It's easy to organize an audit, and also have all your work linked directly back to a trial balance. It also makes preparing schedules for financial statements quite easy. Additionally, a lot of the reports have excess tabs that add additional clutter to the spreadsheets, and it's not clear why they're there.
Lastly, the system can be slow to open and close files, but that's what you have to put up with, I guess. Functionality is better than most of the other tax software out there, navigation to frequently used items is decent. Overall, the software is a great tool to use for audit, tax and other projects management purposes and with its competitive price, one should consider this among their picks.
I've used this software for quite a long time and is a good tool for our tax and audit of Singapore companies. It is quite simple to use and navigate and you can master it in no time. Perfect for managing our client audits and achieve efficient workflow. Personallt, I prefer cloud-based softwares over desktop application softwares. Company size: 1,, employees.
CCH Prosystems is a critical tool for audit engagement management. This program allows me to create binders that contain all of the work that is being done on a particular project. Anyone with rights to the file can access it in real time from their personal computer. The only pain point for me comes from when a user has an engagement file "checked out" on their computer this locks the file and that file cannot be modified or edited until the user checks it back in. This can certainly be frustrating when you need to get your work done.
Project Management Software. Visit Website. Product Overview. The differences lie more in ease of use, user experience design, gated features, and customer support. And pricing. The price differences between various software products can be significant.
What is behind these differences in pricing? Much of the time, pricing variations indicate the company's sales strategy. That means offering similar products that are targeted to separate categories of users. Low-priced tax software options are aimed at new tax preparers, boutique agencies and cost-conscious purchasers.
Mid-priced software products are pitched to mid-sized offices. Premium and enterprise editions cater to high-volume tax preparation businesses that serve corporate clientele. The high-end offerings may pack in features not offered by the lower priced software products. Such premium features might not be necessary for small-and-medium tax preparation businesses. Price also reflects the market advantage of having an established brand.
A well-known name like Intuit can leverage its top-tier branding to demand higher subscription rates compared to the competition.
For the savvy purchaser, the key factor is not price alone, but value for price. You're looking to get the best value tax software available—one that will satisfy your precise needs at a price point you can be happy about. One more thing to keep in mind: it can be a good idea to purchase your software months before the start of the tax season. Many products are available at a discounted rate if bought several months before the tax season.
The prices on this comparison chart are based on the MSRP of the products. You may be able to find them at a lower price point. Summary: UltimateTax offers affordable, simple, and accurate tax preparation software for tax pros who specialize in e-filing s. It also has an advanced package that supports corporate returns—the most affordable corporate returns solution on the market.
UltimateTax is one of the smaller players in the tax prep software market. But its product is tried and tested to be as capable as any other on the market. And its user base is steadily growing—UltimateTax Desktop alone is now used by over 50, tax preparers annually.
If you think about it, there's one great advantage of using a less than mega-popular product. And that's the more personalized brand of service that customers can receive! UltimateTax serves thousands of customers rather than hundreds of thousands, so the company can devote more time and resources to each individual subscriber.
Their support team isn't gonna get stretched thin! No surprise, great customer service is one of the big selling points of UltimateTax! That's according to trusted user reviews on Google and TrustPilot.
And so it goes. Review after review singles out UltimateTax's top-notch customer support. But what about the product itself? UltimateTax gets good reviews on that, too. The company makes easy-to-use, feature-rich tax preparation software for both desktop and online platforms. UltimateTax gives tax preparers two modes for processing tax forms. One is data form entry mode, which simply presents a tax form to be filled out with information. The other is interview mode, which guides you through the process of completing a tax form with prompts and indicators.
Smart diagnostics can review processed returns and warn you if there are errors. Don't experience the hassle of submitting a return only to have it get rejected! You can enjoy paperless filing if you have an EFIN , real-time progress reports on e-filings, regular automatic back-ups to ensure that your data is protected, e-signature support, check printing, reports, and context-sensitive help built into the software.
Four different UltimateTax packages are made available to meet the needs of several different types of users, from new tax preparers to industry veterans. UltimateTax Pay-Per-Return offers great value to the new tax preparer dipping their toes in the business. While it's well-suited for use by an individual tax preparer, UltimateTax PPR allows for quick expansion in case you need it! The software supports up to 10 users out of the box! No need to send a request to customer support, no need to pay extra for additional accounts!
