Rebuilding for the Future: Legacy Platform Sunset & Transition to CountingWorks PRO 3.0

Applies to: Legacy CountingWorks PRO Account Holders

Effective Date: August 31, 2026

Overview

The tax and accounting profession is changing quickly. Artificial intelligence, client automation, security expectations, and the way prospective clients search for professional services are all moving faster than legacy technology can support.

To keep CountingWorks PRO users on a secure, modern, and future-ready platform, we are permanently retiring the legacy CountingWorks platform on August 31, 2026.

This is not a routine software update or cosmetic website refresh. CountingWorks PRO 3.0 is our modern client experience platform, built to support secure client engagement, modern websites, CRM, ClientHub, payments, documents, automation, and MAX AI-powered workflows in one connected environment.

To make this transition as seamless as possible, our team has already handled much of the heavy lifting. Your website has been rebuilt on the 3.0 platform, and we have prepared the migration of your ClientHub, client data, documents, and account history.

The final step requires your participation: we need to update your domain’s DNS settings so your new 3.0 site can go live.

This article explains why the legacy platform is being retired, what changes on August 31, and how to complete your migration before the deadline.

Why CountingWorks PRO Is Retiring the Legacy Platform

Legacy platforms eventually reach a point where continuing to support them creates unnecessary risk, limits innovation, and slows down the experience for firms and their clients.

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 was built because the profession now requires more than a static website and disconnected client portal. Modern firms need a secure client-facing platform that connects their website, CRM, client communications, document exchange, payments, automation, and AI-assisted workflows.

The legacy platform can no longer support the future we are building.

1. Security and Technology Support Requirements

The underlying software, server frameworks, and codebases used by older platforms eventually reach end-of-life. When that happens, vendors reduce or discontinue updates, security patches, and long-term support for the older technology stack.

For tax and accounting firms, this matters.

Your clients trust you with sensitive financial and tax information. Continuing to operate on aging infrastructure increases the burden of monitoring, patching, securing, and supporting an environment that was not designed for today’s cybersecurity expectations.

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 was built on a modern infrastructure with stronger security architecture, improved performance, and support for current compliance expectations, including secure client access and modern authentication practices. This is one of the primary reasons the legacy platform must be retired.

2. IRS Security Expectations and Firm Responsibility

Tax professionals are expected to maintain appropriate safeguards for taxpayer data, including a Written Information Security Plan, commonly referred to as a WISP.

A modern client experience platform should support secure access, controlled document exchange, protected client communications, and better operational visibility.

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 was designed with these expectations in mind, including improved ClientHub access, modernized authentication, and a more secure foundation for client-facing workflows. The legacy platform was not designed for the current security environment, and continuing to extend it indefinitely would not be responsible for our users or their clients.

3. Client Expectations Have Changed

Clients now expect a faster, cleaner, more secure digital experience.

They are used to modern portals, online payments, mobile-friendly communication, digital document exchange, and quick access to information. When a firm’s website or client portal feels outdated, slow, or disconnected, it can affect client confidence.

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 gives your firm a modern client-facing experience that better reflects the value of your services and helps position your practice as current, professional, and advisory-focused.

4. Search and Discovery Are Changing

The way prospective clients find tax and accounting professionals is changing.

Traditional search is still important, but AI-powered search, answer engines, local recommendation tools, and automated web crawlers are becoming a larger part of the discovery process. These systems increasingly look for clear firm positioning, structured information, updated content, authority signals, and a modern web presence.

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 is built to better support this new environment with faster sites, improved structure, stronger content presentation, and a more connected client experience layer. Your website is no longer just an online brochure. It is part of how your firm is discovered, evaluated, and trusted.

What CountingWorks PRO 3.0 Gives Your Firm

CountingWorks PRO 3.0 is more than a new website. It is the foundation for where we are taking the platform next: a modern client experience layer powered by MAX, client intelligence, and firm automation.

