TaxTidy vs Shoeboxed: 2026 Comparison
Shoeboxed has done one thing for a long time and does it well: you post a box of paper receipts in a prepaid Magic Envelope, and the contents come back digitised and checked by a person. TaxTidy reaches the same relief by a different route. You photograph the pile yourself — all of it at once — and each receipt comes back read, categorised, and placed on the Schedule C line it belongs to, with an Audit Readiness Score showing what is still missing. Nothing to post, and nothing to wait for.
What you get with TaxTidy
- Your first 25 scans are free for good, with no card and no clock running. The pile can start shrinking tonight.
- Shoebox Mode is built for exactly the problem a box of receipts represents. Select the whole camera roll and TaxTidy works through it card by card, so a year of paper clears in one sitting instead of a round trip through the post.
- A receipt does not just get digitised. It gets read, categorised, and placed on the Schedule C line it belongs to, so what you end up with is a tax position rather than a folder of images.
- Your Audit Readiness Score tells you what is still weak: expenses with no image attached, ones still uncategorised, ones missing a date or a vendor. It turns "I think I am organised" into a number you can act on.
- On Pro and above, the PDF report puts the full-size receipt image next to the expense it belongs to, grouped by Schedule C line — the exact document an accountant or an auditor wants to see.
- Fin answers questions against your own expenses, so "how much did I spend on materials this quarter?" gets a real answer instead of a link to an article.
Feature comparison
| Feature | TaxTidy | Shoeboxed |
|---|---|---|
| Try it before you pay | First 25 scans free, no card | 30-day money-back, card charged at signup |
| Photograph receipts from your phone | ✓ | ✓ |
| Post physical receipts in for scanning | Not offered — you photograph them yourself | ✓ |
| A person checks the scanned data | Read automatically, with every field editable before you confirm | ✓ |
| Expenses placed on Schedule C lines | ✓ | 15 tax categories |
| A score showing what proof is missing | ✓ | – |
| Receipt image inside the tax report | Full-size image beside each expense (Pro) | Audit-proof reports and CSV export |
| AI assistant for tax questions | Fin, reading your own expenses | Human support team |
| Monthly scan limits | None on Pro and CPA | 30 to 750 a month, by plan |
| Accounting software integrations | CSV and PDF export (Pro) | QuickBooks, Xero, Wave |
| Users included | One account, shareable with your accountant (CPA plan) | Up to 10 on the larger plans |
Pricing
TaxTidy
- TaxTidy Free$0 — first 25 scans
- TaxTidy Pro$12.99/month ($99.99/yr)
- TaxTidy CPA$19.99/month ($179.99/yr)
Shoeboxed
- Shoeboxed Starter$9/month ($97/yr)
- Shoeboxed Pro$29/month ($297/yr)
- Shoeboxed Plus$79/month ($797/yr)
- Shoeboxed Paper Plus$179/month ($1,997/yr)
Shoeboxed pricing is taken from its published plans and can change. Check their site for today's rate.
Choose TaxTidy if
Choose TaxTidy if you are willing to point a phone at the pile and you want more back than images. It suits the tradesperson, contractor or solo operator whose receipts are mostly recent, mostly in a pocket or a truck, and who needs them turned into Schedule C lines with proof attached rather than simply stored somewhere tidy.
What Shoeboxed does well
- The Magic Envelope is genuinely unusual: you post a box of paper and it comes back digitised without you scanning anything. Every plan includes envelopes, from one a year on Starter up to two a month on Paper Plus.
- Receipt data is extracted automatically and then verified by a person, which is real insurance on faded thermal paper and awkward layouts.
- It exports into books you may already keep, with supported integrations for QuickBooks Online, Xero and Wave.
- Larger plans carry up to ten users, and Gmail receipt sync is included from the Pro plan upward.
Choose Shoeboxed if
Choose Shoeboxed if the receipts are physical, numerous, and you would genuinely rather not touch them — a filing cabinet, a box in the garage, years of accumulated paper. Posting it off and getting verified data back is a real service that no phone-camera workflow replaces. It also suits a business that already keeps its books in QuickBooks or Xero and simply needs the paper turned into clean data to feed them.
The bottom line
If the paper has to leave your hands, Shoeboxed does something TaxTidy does not. If you are willing to photograph it, TaxTidy carries you further along the same road: the receipt is not merely digitised, it is categorised, placed on a Schedule C line, and counted toward a score that tells you what proof is still missing. Your first 25 scans cost nothing, so you can test that on the actual pile before deciding anything.
Frequently asked questions
What does TaxTidy do that Shoeboxed does not?
Shoeboxed turns paper into data. TaxTidy takes that data the rest of the way to a tax return: every expense is placed on a specific Schedule C line, scored for whether it has proof behind it, and printed into a PDF report with the full-size receipt image sitting next to it. There is also Fin, an assistant that answers questions about your own expenses rather than in general terms.
Does TaxTidy scan physical receipts for me?
No. There is no mail-in service — you photograph receipts yourself. Shoebox Mode is built to make that painless in bulk: select every receipt photo on your phone at once and TaxTidy processes them one card at a time, so a large backlog is an evening rather than a shipping cycle. If you would rather post a box and have someone else handle it, Shoeboxed is the better answer.
How does the pricing compare?
Shoeboxed runs from $9 a month, or $97 a year, on Starter with 30 digital scans a month, up to $179 a month on Paper Plus. TaxTidy begins free — your first 25 scans need no card at all — then Pro is $12.99 a month or $99.99 a year with no scan limit, and CPA is $19.99 a month or $179.99 a year. The plans include different things, so compare what you actually need rather than the headline figure, and check both sites for current rates.
Can I use TaxTidy alongside QuickBooks or Xero?
Yes. On Pro and above TaxTidy exports a CSV that includes a Schedule C Line column, which imports into QuickBooks, Xero, Wave and most other accounting software. Many people keep their books wherever they already are and use TaxTidy specifically for the receipt-to-deduction part, then export at quarter or year end.
TaxTidy provides expense organization tools based on the most current US tax law available to it. TaxTidy is not a CPA, Enrolled Agent, or licensed tax professional. All categorizations, deductions, and tax calculations are estimates. Please verify all data for accuracy and consult a certified tax professional before filing.
Start with your first 25 scans free
Photograph a receipt and watch it land on the right Schedule C line, with an Audit Readiness Score that shows you exactly what is still missing. No credit card.
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