Add up to 10 user accounts as you like—hassle-free! This one works well for the small tax office catering to several hundred clients. The package comprises free unlimited e-filing, tax form support, all States included, and bank product rebates. UltimateTax Online is perfect for the on-the-go professional. You don't need to install anything. Access the online tax software from anywhere, file unlimited returns electronically, view real-time progress reports, and grant account access to as many as 10 users at once.
UltimateTax Desktop is very similar to Online. The key difference is that it needs to be installed on your office computers. UltimateTax Desktop lacks some of the mobility features of Online—such as accessibility on different types of devices, including a Macbook, Windows PC, or Chromebook.
It does have the distinct advantage of supporting unlimited user accounts. Unlimited user accounts are provided. It is certainly the lowest priced option that allows for unlimited corporate e-filing. UltimateTax places a strong emphasis on customer support, offered through its Service.
An in-house team provides year-round technical assistance at no additional cost to UltimateTax subscribers. You can contact a help agent via phone, email or live chat. All customer support agents are based in the USA. You can get bank product options that let your firm process IRS refunds faster for clients and earn additional revenue through rebates. For your information, UltimateTax works in partnership with TaxWise for tax calculations and e-filing functions.
The UltimateTax software adds several proprietary features, including Service and the easy-to-use Launchpad workflow optimizer. Summary: Drake offers packages that bundle together tax preparation software, office management tools, and optionally Drake accounting software. Note that in addition to each package, a subscriber still needs to purchase a Drake Tax software license to be able to e-file tax returns.
Focuses on speedy tax preparation via automatic form filling and offers multiple tax-year analysis. Plays well with Drake Accounting software. Drake Tax adds the functionality to e-file and print tax returns. In total, there are four Drake Tax software packages. Three packages offer versions of Drake on the Desktop, which has to be installed on your computer.
One package is available for Drake in the Cloud, which is an online application. To simplify the price breakdown, the cost of the Drake Tax software license is included in the price shown for each package.
The price breakdown shown on the Drake Software website looks different because the Drake Tax license fee is listed separately there. Drake in the Cloud supports hosting for the Drake Accounting application. But take note that Drake Accounting Pro is not included in this particular package.
If you only want to purchase the tax preparation software, then the other packages may appear more attractive. Whatever package you choose, Drake on the Desktop will equip you with a set of various software tools. These include a digital filing cabinet for documents, a tax planner app, and a scheduler. Basically, the package includes a few office management software applications. Drake on the Desktop also provides e-filing functionality. The software supports the following tax forms and schedules: , NR, , , S, H, , , , All standard State returns are included as well.
Drake Tax also offers 12 tax forms in the Spanish language. The supported tax forms in Spanish include W-4, W-7, , and Drake Tax is your basic tax preparation software. It is designed to make the process of completing a return more efficient and streamlined. The software can automatically calculate a return as you fill out the data fields. You can set up shortcut keys and macros to speed up tax return data entry tasks.
One Drake Tax feature, Look Back, lets you view the prior year's tax return data. You can easily compare it with the current year's return. With a keyboard shortcut, you can toggle between Look Back and the current view. DoubleCheck is the name of Drake Tax's diagnostic tool. It can track any changes that affect verified data entry items. If DoubleCheck detects such changes, it will automatically flag the entry for review. You can further speed up tax preparation using optional hardware add-ons.
These include an e-signature pad and a 2D barcode scanner. The signature pad can simplify electronic tax filing by letting clients digitally sign returns. The barcode scanner enables importing data from W-2s or K-1s with 2D barcodes. The online software package includes cloud-based hosting on the Right Networks accounting platform. Every user account receives 40 GB of cloud storage.
Using Right Networks, Drake in the Cloud can be accessed on any computer with a broadband Internet connection 1. Drake promises Drake in the Cloud supports Microsoft , but you must provide your own Microsoft license. It is used to edit PDF files. You can also purchase and add applications that are compatible with the Right Networks accounting platform. If a subscriber has issues using the tax preparation software, they can get support via phone or email.
