TaxAct

[gtaylor]

What opinions are out there for TaxAct & TaxSlayer Pro? Thinking about using one of them next season. Thanks in advance for your comments.

[Brian EA]

I am a 7-Up guy. Never had it , Never will

[Unregistered]

Tax Act

I have used Tax Act for 5 years and have very few complaints.

[Bill Tubbs]

TaxAct...

What opinions are out there for TaxAct & TaxSlayer Pro? Thinking about using one of them next season. Thanks in advance for your comments.

TaxAct was a fine product when I used it. The past 4 seasons I have been with ATX. When I made the switch I was glad I had as I was starting to get returns with K-1's and TaxAct (at the time at least) did not handle them near as good as ATX did. But, the main reason for the change away from TaxAct was simply the cost -- I was looking to start e-filing all my returns, and ATX was cheaper.

Bill

[Chief]

TaxSlayer Pro

You defintely should take a look at
TaxSlayer Pro. One reasonable price for everything; no additional charges. It is a windows, menu driven program. Ask Ken, Linda and others on the Board.

[Safire]

I used TaxAct for several years, and was very happy with the program but switched this year to ATX because I knew I would outgrow TaxAct eventually. I wanted to go ahead and switch before it would be too large a tasxk to transfer everyone's data.

I really like ATX better now that I am more used to the program. And if you need unlimited E-File, ATX is even cheaper than TaxAct.

[Donanita]

TaxSlayer Pro vs TaxAct

I am using TaxSlayer Pro this year and I am pleased with the price and cannot say enough about the support.They are great.No waiting for the next available person on the phone and problems are solved quickly and for me support is 95% of the product as most tax program can run along the same lines. As you noticed I said CAN.I also purchased the TaxAct Business software just to compare.TaxAct reminds me of TurboTax in the format it uses for the business software.I do like the error check that TaxAct has as the TaxSlayer Pro doesn't.Have to double check to make sure i's are dotted and t's are crossed but I still like the easy use to TaxSlayer Pro.I would advise to get a demo of both and check out both programs.I have used TaxView(OrrTax) for the past several years but price became a factor as the price really went up so I changed.

[oceanlovin'ea]

TaxslayerPro

I have used Taxslayer since I started my own busines several years ago. I have been very happy with the program. The price is right. It is such an easy format to follow. It does do error check, just not asking if you want to do it. At the bottom of the screen as you go through a return, if there is something that needs to be corrected or checked, you get diagnostics. Support is great and usually they can correct a problem right away. I have run into a couple of things they couldn't but they had to do with the Florida returns for business returns. They will get them fixed I was promised.

I used TaxWise in an office I was helping out in for a few weeks. It had some features that I am going to recommend to Taxslayer for next year.

Since they are a tax preparation company, they understand the returns and you aren't dealing with a software company that doesn't know what a 4797 is. So that is a very nice advantage.

I would recommend you try out the program and I think you will like it.

Linda F

[Bill Tubbs]

Forms availability

There has been some problems getting forms available this year. Some of which was due to Congress, but other forms I didn't understand why they weren't available right away as they seemed to be the same as last year -- specifically a couple Wisconsin forms.

Anyone have a feeling for which software vendors do a good job of getting forms out?



Linda, you said:
"I used TaxWise in an office I was helping out in for a few weeks. It had some features that I am going to recommend to Taxslayer for next year."

If you have a moment, could you elaborate on some of these features?

Thanks,
Bill

[oceanlovin'ea]

Taxwise features

I was working on some corporate returns. The feature that I really liked was that you can take your trial balance and enter all the information on the trial balance in the program and it disperses everything to the correct places on the return. It practically does the return for you.

You still have to check everything and sometimes make some adjustments but if your trial balance is accurate, the tax return will be accurate too.

I didn't like all the times it won't accept what you enter unless you override it. And many of those were nonsense things, like putting in a state abbreviation and marking the depreciation for state depreciation. These places if you don't override it still considers them a diagnostic. So it is extra time going to all those things and marking them to override.

Linda F

[Bill Tubbs]

Taxwise features.

Thanks Linda. I've only done 1 or 2 Corp returns. I was thinking more along the lines of features on 1040s. Oh well.

Bill

[wv112]

I have used TAX WISE for over 10 years and it a great package.

[Tobey]

Happy with TaxAct

I have been using tax act for about 5 years, and am very satisfied. My business is a small seasonal practice, around 100-110 clients. Mostly 1040's, some schedules C, E. Have never had a technical problem. Flow through to states is good. Diagnostics are adequate. MFS comparison and Next year tax planner are vey helpful. I E-file about 30% of my returns, no problem. Not big enough to buy the flat rate package, bit at $12 per return, not excessive. I charge $25 extra for the Efile, but give out many free as new business and client referal promotions.

Used their partnership software one time last year. They do not support NJ, but do support some other states.

[Joe Btfsplk]

Tax Act

You can't beat Tax Act for the money, but if you do anything other than 1040s, you need another program. For a while I used both ATX and TaxAct since occasionally ATX would not calculate some things properly. I believe ATX has corrected these problems and I have not ordered TaxAct this year.

[DonPriebe]

TaxAct E-file prices down from last season

Actually, the e-file prices are the same, bit this year they didn't charge for the program when you signed up for unlimited e-file. $500 for unlimited 1040 with all states with unlimited e-file for both.

TaxAct does not support all the non-resident states, nor even all the resident state forms, nor even all the federal forms, but it does do 98% of what you need. TaxAct is superior to ATX is several ways - primarily in diagnostics and opening needed forrm. ATX would not automatically calculate AMT in many common cases - they apparently 'solved' that problem this year by opening a 6251 for ALL 1040 returns. TaxAct had a simple check the box form to evaluate educational deduction/credit options - ATX made you work it out all the different ways. But --- TaxAct doesn't have a good e-file management routine. You submit each e-file independently, and track them on your own. You don't even get to choose your own DCNs -- they start at EFIN0500 and go from there. I actually preferred TaxWise to either ATX or TaxAct. But ATX and TaxWise have both been bought by CCH, so who knows what next season will bring.