Tax Software 2012 - The Good/The Bad/The Ugly! Post your experiences!

[spanel]

TaxSlayer Pro

The Good:

Was filing returns 5 days early and clients were receiving refunds as early as Feb 1st.
Updates were timely as IRS allowed forms to go through.. and even let us send returns before IRS was accepting them.

The Bad:

Really did have any problems to speak of.
IL update to print out IL 1040V and 1040e/s wasnt until late Feb.. Used adobe files from IL website until then. (otherwise IL was rolling 1 week before filing season started).. I know some other tax softwares didnt have IL until days after Jan 31st.

The Ugly:

Again, tax season was good other than IRS delays.

Chris

P.S. Post your Experiences!!
P.P.S. Used Refund Advantage for the 3rd year for Bank Products.. No probs what-so-ever.. smooth as always!!

[Roberts]

I used OLTPRO Desktop. If you used the old Intellitax years ago, it's very similar. They have an interview mode (never used it) but the direct data entry had a very strong Intellitax feel in my opinion. If you didn't like Intellitax, you'll dislike OLTPRO. Intellitax was my favorite software of all time so I like OLTPRO.

Three problems IMO.
1) once the return is efiled, you can't go into the return and view your entries like you can with other software. Client calls up and wants to know something specific you entered and where you got that - might not be viewable. Hate that.
2) to fix that, IMO all entries need to be listed and outlined in the NOTES section for printing with the return. Not an option. Seems to me to be an exceptionally easy fix and I think they'll do it.
3) 1041 Grantor Trust is available but you need to mail it in pretty much if there is detail. When you enter data - it doesn't roll onto the Grantor Trust Letter and that's a pain. Thankfully I don't do a lot of Grantor Trusts.

I also wish there were a few warnings that would pop up for routinely problem areas. Just reminders. You enter tax free income - when you do the state remind me to verify that it was in-state tax free income also.

[John3cpa]

TaxWorks-A mess

Red Gear destroyed TaxWorks this year. I had been using TaxWorks for nearly 15 years with no real problems (glitches here and there) until 2012 when Red Gear decided to re-write the program. I had constant problems, hours on "chat" and "screen share" numerous "uploaded" returns to software support, etc, etc. Now, since they have announced that they will not be back next year I have a decision to make. Thompson Reuters (Ultra Tax CS) says they will renew at the same price point as TaxWorks and hold it for 3 years...but then what? I'm also looking at Drake, which looks good...any body out there using either I'd like your input. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

[bgiez]

Taxworks vs Drake

Red Gear destroyed TaxWorks this year. I had been using TaxWorks for nearly 15 years with no real problems (glitches here and there) until 2012 when Red Gear decided to re-write the program. I had constant problems, hours on "chat" and "screen share" numerous "uploaded" returns to software support, etc, etc. Now, since they have announced that they will not be back next year I have a decision to make. Thompson Reuters (Ultra Tax CS) says they will renew at the same price point as TaxWorks and hold it for 3 years...but then what? I'm also looking at Drake, which looks good...any body out there using either I'd like your input. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Hi, John3cpa,

I had terrible problems with TaxWorks for the 2011 tax year after using it problem free since tax year 2002, so I switched to Drake for tax year 2012 and wish I had done it sooner. If you decide to go with Drake, two things (probably more, but these two gave me fits) you should be aware of, both dealing with depreciation:
1.) when you enter land value in TW, the program subtracts it to get to the depreciable basis; not so in Drake. You must do the math yourself and enter depreciable basis separate from land value.
2.) when using standard mileage rate, instead of linking the vehicle in the depreciation area to the schedule where the vehicle is used (ie: C, E) you must choose "auto" otherwise it will deduct both the standard mileage rate and the depreciation on the vehicle.

Other than those two issues, I really liked Drake once I got used to where to look for the various forms and schedules in the menu.

[John of PA]

John3CPA,
last year I switched from Lacerte to Drake, I love Drake. You are so right when you say "after 3 years then what". Lacerte offered me 1/2 price for 3 years, but that half price was still more than double Drake's price, "then what?". I have to work just a little harder in Drake than I did in Lacerte, but I don't mind, the savings is worth it and they are there to help when you need them, I just called a short while ago (Sat afternoon) and tech support answered my question, I was off the phone in 2 minutes. Good Luck.

