CCH has acquired ATX. Of course, they've indicated ATX will be separate product line. Maybe, but how long do you think that will last? I'm sorry if this has been already discussed. I haven't read the forum for some time, and didn't see anything on a quick search.
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Does this mean they own Kleinrock's? -
Yes, Kelinrock's was part of the purchase package.Comment
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I see the owner of CCH is Wolters Kluwer. European that can't be good.Comment
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Not such a Small Fish
Yes, the big fish keep swallerin' the little fish.
However, ATX was the #1 tax software in terms of subscribers in the business. ATX was home-grown from all appearances, and its entire format emerged from a network of simple spreadsheets. ATX also was very price competitive. You can kiss that goodbye. Maybe not this year, but it will happen.
Reminds me of another tax product swallered up by a huge corporate publisher. If it were not for The Tax Book, the QuickFinder prices would have soared.
Brad Imsdahl, I wonder if our oft-discussed Mr. Hill from Chattanooga could be talked into getting back into the tax software business. The only hope for continued affordability of tax software is to piggy-back the product onto an already-existing distribution and advertising network. Regardless of what we learned in school, if we build a better mousetrap, the world will NOT beat a path to our door. This is a myth -- only by marketing your values and puffing your wares (if you will) will anyone find out about your mousetrap.
Just giving you tax people something to think about. An example in my part of the country is the banking industry, where your friendly corner bank is successively swallered up by successively bigger fish and finally Chase, Citibank, and BOAmerica will eventually have it all. These monolithic giant banks are fee-driven, policy-driven, and in no way are the needs of the customer the primary focus. The result of this is a fresh outbreak of locally-owned banks. Every time Corner Bank is bought out by World Bank Intl, another Corner Bank is started.
Maybe this is what needs to happen to the big fish in tax software.Comment
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CCH has their Express Answers book, a competitor and direct consequence to the PPC purchase of Quickfinder. Kleinrock copied Quickfinder a few years back by introducing Quick Answers book. Now that CCH owns both Express Answers and Quick Answers, one wonders if both products will continue? The Quick Answers line is a cheap imitation. At least CCH's Express Answers tried to be innovative and show some creativity.
CCH also appears to be heading in the direction of Thomson by buying every tax resource they can get their hands on. They were the number one respected company for years, but now are struggling with the competition Thomson is providing.
The interesting story behind all of these big corporation acquisitions, is when they squeeze the market place too hard by buying up all of these small businesses, little pieces squirt out that come back to bite them. TheTaxBook would not exist today if the big guys left Quickfinder alone. Bob Jennings Seminars would not exist today if the big guys left Gear Up Seminars alone. Pure and simple, as more and more companies are bought out, the talent simply starts up a new company to fill the gap left behind. Big companies rarely invent new stuff. They simply buy up the small businesses that are the innovators, and capitalize on their success. There will always be a place for small business, because small business is generally the place where new ideas originate.Last edited by Bees Knees; 08-02-2006, 12:04 PM.Comment
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Ohhhhh Nooooo!
Say it ain't so!Originally posted by Zee
It's taken me two years to become sufficiently calloused to endure their exceptionally fouled-up electronic filing, their know-nothing, non-existent tech support ("Problems? What problems?"), their hour-long hold time, their clueless India-based "canned" responses, and the non-consensual flooding of my email inbox with hundreds of useless questioning posts from fellow answer-seeking users.
The unique saving graces of the entire package were the wonderfully economical price -- anywhere between $250 and $1,000 depending on your needs/no EF charge -- and the extraordinary ease-of-use so that, when it worked; it worked very, very well. And now...
Oh well; guess I might as well bite the bullet -- back to Lacerte's $2K and up.Comment
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Other Options For What It is Worth
Bart,
ATX was always hard for me when I demo'd it back a few years ago. Left Lacerte due to costs, but did find TaxWorks. You can tailor the packages that you need and so far after 3 years has been cost effective, and I am pleased with the Program. They have enhanced each year for 2003, 2004, 2005. Their support has been good, at least not in India!
But alas, it just could be 2006 or 2007 or 2008 (tax prep years) they will sell out as well. Money does talk doesn't it!
SandyComment
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I used ATX for the first time this year and actually liked it. I hope it doesn't change. And expecially hope it doesn't go up in price.Comment
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First time user
The good news is if/when they discontinue the software, current user's of ATX will be offered an incentive to switch to the CCH product. I doubt very much they will continue the product long-term, although Lacerte/TurboTax have remained separate products TurboTax has a split market. Also, the cost of TurboTax Professional has also increased substantially.
I'm not sure how this sort of thing continues to happen with Anti-Trust laws. I guess there's still enough competitition, it isn't an issue. But, my guess is that's part of the reason a product is continued for a while to avoid discusson.Comment
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Wow, did not know that
I didn't not know CCH bought ATX. Thank you. My take on this is CCH wants to compete with Intuit's lower cost software line (Pro Series), and also possibley use ATX as a competitor of Turbo Tax for individual who do thier own taxex. CCH just does not have the volumne (in Pro Series Fx) to continue to invest in the programming needed to compete. Also many CCH Pro Fx users have been complaining about the lack of user friendlyness (but it's still probably the best detailed comprehensive package out there). This move will add security to the CCH tax line, and give comfort to CCH users that the European owners will not sell-off or run the product into the ground. As we know, if these line do not show good numbers, they can be dropped on a moments notice.Comment
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That's a good thought, and possibility as well.Originally posted by John of PAComment
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ATX to continue?
It's good news of a sort. I went through this when Intuit bought out Tasc Force a few years ago. They discontinued the TF program and gave good discounts on Lacerte/Pro Series (your choice) for two or three years. Also, they conducted nationwide seminars, led by former TF personnel, on transitioning to the new programs. So they softened the blow considerably, but it can't really make up for all the time, trouble, and difficulty involved in switching from one software to another.Originally posted by Zee
On an optimistic note, I read an article about the purchase of Lacerte by Intuit. They had originally intended to drop the software and just work the customer list, but, turns out, it was such a popular tax program that they found it more profitable to keep it and build on it.
Maybe we'll get lucky in the same way with ATX.Comment
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Zee / Sandy
Zee: Thanks much for letting us know about this.
Sandy: I demoed TaxWorks, but didn't like the layout as much as I did ATX's. Too, I'm afraid that Tax - Works/Act/Relief are small enough that they might get bought out.Comment
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We could always go back to paper and pencil. That will show them!Comment
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