The Drake web site also hosts a knowledge base of troubleshooting information. Drake Tax Software is purchasable through the official Drake Tax site. You can also purchase Drake through UltimateTax for a much lower price.
This package supports unlimited e-filing of individual income tax returns. Summary: TaxWise still provides distinct desktop and software based packages, with the online application specialized in the processing of individual returns. Add-ons like a mobile app are available at an extra cost. TaxWise software provides basic tax preparation tools that can be supplemented by add-on features such as a mobile app and a refund estimator.
Comparing TaxWise with UltimateTax shows that the tax software programs offer similar features: on-premise and online application options, form-entry and interview modes, interface customization, diagnostics, online tax preparation and bank product integration. With the two products sharing many similarities, customers are left to look at how their prices compare.
TaxWise has fairly competitive market pricing, but it remains significantly more expensive than its UltimateTax counterpart across several categories of price and package. You might notice that the prices above are not the same as the prices listed on the Wolters Kluwer site. That's because they have been adjusted to include the processing fees listed in the fine details of the product descriptions.
This gets allocated to paying fees for e-filing individual income tax forms. You can purchase additional State return support. TaxWise Desktop supports the preparation and filing of the following tax forms: , , S, , , , , , TaxWise Online supports filing.
Software users can shell out a little more to activate additional features. As of this review, TaxWise Mobile does not work with the desktop software. You may check with your Wolters Kluwer sales rep to find out if this has changed.
This sets up a customizable website that works like a very basic client portal. Tax preparers can direct clients to check out the website to get a quick estimate of their federal refund. The feature description on the Wolters Kluwer site is somewhat vague, but promises that tax returns of the current year and two prior years can be restored from backup via Return Retrieval.
If having this safeguard matters to you, be sure to have a chat with your Wolters Kluwer sales agent to learn more about how it works. It's a little funny that a tax software product so simple and straightforward should offer all these complicated pricing, packaging and add-on options. TaxWise feels like it is stretching itself a bit far to accommodate many types of tax preparation businesses. Now, there are four. Then again, software companies need to react to changes in technology, consumer preferences, and market realities.
With having been a pivotal year in many respects, Wolter Kluwers must certainly be banking on this new approach to prove a strategically sound response. Getting back to the tax software itself, TaxWise indeed has a simple and straightforward look and feel. Main functions are navigated via the dashboard, from which you can get to the tax returns, the e-filing area, text and email messaging, and the digital reports. TaxWise offers both standard tax form entry and interview mode.
The interview mode provides guide questions for a new user or new tax preparer working to complete a tax form. It assists one in filling out the tax information correctly without skipping anything of importance. The diagnostics tool adds an extra layer of accuracy checking to prevent errors that may result in rejected e-filings.
A number of help and support options are packaged into your TaxWise subscription. It lets users access the U. Master Tax Guide and primary sources. All kinds of tutorial and training videos can be explored to expand users' understanding of the software and the tax preparation process. Customer support is available via a Solution Center on the Wolters Kluwer web site. You can also chat with a virtual representative or call the customer support desk.
As for Spanish language support: TaxWise provides over 60 forms and schedules in Spanish. Bilingual customer support is available. Summary: CrossLink software is pitched at high-volume retail tax preparation businesses. Its flagship product is CrossLink Desktop. An online software version is available, but its web documentation is limited—you will need to try the demo to learn its features.
CrossLink markets itself as a professional software solution for high-volume tax return preparation. It is available on desktop and online platforms. The flagship desktop version, CrossLink , is designed for processing individual income tax returns. If you want to prepare business returns, you have several options.
You can try contacting CrossLink directly to see if there has been any update. The chart includes price adjustments made to reflect the true costs of each package. The prices shown on the CrossLink web site will differ because the various costs are listed separately. So the price on the chart above reflects the price of the desktop software in addition to the business tax software. CrossLink features an attractive interface that should appeal to the tech inclined. The desktop program needs to be installed on a computer with a Windows 8 or Windows 10 operating system.