[ChrisCPA]

[QUOTE=bgiez;153590]Hi, John3cpa,


1.) when you enter land value in TW, the program subtracts it to get to the depreciable basis; not so in Drake. You must do the math yourself and enter depreciable basis separate from land value.


There is a Land field on the asset screen that will separate the land from the total of the asset. So they should be entered on the same screen.

[JohnH]

I switched from ATX to Drake this year. Made the switch in the first few days of February. I've always foregone the early purchase discount with ATX, so didn't have any money tied up in ATX, which made the decision easier. ATX users were just having way too many problems in mid-to-late January for me to take the risk. After all, it's a tax program for Pete's sake - it isn't supposed to control guided missiles.

Transition turned out to be easier than expected, and I quickly learned that the much-dreaded change from forms-based entry in ATX to data screen entry in Drake was very simple. Although I've used it for years with ATX and liked it, forms-based entry is vastly overrated.

I found Drake to be lightning fast and it ran circles around ATX in terms speed and ease of use. Customer support with Drake is unbeatable. Even if ATX happened to get all their ducks in a row, I wouldn't consider going back. As long as Drake continues with their current product and pricing structure, I'm a customer for life (well, at least until retirement - hopefully the two are not simultaneous).

[Black Bart]

ATX Veteran here.

I switched from ATX to Drake this year...I quickly learned that the much-dreaded change from forms-based entry in ATX to data screen entry in Drake was very simple...forms-based entry is vastly overrated...

Aw, don't tell me that. That's a major reason I'm still with 'em. And I've been forced to change four or five times -- I'd rather fight than switch (does that sound familiar?).

ATX user since '04 -- two "crisis" years previously; nothing like this one. It was awful.

Load time for the program itself was two minutes after punching the screen icon. Any rollovers with depreciation required another two full minutes. Some automobile data entry screens could not be filled in without shrinking screen resolution (entry lines simply disappeared as you scrolled). 1/2 to one-second delay after punching any key for number to appear drove you crazy when in a hurry. Fortunately I only use two stand-alone computers -- networkers posting on the ATX community board were going bananas trying to synchronize their work stations (I got the impression that there were actual computer math calculation errors which is a scary thing indeed). One poster said he and an employee, taking turns, hung on to tech support for six hours, got a clueless CSR, and were disconnected.

We mostly figured out our own workarounds and only needed tech bad once, so I hung on the line for two hours and 20 minutes, gave up, and hung up without a reply (well, not counting the dozen recorded sales pitches). Luckily, an update fixed us the next day.

Probably a good thing that IRS did delay forms for a month otherwise I'd have had no excuse to offer my customers. ATX forms delivery was slow as Christmas.

Now, having said all that, I still might not switch. Compared to the 60 MPH 2011 program, this one's a 20 MPH balky, clunker-junker, but it works if you have the time, patience, luck, and faith in Allah. Too, I'm thinkin' it might improve next year (their CEO got the axe) and revert to its old self, which was PDQ when firing on all cylinders. Somebody said they were forced to abandon their Excel platform this time (whatever that means--John H. will know) to become compatible with newer Windows systems.

Will it be fixed next time? Unknowable until you're in the soup. What to do? That Drake's 2-ring (rather than 2-hour) phone sounds better and better. Also thinking about Taxslayer -- they get good reviews here.

[bgiez]

Drake land value

Hi, John3cpa,


1.) when you enter land value in TW, the program subtracts it to get to the depreciable basis; not so in Drake. You must do the math yourself and enter depreciable basis separate from land value.

There is a Land field on the asset screen that will separate the land from the total of the asset. So they should be entered on the same screen.

Yes, they are entered on the same screen, but you still need to do the math. In Taxworks you entered the total, then entered the land value and the program calculated depreciation on the difference. In Drake, if you entered the total, and then entered the land value in the appropriate spot on the same screen, it calculated the depreciation on the total; it didn't subtract it before calculating.

[S T]

As a long time user of TaxWorks, I had always entered separate items of Land and Bldg, so the conversion to Drake was easy - I just had to correct the Depreciation Method using the "NDA" code for Land in Drake

I did have to check and make sure though other depreciation information and codes on other assets were correct- there were some corrections from the conversion and transfer.

Sandy