NOT "sticking with ATX"

[michaelmars]

No; it seems like ProSeries wants at LEAST $ 1,694 to handle only my individual clients, and GLOBS more for the entities I also serve; so, no 'deal.'

Has anyone else got a take on "Intuit Tax Online"'s "100-pack bundle"?!!

I am paying proseries $2000 for their complete [higher end] package] locked in for 5 years. Includes everything they have and all efiles.

[Guest Taxed]

Does $2000 include their full year research platform or just seasonal?

Does it include their workflow automation and paperless office products?

[TaxCPANY]

I am paying proseries $2000 for their complete [higher end] package] locked in for 5 years. Includes everything they have and all efiles.

Dear michaelmars, would you mind sending me the contact-info for your Proseries rep, so that I could hope to get such a great deal, myself?

I did not talk with anyone from Proseries -- per se -- May 2; had time only to 'interrogate' the Intuit Online reps -- who, perhaps of course, dissed the Proseries alternative -- AND, please note, I did not find a 'rebuttal' on Intuit's site. (But, we all should know by now how little that might mean.)

MOST sincerely yours, TaxCPANY

[Guest Taxed]

I think Intuit may be in a mood to negotiate this year. I just got a mailing from them asking me to call them and attend a free seminar!

In January they were only offering $150 off the list price, that too you had to buy their research product.

[michaelmars]

my rep is John Trammell, 1-800-945-2820 x62018. my fee was for proseries prof with research, no workflow etc.

Just this week I am seeing more and more limitations to proseries though. Doing 990's it doesn't do the state filings that atx did, no instruction letters for extensions or quarterly estimates unless you use the proforma letter for all 4 quarters. Also if you just want to print out the one page of the letter you can't, you must print their whole letter package each time. They only efile about 3 states extension forms, the rest must be paper filed and you can't as is my habit, print each state's instructions on a separate page to clip to the actual form. Likewise I also needed a few states business returns to paper filed since they don't efile in those states.

Efiling and auto paying estimated taxes is a real pain since you have to initiate it each quarter unlike atx where you set it up once and could forget about it, so the first few corporation I did where I offered this now became my responsiblitiy to remember to efile their payments each quarter and a few are fiscal years so a real headache for me.

program is lightening fast though, haven't come across any calc errors, diagnostics are great as is customer support. Funny thought that my call to support yesterday, my hold time was longer than it was during the season, abut 10 minutes.

[TaxCPANY]

my rep is John Trammell, 1-800-945-2820 x62018. my fee was for proseries prof with research, no workflow etc.

Just this week I am seeing more and more limitations to proseries though. Doing 990's it doesn't do the state filings that atx did, no instruction letters for extensions or quarterly estimates unless you use the proforma letter for all 4 quarters. Also if you just want to print out the one page of the letter you can't, you must print their whole letter package each time. They only efile about 3 states extension forms, the rest must be paper filed and you can't as is my habit, print each state's instructions on a separate page to clip to the actual form. Likewise I also needed a few states business returns to paper filed since they don't efile in those states.

Efiling and auto paying estimated taxes is a real pain since you have to initiate it each quarter unlike atx where you set it up once and could forget about it, so the first few corporation I did where I offered this now became my responsiblitiy to remember to efile their payments each quarter and a few are fiscal years so a real headache for me.

program is lightening fast though, haven't come across any calc errors, diagnostics are great as is customer support. Funny thought that my call to support yesterday, my hold time was longer than it was during the season, abut 10 minutes.

THANK you for making your many points so clearly and expansively, michaelmars. *Everything* you cited would matter to me; so, for one thing, you've encouraged me to investigate 'Intuit Tax Online' the more.

By the way, what do you -- and everyone else -- think about Parker Tax Publishing's research product? Even though the snail-mailed prospectus I just received doesn't mention State and Local research, the quoted price still seems decent for its apparently-comprehensive federal sources AND commentary.

And, so, next question to this group: What's best for researching about half the U.S. states' tax laws & regs & cases -- as well as *international* batches of such statutory 'dope'? VTY, TaxCPANY

[Guest Taxed]

I think we need a separate thread on Tax Research products, features, costs etc.

I am looking at Taxbooks Weblibrary Plus and i am liking it so far. I am sure there are other comparable products.

Someone mentioned there is a new version of Klienrock?

[TonyP]

I think we need a separate thread on Tax Research products, features, costs etc.

