ATX Software

[Hoosier]

Noticed some discussion regarding tax software. Just wondered if any of you use ATX and if so, what do you think of it? I've used ATX for four tax seasons with good success. Thanks.

[Black Bart]

Indiana Man

Noticed some discussion regarding tax software. Just wondered if any of you use ATX and if so, what do you think of it? I've used ATX for four tax seasons with good success. Thanks.

That's all I know about you boys (Hoosiers). What does that word mean anyway?

ATX: I'm a user and here's my scholarly analysis:

1. Price - Great

2. Support - Stinks

3. Format/layout - Terrific

4. Their EF processing - Like delivering a baby without anesthesia

5. Re-upping? Dunno/ agonizing over it. Definitely a love-hate relationship

There's a relevant discussion (half on software--half on EF) about 9 or 10 threads down under jainen's thread (take all his statements with a grain of salt) entitled "only problem I had."

Good luck and Godspeed.

[Chief]

ATX Software

I detect a glimpse of dissatisfaction with ATX from your post. I ordered two of their previous years and like the design of the software. However, I am afraid of it from statements of people on this board and tax preparers that I know.

I would suggest that you go to the ATX Message Board and read comments by its own users. especially around the last week of January and first week of February. Review the board quickly over a period of time.

Why don't you share with us your thoughts about ATX and why you are asking others for their impression of the software that you are using?

[Black Bart]

Also look at

"Ultra Tax Users?" just below for more alternatives.

[OldJack]

I have been an ATX-MAX (1120,1120s, 1065, 1041,1040,etc) user since the early 1990's. Its a great product but NOT for those that really don't know what tax forms they need for entry of a specific tax transaction. The program is really a forms spreadsheet program and its based upon excel spreadsheets. I like it because I started doing taxes back in the days before computers with the use of paper forms so it was a natural form entry for me. I have had maybe once each year that I used support and it was good.

Don't plan on getting started doing serious tax returns with ATX until about the end of January when all forms are available. Newbee tax preparers should stay away from ATX as it is not designed for those that don't know much about taxes.

[Black Bart]

Unforgiving software

Newbee tax preparers should stay away from ATX as it is not designed for those that don't know much about taxes.

I agree--I've got ATX. It's easy to let a credit slip by you if you're not on your toes and pretty familiar with taxes.

P. S. What do you think about the e-filing thing I suggested to you in jainen's thread "Only Problem I Had"? Do you think you might try it? Or, are you going to just wait and see what develops with regard to any mandated EF?

[OldJack]

BB...I have plans for retirement that hopefully will be before mandatory e-filing. Most of my 1040s are 15-30 pages and I am sure I would have to spend a lot time with rejects because of a comma in the field or some box that was not checked if I e-filed. I also don't like the idea that I have to assume the responsibility for the filing when that belongs with the taxpayer. Maybe some day the IRS will let preparers and taxpayers e-file single tax returns direct to the IRS from their own computer. Then I might consider e-filing.

[Chief]

Direct E-filing to IRS

This is already possible with a number of the software programs. Tax Slayer, TaxWise allow their users to efile direct to IRS.

[Bill Tubbs]

ATX problems...

April 7th I identified 3 separate bugs with Wisconsin forms -- normal forms that I had been using all season. 2 dealt with WI Sch WD, and 1 with WI Sch H (Homestead Credit).

Also, at the beginning of the season, WI W-RA was not available for quite a while, so had to e-file a couple returns by hand-keying everything into the WI Free E-file webpage.

Overall a resource hog, and seems to slow down as I got more returns entered. I have just under 200 and returns don't seem to be opening near as quick as they did early in the season.

Agreed -- ATX is not for the newbee, but then, what tax software really is? IMO, you have to know the tax law and how the numbers are supposed to flow.

ATX PDF Writer not too reliable -- sometimes resulted in corrupted or blank PDF's. And the process of generating a PDF could have been more streamlined.

Been using ATX 4 years now, but plan on investigating alternatives -- already have 1 demo here (but not yet opened). Not necessarily planning to switch, but need to see what else is out there. My revenues have been increasing steadily, with 35+% this past year (my 8th year total doing taxes) and need to see if other software would be a better fit. If I can get something that is faster, now that my budget allows me more flexibility, I'll probably go that way.

Bill

[Black Bart]

You're right about that.

