What Take Profit Trader is
Take Profit Trader is a US-based, futures-only prop firm. Its Better Business Bureau profile lists the company as incorporated on 28 March 2021, with founder and CEO James M. Sixsmith, registered as an LLC and headquartered in Windermere, Florida.
“Futures-only” means you trade exchange-listed futures contracts (things like the E-mini S&P 500, crude oil, and gold) rather than forex or stocks. If you mainly trade FX or CFDs, this firm is not built for you.
You do not trade your own money here. You pay for an evaluation, and once you pass you trade a firm-funded account and keep a share of the profit. That structure sits outside normal investor protection, so the usual checks — rules, payout history, and the firm staying in business — do the real work. For the wider picture see our guide on whether prop firms are legal and regulated.
This review pulls verified numbers from the official site and the firm’s own Help Center, frames each as something to confirm at the source, and flags the one rule that trips up the most people. You can also see the structured profile on our Take Profit Trader firm page and line it up against rivals in the comparison table.
This article is informational and is not investment advice.
The Test evaluation: one-step model, 6% target
The evaluation is a single account called the Test. It is a monthly subscription, not a one-time fee, so the cost keeps running each month until you pass or cancel. There are five sizes.
The profit target is a uniform 6% of the account size, and you need a minimum of five trading days on the Test before you can pass.
| Account size | Monthly (Test) | Profit target (6%) | Max drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $150 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| $50,000 | $170 | $3,000 | $2,000 |
| $75,000 | $245 | $4,500 | $2,500 |
| $100,000 | $330 | $6,000 | $3,000 |
| $150,000 | $360 | $9,000 | $4,500 |
One genuinely trader-friendly point: there is no daily loss limit on any size. The firm removed it. Many futures firms cap how much you can lose in a single day on top of the overall drawdown; Take Profit Trader does not.
Promotions such as “40% Off For Life” (with the activation fee waived) have appeared on the official site. Pricing and promotions change often, so verify current pricing with the official source.
Drawdown explained: EOD on the Test, intraday on PRO
This is the part to read twice, because it is the most-cited source of complaints.
“Drawdown” is the loss limit measured from your highest balance. “Trailing” means the limit follows your account up as you make money, locking in gains. The catch is when it is measured.
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On the Test, the drawdown is EOD (end-of-day) trailing. It is recalculated once a day at 5 PM ET, based on your closing balance. During the day, swings in an open trade do not move the line. That is relatively forgiving.
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On the funded PRO account, it switches to intraday trailing. Now the limit follows your peak balance in real time, including unrealized (open) profit. If a trade runs $400 in your favor and then gives it back, that $400 peak has already pushed your drawdown line up — even though you never banked the gain.
So a trade that would have been completely fine on the Test can breach the limit on PRO. Nothing in the rules is hidden, but the change of method between stages catches people who only studied the Test. PRO+ reverts to EOD trailing, which is gentler again.
If the difference between these models is new to you, our explainer on trailing vs static drawdown and on the daily loss limit vs max drawdown will help. Verify the exact mechanics on the official site before you fund.
From Test to PRO: activation fee, splits, and the buffer zone
When you pass the Test and move to a PRO (funded) account, a one-time $130 activation fee applies. It is often waived during promotions — verify with the official source.
The profit split on PRO is 80/20, meaning you keep 80% of profits. On the higher PRO+ tier it rises to 90/10 (you keep 90%).
PRO has one more rule that surprises people: a buffer zone you must clear before your first withdrawal. Your balance has to rise above the starting balance plus the full max-drawdown amount before you can withdraw. For example, a $50,000 PRO account has to reach $52,000 first; only the amount above that buffer is withdrawable, at the 80% split. PRO+ has no buffer and allows day-one withdrawals at 90%.
A Test reset is available if you fail — sources cite roughly $100 per reset, up to three resets. Verify current reset terms on the official site. For the bigger picture on costs that are easy to miss, see prop firm hidden costs.
PRO+ tier: how it unlocks and why it matters
PRO+ is an invite-only, performance-unlocked tier. You do not buy it. You reach it after passing PRO and building roughly $5,000 in profit, at which point the better terms unlock with no extra purchase fee.
The trade-offs: about $5,000 in profit is frozen and must stay in the account, and PRO+ accounts cannot be reset. In return you get the 90/10 split, no buffer zone, and the gentler EOD trailing drawdown. For a disciplined trader who can build a cushion, PRO+ is the tier where the firm’s terms become clearly attractive.