I am looking at Taxbooks Weblibrary Plus and i am liking it so far. I am sure there are other comparable products.

Someone mentioned there is a new version of Klienrock?

The new version of Klienrock is Parker Tax, started by James Levey, the guy who also started Klienrock. A one-year online subscription can be purchased for $267. A side comment: I decided to opt for Drake which is offering their 2013 program for $1,095 if purchased before June1, 2013. The price increase incrementally to $1,495 if purchased around Nov./Dec. The feature that sold me was seeing Drake demonstrated at a seminar in Orlando and the fact that my $1,095 can be fully refunded if requested before December 1, 2013. So if ATX can miraculously demonstrate that their product as been fixed, and that they can offer their product to past users for less than Drake; I can then re-up with ATX and get my refund from Drake. To I think this can happen, highly probable, they may not.

[Guest Taxed]

That is a good insurance policy. If you can get your money back from Drake by 12/1 you will most likely know if ATX is worth hanging on to. That is a smart move by Drake!

Did Parker Tax give you a demo account to try them out?

Taxbooks will give you a 15 day demo account to try them out.

[TonyP]

I learned of Parker by receiving mailer describing their services, I'm tempted but did not subscribe to the mailer. Per the literature received, Parker does not provide a demo but they state a 30-day money back guarantee. I don't subscribe to a research service, I retired from IRS management about 10 years ago. I'm fortunate, having a close associate that served as my Technical Advisor during many of those years, he retired about 2 years ago; so if I run into a technical situation beyond my knowledge level, I give him a call. He usually emails or calls me back within hours or a few days. He also has several contacts within IRS's Chief Counsel Office. Like I said, I'm fortunate to have such a personal contact regarding tax law research and interpretations.

[jklcpa]

TonyP, your plan sounds reasonable except that before 12/1 the only information you will have about ATX is either from ATX itself or from beta testers that choose to report in. In past years the ATX program was released around the end of Nov or early December, but it hardly contains any of the forms. Will that be enough for you to decide between continuing with ATX and requesting the refund from Drake?

[Guest Taxed]

Very good point. Time may be of the essence if early warning is not received!

[TonyP]

TonyP, your plan sounds reasonable except that before 12/1 the only information you will have about ATX is either from ATX itself or from beta testers that choose to report in. In past years the ATX program was released around the end of Nov or early December, but it hardly contains any of the forms. Will that be enough for you to decide between continuing with ATX and requesting the refund from Drake?

Hopefully the beta testers will express an opinion & description of their experiences before the Dec. 1 time-frame. The other factor is cost, if ATX is unwilling to provide a substantive discount to the users of their 2012 software for the pain/suffering encountered, I'll not renew and stick with Drake. Right now it's leaning heavily for me to switch to Drake, my confidence level & trust is very low with ATX.

[Guest Taxed]

The time for ATX to offer a discount to retain its user base is now not in the fall or close to tax season. If they did offer something it would be like closing the barn door after the horses are gone!

[joanmcq]

TonyP, your plan sounds reasonable except that before 12/1 the only information you will have about ATX is either from ATX itself or from beta testers that choose to report in. In past years the ATX program was released around the end of Nov or early December, but it hardly contains any of the forms. Will that be enough for you to decide between continuing with ATX and requesting the refund from Drake?

In the wonderful year that contained no last minute tax law changes (was it 2010? 2011?) the copy of ATX I got right after Thanksgiving was durn near complete. Most years I've had enough forms to start my return (1040, Sch C, Sch E, etc.) and the amount complete depended on just how screwed up and late congress was. Do you remember the year we had to put the tuition deduction on the DPAD line? The IRS was begging congress to make up their minds because they had to have the law in place by Thanksgiving in order to have the forms ready. Congress didn't make the deadline. I liked how this year they just put 'reserved' by the lines that may or may not have made the cut. The IRS wasn't going to have that issue again.

[Guest Taxed]

At one of those IRS seminars the head of the forms division said that now it is standard operating procedure to reserve line #s anytime there is doubt that the legislation may get delayed or changed. She said all software makers were notified that IRS reserves the right to make last minute schema changes to MeF so they better be prepared.

[jklcpa]

Joan, you are correct that forms are included in draft form, but my main point was that if the ATX program comes out even in mid-Nov, that only gives those trying to evaluate Drake's software 2 weeks at most before the final deadline to request a refund from them.

[Jack from Ohio]

If I continue as a Beta tester, I WILL report on my findings regularly!!