UltraTax users?

[Matt Sova]

Staff

There is myself, one full time staff person and one part time assistant. During tax season I had another part timer in to help with the phone and processing returns.

[BOB W]

Nice.....

..... ratio for your volumn. I do about 500 1040/entity mix. So your full time staff person is justified. Looks like you are just right with room for growth. I'd say 100 more 1040s and 40 entities without any more employees. At least from my prospective, as the majority of my clients are $150-$200 1040s and small corporate clients. Your mix may envolve larger type clients so my estimate may be off.

[Zee]

Lacerte vs UltraTax

Thanks everyone for your responses. I also used Lacerte for several years and thought it was wonderful software. I'm wondering why use Create Solutions for Write-Up paired with Lacerte? If UltraTax and Lacerte are comparable in quality, why give up the integration features?

[BOB W]

Planning.......

... for the future is not always smooth. Sometimes people make choices based on what they want to spend instead of having a firm plan. In the begining years it is hard to have a plan until you have a viable practice. By then you are use to what you have and change is always difficult. If it wasn't for some of the buyouts that happend several years ago, I may not of been wise enough to realize what was out there.

I had my fill of time consuming buyouts and decided to look at some of the more stable software companies. I knew I wanted nothing to do with any company that was my competition, just out of spite. That led me to Creative Solution. In the past I had reviewed them and was impressed. When my last tax program was bought out, again, my choice was easy. But I knew the change over would be a horror show- I knew I had to do it, and now.

I strongly suggest that any practioner take a look at the future and decide now if you are growing fast enough where you will need intergartion in your business. If you don't know the benefits of intergration you must learn what it does.

For instance, My wife enters check info, from there I do payroll report from the same keyed info. CS has a bank rec program included in their accounting program. The same info from my wife goes into the bk rec for a quick check off of cleared cks. Minor adjustments are picked up from the bank statements and put into the bk rec program. I then print out a fully reconciled bank rec.

At the end of the year I print W-2s and 1099s, all from my wifes key strokes. When I have my Trial Balance ready, it gets imported into Ultra Tax's 1120s program( 5 minutes and I'm ready to print.). I make some NYS adjustments and I'm done with the corporate return. After I print the Corporate Return I then go to the owners' 1040 and sign in. Upon signing in I get a message, "Do you want to accept these changes". I say "yes" and all W2 info is put into earnings and all K-1 info gets entered on Schedule E pg 2>>>>> all from my wife's check entry.

Anytime I print a document I have the option to save it to file cabinet, like 941s, bank rec, 1099s, my copy of all tax returns, I scan in clients w2, bank statements, you name it it gets scanned by month or year file names. I can be any where and I can access any and all infomation about any client. ( I also use "gotomypc.com"- whether I'm in the office or at home, I have all client records available to me.)

I hardly ever use a pen or pencil any more. I keep limited paper copies of anything. I have an online company that backups all my data every night for $20 a month (encripted)

That was a mouthful, sorry for the rambling...........

[Brad Imsdahl]

I’m sorry. The rest of this thread had to be deleted. I don’t like to censor posts, but we cannot allow personal insults on our message board. Argue all you want, but do so without insults.

[BOB W]

Zee.........

... I just got my Ultra Tax renewal figures. $4,191 for:

1040 FED
1040 NYS
1120 FED
1120 NYS
4 user Network
PPR license for other Fed & St programs
Fixed Assets w/ 4 user Network
File Cabinet w/ 4 user Network
Unlimited Efile Fed & States

This is with a pd by June 15 discount.

First year fees are higher than renewal fees, so don't just look at the sign-on costs. While I realize having a new practice leaves cost as an issue, you may want to look at the long term picture and make an investment in your business rather than just a purchase to get by on.

When I add on my accounting programs it will be just over $7,500.

[Zee]

Creative Solutions Costs

Ouch! I've purchased Write Up Solutions, and will use UltraTax on a PRS basis as a start.

[BOB W]

Great choice.......

...... and PPR is the way to go for now while you are growing. Did you go with file cabinet also, or is it too soon for you?

[Zee]

An empty File Cabinet

It's too soon for File Cabinet. I don't have anything to place in the cabinet.

[BOB W]

You're right.....

.... keep it simple. Lets hope you grow quickly and learn the in's and out's of the write-up program. Do what I did, jump right into learning the program. Free support only last 60 or 90 days after that it is $60 an hour. I stayed on the phone for at least 4 hrs a day going over whatever project I was working on at the time.

They give templets to work from but not I. I wanted to keep my old chart of accounts and was forced to develop everything from scratch, so that is why I spent so much time on the phone. But do not spend ANYTIME figuring out anything, call them at every opportunity and your life will be a happy one..,...... It is free..........1-800

[Zee]

Support

What about the tech support for UltraTax, is it unlimited or is there also an hourly charge after a certain time frame?

[BOB W]

UT Tech...........

.............. support is free and very good. You will have no problems. Sometimes you may be caller number 8, but that means 2 or 3 minutes. Which is indicative of good support. You'll love everything about UT.