Another Thread on Software

[Chief]

Tax Refund Express

is a reseller of ORR not Taxwise. ACE Express is a reseller ot Taxwise or they were a few years ago.

[geekgirldany]

Thanks so much for the information Erchess. Actually no I did not know there was a difference. I have used Taxwise since 94-95 and I have not tried anything else. So this is really new to me about the other types of software available. I think it should be pretty obvious like your example but in some cases it may not. Tech support for Taxwise is okay. If you call in about a form they seem to not know and it takes awhile to get an answer. Drake's tech support seems to have high marks. I find it interesting that Tax Refund Express resales Taxwise.

I've also decided to try TaxSlayer Pro also. After I do a few test returns I should be able to tell if I want to take the jump to change. I think Taxwise should add a little more to their package for the price. Adding the document manager would be a great addition.

[erchess]

Danny

Forgive me if you know this but in today's market professionals can choose Forms Entry or Spreadsheet Entry and most programs are one or the other although some can give either and some will feed you the questions to ask your client during the interview.

Drake is an example of pure Spreadsheet Entry. Ultratax is an example of a program that can do both. I found that very helpful about Ultratax because to me their spreadsheet screens collectively are a confusing maze. Drake has no Forms Entry but I find the layout of the worksheets logical. Let's just take Wages. I don't actually need, in order to use Drake, to know that they end up on line 7 of F1040. Even if I knew nothing about taxes I could figure out that the W2 my client gives me belongs on the W2 screen of my computer. The fact that the boxes on both are numbered makes matching easy. The other screens are similarly easy in Drake. What I have to know essentially is the "definition" of each number I put in the return and of each box I check and each answer I choose from a list. At any time I can view the return and see if things are going where they should because of course glitches in software happen and sometimes a computer operator makes a goof. But I really think that with the Excel sheet we both hope to get and reasonable tax knowledge Drake is easy to use. If you do happen to forget where entries of a particular sort get made just call Tech Support.

[geekgirldany]

I got around the forms entry problem by preparing an excel worksheet listing each line on form 1040 and in adjacent columns I have the line description, the code that takes you to the appropriate Drake Input screen and the source of the information such as 1099INT, 2106, 8889,3903, etc. I've uploaded my worksheet on a Yahoo group which is capable of receiving such uploads.

I would need something like that. I am so use to Taxwise. Click F9 and it shows all the forms available for that line on the 1040. Does Drake not do something similar to this? It sounds like you have to know which forms you have to use. Which should be obvious but not always to me.

[erchess]

Isn't this group capable of receiving

such uploads? Or could you email me the worksheet?

[taxxcpa]

Drake and Forms entry

[QUOTE=geekgirldany;59451]I just looked at the web video for Drake. I am pretty impressed with all that is offered for the price. I am with Taxwise now and I am okay with it. They don't have a document manager included. I pay $2.00 per efile and pay extra for some return types.

As stated before the only thing about Drake that is putting me off is forms entry. QUOTE]

I got around the forms entry problem by preparing an excel worksheet listing each line on form 1040 and in adjacent columns I have the line description, the code that takes you to the appropriate Drake Input screen and the source of the information such as 1099INT, 2106, 8889,3903, etc. I've uploaded my worksheet on a Yahoo group which is capable of receiving such uploads.

[iratax]

Drake

I switched from ATX to Drake this year. It was the best move I could have done. Yes there is a big learning curve going from a forms based data entry to a screen based data entry but it was worth it. Everyone says Drake support is so great but I don't know because I only had to use them one time, but that one time they were on the phone in about 10 seconds and resolved the problem in a minute or two.

No e-file problems, no forms update problems(Drake does it automatically so I didn't even know when it occurred.) No issues with them telling me one price and charging another.

I also got a free WEB site and e-mail address from them.

[jim s]

Tax Act Software

Ive been using tax act for sometime now, but i haven"t been in the business as long as some of you, what i like about it is that you can buy only what your gonna use. you don't have to buy a lot of software that your not gonna use, and you can buy one state or you can buy all the states at a discount, PS i don' t E-FILE...jim s

[equinecpa]

That is certainly interesting...I test drove Taxwise and quite liked it but there was no way I was going to buy a CCH product. However, I might buy a CCH product if someone else was providing the support....and efile service.

I can't get the demo to work but the link for the forms definitely brings you to the taxwise website forms list.

[learnmore]

TRX PRO TW - They're Tax Refund Xpress and they're reselling Tax Wise software for 699 + Shipping and Handling. Same product no per return charges.

I found their number on their trxalliance website.

1-866-829-9777

https://www.trx1040.com

[geekgirldany]

I called Drake for a demo. I like to talk to the sale person and see how the act. I am going to give it a try. Salesman for Drake said they had alot of people calling that were users of Taxwise and ATX. Price on Taxwise is $1,100. I have to do pay per return for trusts and get charged $3 for efile. It seems with Drake I would get more for the money. But as I said I am so use to the forms based setup of Taxwise this would be a big change for me.

[learnmore]

TRX PRO (Orrtax reseller) now reselling Tax Wise also

TRX Pro software while being somewhat limited fits the needs for most users. They're actually rolling out with a new software package that is partnered with Taxwise it's going to hit this next season. It still has no per return charges just like their original TRX PRO product, but a larger initial cost for the software. I talked to them and they're calling their Tax Wise product TRX PRO TW. While TRX Pro is right for some preparers those who want access to what some would say a better product can get that in TRX PRO TW while still not paying any per return charges. I have links to both their websites.

http://www.trxalliance.com/

http://www.trx1040.com/

[JCH]

Well put, Bob, and just what I needed to hear today. I'm relatively new to the business, been out on my own for four years, and the clients I get the most complaints from and who take the most of my time are the ones I charge the least! I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for in everything.

[BOB W]

I use the same programs as Matt>>> the full load.

I agree with Matt, it seems that many of you (from previous threads/posts) do under-sell your worth. Once caught in that cycle it is no wonder tax program costs become a factor in your choice of tax programs.

In the future those low-costs programs will raise their prices, 5% or 10%, every year and unless you are increasing your fees you may choose to do the returns by hand because you will be outpriced by software at every turn.

In order to have a "Business" you have to be a winner $$$$$ and your client has to be a winner for having you. H&R is a winner because of "preceived value". What are you doing to build your preceived value, Low Fees? That is exactly what not to do.

Over the years Low fees has only brought me the wrong clients. Troubled clients, annoying clients and clients that give you no respect. Why??? because some may look at you as a fool or at least that you give yourself a "no confidence" vote. But to them price is all that matters, and they are the fool to begin with.

As I have stated in a thread a year or two ago, I started my practice using low fees to attract a following but soon learned (3 or 4 years) that my clients were not "Valued" clients. Over the next several years I increased my fees and at the same time put value in my business and clients. Some of the price seeks left but I aquired more valued clients than what left.

A couple of years ago I decided to slow my business down so I wasn't afraid to raise my fees again. I had been raising fee by $5- $10 every year in the past. This time I was using $20- $25 increases. Well to my suprise, my total fees collected beat the prior years and I did less work. (I lost only 65 personal returns out of 550 returns).

In this business you have to gain client respect, and low fees will not give you respect from your clients.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Letter from Drake

i just got a letter from Drake in the mail yesterday. They are giving free tax seminars demonstrating their program.
In Florida they are the end of April and in May. I may go just to see what another program does. I have never looked at another program since I started with TaxslayerPro. I have been very satisfied with their program.

So it would be interesting just to compare it to something else.

Linda F