While your practice management software helps manage the compliance work behind the scenes, CountingWorks PRO 3.0 is designed to support the client-facing side of your firm. That includes:

Your website and online presence
CRM and client relationship data
Secure ClientHub access
Document exchange
Client communications
Payments
Content and marketing workflows
MAX AI-powered assistance
Future automation across client engagement and advisory workflows

The goal is to help firms move beyond disconnected tools and into a more unified environment where client data, communication, content, and AI can work together.

MAX and the Future of Firm Automation

MAX is no longer just an AI assistant that answers general questions.

In the 3.0 environment, MAX is becoming an intelligence layer for your firm. It is designed to help firms create client-ready deliverables, support advisory workflows, assist with client communication, identify opportunities inside the client base, and reduce the manual work that slows firms down.

As the platform continues to evolve, MAX will become more connected to your firm’s data, CRM, documents, workflows, and client engagement activity. That is the future we are building toward: not generic AI, but firm-specific intelligence that helps you serve clients better, communicate more consistently, and operate more efficiently.

The legacy platform cannot support this direction. CountingWorks PRO 3.0 can.

What Happens on August 31, 2026?

On August 31, 2026, active support, engineering updates, and security updates for the legacy CountingWorks platform will end. After that date, the legacy platform will enter a temporary continuity period for firms that have not completed their migration.

We are doing this because we understand that important fall tax deadlines arrive immediately after the sunset date, including September 15 and October 15. We do not want to disrupt client access during a critical filing season.

However, remaining on the legacy platform after August 31 creates additional operational, engineering, hosting, monitoring, and security costs. For that reason, any account that has not completed migration by August 31 will be moved into legacy continuity status and assessed a $99/month Legacy Continuity Fee.

This fee is intended to offset the cost of temporarily maintaining the old environment through the fall deadline season. The best path is to complete your migration before August 31.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to rebuild my website?

No. Our team has already handled the heavy lifting. We have rebuilt your website on the CountingWorks PRO 3.0 platform and prepared the migration of your ClientHub, client data, documents, and account history.

Will my ClientHub data and documents be migrated?

Yes. Your ClientHub data, historical documents, and account history have been prepared for migration into the 3.0 environment. The goal is to provide a smooth transition with minimal disruption to your firm and your clients.

Will my client portal go down during the migration?

Our migration process is designed to avoid unnecessary downtime. The final launch step is a DNS update, which points your domain to the new 3.0 environment. Our launch team will guide you through this process during your scheduled call.

If my new site is ready, why do I need to book a call?

Your domain needs to point to the new 3.0 servers before your new site can go live. This requires an update to your domain’s DNS settings. Because your domain is managed through an external registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, Network Solutions, Cloudflare, or another provider, we cannot complete this step without your participation.

How long does the launch call take?

The launch call typically takes about 15 minutes. During the call, our team will guide you through the DNS update, confirm your new 3.0 site is ready, and help you access your updated dashboard.

What is the $99/month Legacy Continuity Fee?

The Legacy Continuity Fee applies to accounts that have not completed migration by August 31, 2026. Because we are keeping the legacy environment available temporarily through the fall deadline season, this fee helps offset the cost of maintaining, monitoring, hosting, and supporting the old platform after its official sunset date.

This is not the recommended path. We strongly encourage all firms to complete migration before August 31.

Why is this transition mandatory?

The legacy platform can no longer support the security, performance, automation, AI, and client experience requirements of the modern tax and accounting profession. CountingWorks PRO 3.0 is the platform where all future development, innovation, and support will be focused.

What happens if I wait until the final weeks?

We strongly recommend that you do not wait. We have already migrated the majority of legacy firms, but roughly 450 firms still need to complete the final launch step. If too many firms wait until the final weeks, our onboarding team may not have enough available time slots to complete every migration smoothly before August 31.

How to Complete Your Migration

Locate your domain registrar login information. This may be GoDaddy, Namecheap, Network Solutions, Cloudflare, Route 53, or another domain provider.
Schedule your 15-minute DNS launch call with our migration team.
Complete the DNS update with our team’s guidance.
Access your new CountingWorks PRO 3.0 dashboard and begin operating on the modern platform.

Your new 3.0 site and ClientHub migration are ready. The final step is scheduling your launch call.

👉 Schedule Your 15-Minute DNS Launch Call Here