Question for ATX Users

[Bees Knees]

I haven’t renewed my ProSeries software yet for 2008. Considering ATX. Is it still as good after the CCH buyout? Pros vs. Cons?

I know we’ve talked software before. Just wonder if you ATX users have noticed any changes since the glory days of ATX.

[JohnH]

I use ATX 1040 and Zillion Forms in separate modules. Both performed flawlessly for me in 2006 and 2007, including a complete emergency changeover to a new computer last week when my main computer died. I had to make one call to customer service and they quickly identified the problem as being an error I was making - no problem with the program. (Of course this customer service call was in the off-season and I have seen several complaints on the Unofficial ATX Community board about the wait times & response during the height of the tax season). I really like the forms-based approach and the intuitive nature of the ATX products.

I've been a frequent critic of the company's behavior, marketing, and apparent change of their corporate culture following the buyout. We're all familiar with some of their bonehead moves, and I see evidence that they haven't learned very much form their mistakes or else don't care about the damage they have done to the brand.

I continue to be wary of them because of this dissatisfaction and I'm not renewing until the last minute because I want to give them every opportunity to disappoint me before commiting any $$$ to them for next season. I continue to evaluate alternatives for that same reason. But if they continue to provide the current product of the same quality and don't get outrageous with their pricing, I'll stick with them for now. Overall, I believe ATX is the best thing available for the money at present.

BTW, are you participating over on the Unofficial ATX Community? If not, you should also post over there to get additional feedback. It's a fine group - most of the best participants from the original ATX Community have moved over there and simply stayed, even though ATX has since reopened the original (with limted success, IMO). It's also self-supporting and can't be trashed at an inappropriate moment at the whims of inept management acting on blind impulse. Even though it's lightly moderated, discussion tends to be very civil and also informative, probably because most participants have a financial stake in the operation of the Community. There's also some interesting discussion there about a future alternative, but if anything develops along those lines it will be one or more tax seasons away.

[RJM]

Software great, Support below average

Bees, I agree with John mostly. The software really is great, and improves significantly each year. For probably 99% of users, there is never a need to look for any additional forms. I think ATX has the most complete inventory of forms. My huge problem was this tax season, CCH fired all the ATX people who knew how to set up, monitor, and process the e-file function. They made sure to get the 1040 e-file working fairly well, but neglected all the payroll and other return types. The majority of payroll return e-filers had great difficulties, IMO. The first quarter 2008 payroll e-filing went very well. So I hope they have now fixed these issues. CS was mostly fired last year also, so the unofficial board became very important last season. It seems like CCH CS is improving with the ATX product now. Unlike John, I renewed early for the discount, because I am cheap. I tried many other programs, and the logic and layout are sub-par for me. The only other program I really like is Prosystems fx in forms mode, but it costs more than 10 times the price of ATX. One last note... I still have an uncomfortable suspicion that CCH will fold the ATX product in December, and send me their Taxwise program instead. If that happens I will take up drinking. -Bob

[Snaggletooth]

Tax Form Format

One of the good things about ATX is their input screen is literally the impact of entering into the tax form itself. There are lead schedules, of course, which feed the 1040 line items, but you can see a completed tax form materialize as you prepare the return. Of course, you are dealing with a giant company who thinks they can stiff their customers whenever they want to, and no one will be the wiser. One example is the abrupt shut-down of their message board, and had the "unofficial" ATX board not surfaced with candid and incisive information about ATX and information they could not curtail or monitor, they would obviously not have revived their board.

There is good and bad in the "new" ATX under CCH. There is no question they have the most extensive library of tax forms to be found anywhere. My own preference is to explore software owned and operated by smaller, dedicated companies such as TaxSlayer, Drake, and CrossLink. For example, TaxSlayer is ranked #1 in support by NATP; they are my provider, and support is absolutely flawless, even though the software can be weak on state forms outside the southeast. Drake is perhaps the oldest and most stable of all these, and has not raised their prices in years.

I have my own reservations about ProSeries. They have good software, but if Intuit is declaring war on tax preparers, I'm not going to support them.

[LawrenceGR]

Atx

I stopped useing their software quite a few years ago, I switched to Proseries. I thought ATX was more than a little goofy, the price was good but I didn't like having to update the program everyday and so on. I haven't looked at ATX in years maybe they got better since the buyout. Please keep us posted