It provides the usual set of digital tools for tax preparation. The software aims to increase the efficiency of tax return processing while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
It conveniently leads you straight to data entry errors to ensure you won't end up with an unacceptable return. If you have an EFIN, you can use the program for e-filing. You will be able to view IRS acknowledgements and rejections soon after they take place. CrossLink supports automatic tax calculators that can handle all states, all city tax returns and home-based business filing for Schedules A, C, E, F, and K-1, plus Forms and CrossLink Business is available in a joint package with the desktop software.
This professional tax solution works to streamline the process of calculating tax forms for your corporate clients. It is meant to be used by tax offices that handle high volumes of returns. One nifty feature is the project management dashboard for accessing multi-office tax preparation tasks. You can set up sub-sites that can all be supervised from a single location. You can view all returns processed to help your tax preparation business maintain quality assurance.
The software supports data entry via electronic signature pads and handheld scanners. You can scan tax documents and associate them with a specific client's tax return. This can make it easier for you to run a paper-light or paperless office. CrossLink emphasizes the scalability of its online software. It promises to support a tax business as it grows from a single office to a multi-office company. CrossLink Online can be used on various devices that have broadband Internet access. You can use the software on desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
The CrossLink web site does not provide too many details about the online software's features. You should check out the CrossLink Online demo to learn more about what the product can do. The demo is available on the product page on the vendor's site. If you subscribe to a CrossLink package, you get free access to a couple of mobile apps for iPhones or Android phones.
One is a Taxpayer mobile app that is meant to be used by your clients. One is an ERO app that you can use for tax office management. The company provides technical support through phone, fax and email.
The official website provides various product and training videos these are hosted on YouTube. Summary: ProSeries Basic is restricted to s only, which feels too limiting given the product's price point. ProSeries Professional supports individual and business returns. Cloud hosting is available as an add-on to ProSeries Professional for an additional fee.
Intuit is a well-known company in the accounting world. It is best known for its QuickBooks software, a widely-used application among accounting offices. Intuit ProSeries includes a data transfer feature for QuickBooks offices. The question remains: does this feature set ProSeries apart from other professional tax software options? Simply put, a tax pro will be able to transfer data directly from the QuickBooks desktop program to the ProSeries desktop version.
In both cases, a data verification process remains necessary—and that verification process can take a fair amount of time. By itself, the data transfer feature is not enough to place ProSeries ahead of other tax software options. A cloud hosting service is available to ProSeries Professional subscribers for an additional fee. The service is not offered to ProSeries Basic users. ProSeries Basic is quite limited as detailed below. Perpetual license: - Not relevant for ProSystem fx Tax A common pricing model for on-premise applications, perpetual license requires a customer to pay an upfront sum to own the tool or other intellectual property on-premises for a fixed term.
Upfront cost involves the fee for installation, customization, and integration with existing systems, besides perpetual license fee. Recurring cost is low in this pricing model and may include the cost for updates, maintenance, upgrades, and patches. Some vendors do offer premium support services, which come for an extra price. Commercial open source: Not relevant for ProSystem fx Tax The customer can acquire the system free of cost without having to incur any upfront license fee. You are on your own for providing end-user support, since you are not locked in with a vendor-supplied system solution.
How much would it cost to customize ProSystem fx Tax? Ideally customization cost is more complex to calculate compared to licensing cost. Some apps allow you to easily combine data from multiple sources, without any complicated query requirements, while some others can be embedded into different applications to provide enhanced reporting. If you seek products that support customizable dashboards and predictive analysis to identity possible trends and facilitate decision making, you may have to pay higher for all the customization features.
Additionally, the following factors may affect the cost of customization: User interface changes Configurable dashboards Data elements required for tracking Forms to collect additional data Dashboard, management and operational reports that are needed.
Workflows and how complex they are Forms to collect additional data Here are some questions to answer: How much customization is needed? How many systems do you want to integrate to? Does your company work like industry standards or does it have its own customized processes? What kind of special reports are needed? Cost of data migration when migrating to ProSystem fx Tax? Relevant for ProSystem fx Tax Most companies opt for data migration services from a vendor, which raises the cost of product ownership.
If you choose to transfer data on your own, you can avoid paying the cost of data migration.
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