Overall a resource hog, and seems to slow down as I got more returns entered. I have just under 200 and returns don't seem to be opening near as quick as they did early in the season.
Bill

We're running two Dell XPs and have about two hundred returns on each. They've definitely slowed down on all aspects of operation now, as compared to the quickness they displayed at the beginning of tax season.

[LawrenceGR]

Atx

I used it for a few years the price was good but there were things that happened that made me question what esle is going wrong? I rolled foward a client's info and the filing status changed. I switched to Proseries and have used it since, it's more expensive but I like it. I have ordered a demo for Lacerte but I'm afraid it may be too rich for my blood

[Black Bart]

ATX Quirks

I used it for a few years the price was good but there were things that happened that made me question what esle is going wrong? I rolled foward a client's info and the filing status changed. I switched to Proseries and have used it since, it's more expensive but I like it. I have ordered a demo for Lacerte but I'm afraid it may be too rich for my blood

I've got some questions too, but I don't think ATX has any answers for them. A few items:

1. Every once in a while, I'll get a corrupted field. A series of these ### (number or pound signs) or the word "Value" pops-up in a column which should contain figures.

2. When trying to export a return from one computer to another by copying to a 3 1/2 floppy disk, I get a "disk full" error message. This for a simple "C" return. The only thing I can transfer to a single disk is one very simple 1040A "wages-only" return. I don't know what's going on with that because, in the past, I'd been able to get 20--any type--on a disk. I called tech support--transferred me to India. After four irrelevant and repetitive responses, I got a smart analyst--she said it wasn't me--it was the system. I asked about copying to a CD instead and she said it could be done, but it was a time-consuming laborious task.

Sooo....guess that's that. Maybe I'll check with the local computer guru and see if I can transfer to one of those super-memory "flash drives/memory sticks." Otherwise we can't move returns from one computer to another (to get rollovers to the person who's going to be working on that return).

Re Lacerte: Yeah, it's definitely rich for your blood. Two to three thousand, depending on what you want/order. But, it's a great program. Intuit is an apt name for the company that wrote it--it thinks of everything and takes care of you with kid gloves. Only downside I can see is that if you use it long enough (years), you might completely forget how to do taxes.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Old Jack - efiling

When I first started my business from my home, I filed direct with IRS. I did that for 2 or 3 years. Inever had a problem going direct.

FIrst of all, most software won't let you continue if you have put commas or other unacceptable marks on a return. Taxslayer won't even leave the field until I take it out. So it should never get to IRS to reject on that grounds.

Second, when I did get a rejection there is a phone number you call to see what the problem is if you don't understand the rejection. Always spoke to very nice and helpful people and could get the problem solved and corrected quickly.

Only drawback was that you have to have a modem to file direct with IRS. I don't know if they have made any changes in that area. But I wanted to go to a DSL line or cable connection on the internet. Taxslayer started letting us efile through them without any extra charges so now I just go through them.

I haven't had any problems.

Linda F

[Hoosier]

Zip

I've got some questions too, but I don't think ATX has any answers for them. A few items:

2. When trying to export a return from one computer to another by copying to a 3 1/2 floppy disk, I get a "disk full" error message. This for a simple "C" return. The only thing I can transfer to a single disk is one very simple 1040A "wages-only" return. I don't know what's going on with that because, in the past, I'd been able to get 20--any type--on a disk. I called tech support--transferred me to India. After four irrelevant and repetitive responses, I got a smart analyst--she said it wasn't me--it was the system. I asked about copying to a CD instead and she said it could be done, but it was a time-consuming laborious task.

Sooo....guess that's that. Maybe I'll check with the local computer guru and see if I can transfer to one of those super-memory "flash drives/memory sticks." Otherwise we can't move returns from one computer to another (to get rollovers to the person who's going to be working on that return).

I've had trouble using 3 1/2 drives to move files from one computer to another also. I ended up purchasing two external zip drives - one for each computer. This solved the problem since a 100mg zip can hold several large ATX tax return files.

I didn't realize that ATX support was in India. I haven't called support in two years because I never received practical answers to my questions. There were cases where I called support and I new more than the support tech. The biggest downside to ATX is the lack of support. When I do have questions I usually post the question on the ATXers web forum.

[Deltax]

Noticed some discussion regarding tax software. Just wondered if any of you use ATX and if so, what do you think of it? I've used ATX for four tax seasons with good success. Thanks.

Anyone of you wonderful people tried Drake?