Payout cycle: on-demand withdrawals, fees, and timing
Payouts are on demand. There is no fixed payout window and no minimum number of profitable days required before you can request money — a real advantage over firms that make you wait for a set cycle. Processing is typically within about one business day.
The fee structure rewards larger withdrawals. The minimum payout is $250. A request of $250 or less incurs a $50 fee, while requests above $250 are free. In practice, you are better off letting profit build and withdrawing in larger chunks rather than scraping the minimum.
For how this stacks up against the industry, see prop firm payout transparency, or compare every firm side by side in the comparison table. Confirm the current minimum, fee, and timing on the official site.
Rules to watch: consistency, news, weekly activity, closing times
A few rules can end a run if you ignore them. Confirm all of these on the official Help Center before trading.
- Consistency rule (Test only): no single day may be more than 50% of your total profit. This is removed on PRO and PRO+, so it only constrains how you pass the Test.
- News-trading restriction (PRO): you must be flat one minute before, during, and after major releases — FOMC, NFP, and CPI.
- Weekly activity (PRO): you have to trade at least one day per calendar week to keep the account active.
- Closing time: positions must be closed by 5 PM ET.
None of these are unusual for a futures firm, but they reward traders who keep US-market discipline. If you trade from a far time zone, the news windows and the 5 PM ET close fall awkwardly in your day.
Reputation check: Trustpilot score and the BBB pattern of complaints
On the review site Trustpilot, the firm carries a TrustScore of roughly 4.4/5 on a large base — snapshots ranged around 8,960 to 9,540 reviews in mid-2026. Live Trustpilot and official pages frequently return errors to automated checks, so treat the score as a reference and verify the current figure yourself.
The more important caveat is the BBB record. The firm is listed as Accredited (since 7 February 2025) but is currently “Not Rated,” with an active Pattern of Complaints alert. The complaints center on account liquidations, holds and investigations, and support transparency.
A pattern alert is not proof of wrongdoing, and a high Trustpilot average alongside a complaint pattern is a common combination in this industry. But it is a clear signal to read the account terms and payout conditions closely before paying. For how to weigh these signals, see prop firm scam risks and our how to choose a prop firm guide.
Tax notes for US funded traders
For US traders, a quick orientation — this is not tax advice, and you should consult a professional.
Prop payouts are generally treated as independent-contractor (services) income, not capital gains. That means they are typically reported on Form 1099-NEC, flow through to Schedule C, and are subject to 15.3% self-employment tax (12.4% Social Security plus 2.9% Medicare) via Schedule SE when net earnings are $400 or more.
A practical point on forms: the 1099-NEC issuance threshold was $600 for 2024-2025 and rises to $2,000 for 2026. But the threshold only governs whether the firm sends a form — your income is reportable regardless of whether you receive one.
See the IRS self-employment tax page for the primary source, and our deeper US prop firm tax guide. Again: this is not tax advice — consult a professional and verify with the official IRS source.
Platforms and costs
Supported platforms are reported to include TradingView, Tradovate, NinjaTrader, Quantower, RTrader, and MotiveWave, running on CQG and Rithmic data feeds. Commissions are reported at $5.00 per round turn per standard futures contract and $0.50 per round turn per micro contract. Verify the current platform list and commission schedule with the official source.
Verdict: who it fits, who should look elsewhere
Take Profit Trader fits a fairly specific trader: someone who trades futures, can work US market hours, values on-demand payouts, and wants a simple one-step evaluation with no daily loss limit. The path to PRO+ — better split, no buffer, gentler drawdown, no extra fee — rewards traders who stay disciplined long enough to build a cushion.
It is a poorer fit if you trade FX or CFDs, if US hours clash with your day, or if the EOD-to-intraday drawdown switch on PRO would catch your style off guard. The active BBB complaint pattern is a reason to go in with eyes open, not a verdict.
If you decided futures are not your lane after all, our futures prop firms explained guide and the comparison table are good next stops. For broad, long-track-record alternatives, two firms in our data clear “10+ years and Trust: High.”
This article is informational and is not investment advice. Rules and pricing change — verify current terms on the official site before you pay.
Two long-track-record alternatives
FTMO — a long-standing operator’s track record
Eleven years in operation (since 2015), and it publicly reports large cumulative payouts. FX, indices, and more — a fit if you are not set on futures.
The5%ers — a 10-year veteran
Ten years in operation (since 2016). An instant-funding pioneer for traders who prefer to skip the evaluation.