supplier that we designate or subject to our specifications.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Before you may open for business, you must sign and deliver to us all bank documents needed to permit us to debit your bank account via ACH Electronic Transfer for all fees and payments due to us.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Some of your personnel designated by the Manual must be proficient in both English and Spanish; however, we do not require you or your Business Manger to be dual language proficient.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
Computer and Cash Register Systems: You must comply with our computer hardware, software, and POS specifications.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may elect to offer and require you to attend, either live or electronically, additional training and seminars that we may offer.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?Item 16
The vendor opportunity at ATAX
ATAX is a financial services franchise with 111 locations, all franchised and all run by single-unit operators. The brand posted an average unit volume of $162,074.95 in its most recent disclosure. Unit count contracted 4.31% year-over-year, so the addressable base is modest but concentrated. For software vendors, the opportunity lies in a fully mandated tech stack where HQ controls every major system. There are no multi-unit operators to influence, and no company-owned stores to pilot new tools. The entire 111-unit network runs on systems chosen at the top.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2026 FDD lists Timothy Tyler Wynn as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Jose Leal as Director of Growth. John T. Hewitt is also named as CEO and Chairman of Loyalty, LLC, an affiliated entity. With no CIO or CTO on file, purchasing decisions likely route through the Interim CEO and the growth lead. Because every tech system in the stack is mandated, franchisees have no independent buying authority. A vendor pitch must land with these HQ executives.
Mandated and current tech stack
ATAX mandates eight specific systems. ADP handles payroll. Crosslink Tax Preparation is the core tax-prep platform. Gusto provides additional payroll and HR functionality. MB Card and Stripe cover payment processing. QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online from Intuit serve as the accounting backbone, and Xero is also mandated as an alternative or complementary accounting tool. This stack is dense with financial software, leaving little room for adjacent tools unless they integrate tightly with these incumbents or replace a mandated vendor at renewal.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement disclosure, so the formal supplier designation process is not publicly known. Franchise agreements run for 10 years. Renewal conditions are strict: the franchisee must be in compliance, sign a general release of claims, notify HQ in writing at least 180 days before expiration, and accept the then-current agreement, which may contain materially different terms. This renewal trigger is the most likely window for a mandated tech vendor to be swapped out or added, as new agreement terms can reset the required stack.
How to read the ATAX FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for software vendors: Item 1 names the executives who control purchasing. Item 11 lists the mandated systems and vendors. Item 17 spells out renewal conditions that can force a tech re-evaluation. Item 8, if present in future filings, would clarify whether ATAX designates or approves suppliers. For now, the mandate is absolute, and the buyer is HQ. If you sell software that complements or competes with ADP, Crosslink, Gusto, MB Card, QuickBooks, Stripe, or Xero, the 180-day renewal notice period is your best timing signal. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list of franchise brands where your product fits the mandated stack.
Questions vendors ask
ATAX, answered from the filing
Interim CEO Timothy Tyler Wynn and Director of Growth Jose Leal are the named executives in the 2026 FDD. Given the fully mandated tech stack, purchasing authority sits at HQ, not with individual franchisees.
ATAX mandates eight systems: ADP for payroll, Crosslink for tax preparation, Gusto for HR/payroll, MB Card for payments, QuickBooks and QuickBooks Online for accounting, Stripe for payments, and Xero for accounting.
ATAX has 111 franchised units in the US, all operated by single-unit franchisees. No company-owned units are disclosed. Year-over-year unit growth declined 4.31%.
The 2026 FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so whether ATAX uses designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open model is not publicly disclosed.
Franchise agreements run 10 years. Renewal requires 180 days' written notice and signing the then-current agreement, which may have materially different terms—creating potential re-evaluation windows for mandated tech.
The 2026 ATAX FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it in the embedded PDF viewer below on this page.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment ATAX files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
38 operators run 38 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit38
Ownership
The portfolio behind ATAX
strategic_multibrand of Loyalty Brands.
Sibling brands
Related Financial services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.