Licensing Guide

Overview

PrivateACB uses a one-time purchase license model — no subscriptions, no recurring fees. Purchase once and use the software indefinitely.

This guide covers how to purchase, activate, and manage your license.

License Tiers

PrivateACB offers five license editions based on jurisdiction:

Edition	Price	Jurisdiction	What You Get
Canada	$39 USD	Canada only	ACB calculations, Schedule 3, T1135, Superficial Loss, ACB Summary, Income Report, Audit Provenance
United States	$39 USD	US only	FIFO/LIFO/HIFO calculations, Form 8949, Schedule D, Wash Sale, Lot Tracking, Income Report, Audit Provenance
Australia	$39 USD	Australia only	FIFO/LIFO/HIFO calculations, CGT Summary (Q18), CGT Worksheet, CGT Discount, Lot Tracking, Income Report, Audit Provenance
United Kingdom	$39 USD	UK only	Section 104 pooling, SA108 Summary (HMRC boxes), Capital Gains Detail, Pool History, Income Report, Audit Provenance
All Jurisdictions	$69 USD	Canada + US + Australia + UK	All features for all jurisdictions combined

All editions include:

CSV import from any exchange
All tax reports for your jurisdiction(s)
PDF and CSV export
Unlimited calculations
Offline operation (no internet required after activation)

Trial vs. Licensed

The 30-day trial gives you full access to calculate and view reports — the only restriction is exporting (PDF/CSV export and copying report data require a license). See the Trial System Guide for the full trial lifecycle, including what happens after expiration.

Purchasing a License

Step 1: Visit the Pricing Page

Go to https://www.privateacb.com/pricing

You can also access the purchase page from within PrivateACB:

Click any locked export button — a purchase dialog appears with all four editions
Click “Purchase Now” on the trial banner

Step 2: Select Your Edition

Choose based on your tax jurisdiction:

Canada ($39 USD) — If you only file Canadian taxes
United States ($39 USD) — If you only file US taxes
Australia ($39 USD) — If you only file Australian taxes
United Kingdom ($39 USD) — If you only file UK taxes
All Jurisdictions ($69 USD) — If you file in multiple jurisdictions

Step 3: Complete Checkout

You’ll be redirected to Stripe’s secure checkout:

Enter your email address
Enter payment details (all major credit/debit cards accepted)
Click “Pay”

Step 4: Receive Your License Key

Your license key is sent to your email immediately after payment. The email contains:

Your license key
Activation instructions

Check your spam folder if you don’t see the email within 5 minutes.

License Key Format

License keys follow this format: {TIER}-{RANDOM}-{CHECKSUM}

Examples:

CA-STD-A3X7K9M2Q5-8F2D (Canada)
US-STD-B4Y8L0N3R6-9G3E (United States)
AU-STD-D6A2O5Q8T1-1I5G (Australia)
UK-STD-E7B3P6R9U2-2J6H (United Kingdom)
ALL-STD-C5Z9M1P4S7-0H4F (All Jurisdictions)

The prefix indicates your edition:

CA-STD = Canada
US-STD = United States
AU-STD = Australia
UK-STD = United Kingdom
ALL-STD = All Jurisdictions

Activating Your License

Step 1: Open Settings

Launch PrivateACB
Click the Settings tab in the navigation

Step 2: Find License Panel

Look for “License & Activation” in the settings. Click to expand.

Step 3: Enter Your Key

Enter your full license key in the input field
Include all dashes (e.g., CA-STD-A3X7K9M2Q5-8F2D)

Step 4: Click Activate

Click the “Activate” button.

If successful:

The panel shows your licensed jurisdiction with a badge
Export buttons throughout the app become active
Trial indicators disappear

If unsuccessful:

An error message appears below the input
Double-check your key for typos (copy-paste from email is safest)
Ensure you’re entering the complete key including the checksum

Internet required: The first activation contacts our license server to register your machine (enforces a 3-device limit per key). After activation, no internet is needed.

After Activation

Once licensed:

Export unlocked — PDF and CSV export buttons work for your jurisdiction’s reports
Copy protection removed — You can copy data from report viewers
License badge — Settings shows your active edition
Trial indicators gone — No more “Trial: X days remaining”

Jurisdiction Gating

Your license determines which jurisdiction’s features are available:

Canada license: Can calculate and export Canadian reports only. US, Australian, and UK features are blocked.
US license: Can calculate and export US reports only. Canadian, Australian, and UK features are blocked.
Australia license: Can calculate and export Australian reports only. Canadian, US, and UK features are blocked.
UK license: Can calculate and export UK reports only. Canadian, US, and Australian features are blocked.
All Jurisdictions license: Full access to all features in all jurisdictions.

Managing Your License

Viewing License Details

Go to Settings > License & Activation to see:

Your license key
Licensed jurisdiction
Activation status

Deactivating Your License

You can deactivate to use your key on a different computer:

Go to Settings > License & Activation
Click “Deactivate License”
Confirm when prompted

After deactivation:

The app reverts to trial mode (or expired state)
You can activate the same key on another machine
Your data remains intact — only the license is removed

License Storage

Your license is stored securely in the Windows Registry using DPAPI encryption — not in the database. This means:

Your license persists across different databases
Opening a new or different database doesn’t affect your license
The license is protected at the OS level

Common Questions

Is this a subscription?

No. One-time purchase, use forever. No recurring fees.

How many computers can I use?

Each license key can be activated on up to 3 devices. You can deactivate a device to free up a slot.

Do I need internet to use my license?

Only for the initial activation (a brief server check). After that, the license works completely offline. Your financial data never leaves your computer.

What if I upgrade my computer?

Your license is bound to your machine’s hardware ID. If you move to a new computer, deactivate on the old machine first, then activate on the new one. If you can’t access the old machine, you have 2 remaining device slots.

Can I get a refund?

The 30-day trial lets you fully evaluate the software before purchasing. Contact support if you have issues after purchase.

Will my license work with future updates?

Yes. Your license is valid for all updates within the current major version.

Can I transfer my license to someone else?

No. Licenses are non-transferable.

I lost my license key — what do I do?

Check your email for the original purchase confirmation from Stripe. If you can’t find it, contact support with your purchase email address.

Troubleshooting

”Invalid license key”

Check for typos (copy-paste from email is safest)
Ensure you include all dashes
Verify the key wasn’t truncated by your email client

”License activation failed”

Check your internet connection (needed for initial activation only)
If the key has been activated on 3 devices already, deactivate one first
Try again in a few minutes if the server is temporarily unavailable

Export still blocked after activation

Verify your license covers the jurisdiction you’re trying to export (a CA license can’t export US reports)
Close and reopen the app if the UI hasn’t refreshed
Check Settings to confirm the license shows as active

Features blocked for the “wrong” jurisdiction

This is expected behavior for single-jurisdiction licenses. If you need features for multiple jurisdictions, purchase the All Jurisdictions edition ($69 USD).

Summary: Quick Start

Try free — 30-day trial with full features (export locked)
Purchase at https://www.privateacb.com/pricing ($39 USD CA/US/AU/UK, or $69 USD All Jurisdictions)
Receive license key via email
Activate in Settings > License & Activation
Done — exports unlocked, no internet needed going forward

Last Updated: February 2026 PrivateACB Version: 2.0