printer

[grandmabee]

I am having problems with my printer. I am going to buy a new one. I would like suggestion on which printer to buy that works good with ATX.

I have always gone with HP printers and have been happy. I don't want a color printer prefer one that does printing only but open to others.

Thanks

[mcb39]

I am currently using the LaserJet P2035 wired. It is also available in a wireless model. This will be my third year using it with ATX and no issues.

[Jack from Ohio]

I prefer Brother Laser printers for the ability and ease and cost savings of refilling the toner cartridges. Refill for 20% or less of the cost of new. Each toner cart can be reused at least 2 times, with some as much as 4.

[JMovichEA]

I prefer Brother Laser printers for the ability and ease and cost savings of refilling the toner cartridges. Refill for 20% or less of the cost of new. Each toner cart can be reused at least 2 times, with some as much as 4.

Jack, any particular Brother model you can recommend?

[ILLMAS]

+1 on the brother, I currently have the 5450DN and bought it at newegg, I would also recommend buying a couple of toner when you buy your printer, the toner that comes with the printer is not fully filled. This little machine is fast.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113790

[easytax]

Currently using Brother MFC-8480DN (several years old and not produced anymore - others are).

Does all and not much costlier than just a printer. It's nice to be able to put in a bunch of papers and let the document manager run them through the scan process and even the individual scan (on the top if you want) is easy. All can go into my client files as PDF documents.

If you happen to be an ATX client --- remember to check their Staples program. Free shipping, lower than listed through the StaplesAdvantage site (ATX members) and/or lowest price in the store (using your REGISTERED (through StaplesAdvantage/ATX) credit card first). They have good deals on a lot of things (shop everything -- there may be better prices out there too).

When I bought (late 2009, early 2010) my Brother MFC 8480DN - retail was (all estimates as my memory is old - like me) about $479; staples $364 in store; staples online through the ATX program $348 and since I wanted it now - instead of waiting a few days -- store price using my credit card registered with Staples on the ATX/Staples program was just $327. Additionally I purchased an extra cartridge and Drum at reduced prices too.

NOTE: There is a discussion on this board on "Toner" costs -- and the high yield toner for my Brother unit for me last year (Feb 2013); Staples $104; Wal-Mart $84; Amazon (forgot who) $46 - so shop all items too.

[Catherine]

I have two Brother printers I have been very happy with. Key for me is the ability to print duplex (double sided). Brother MFC-8840DN (multi-function, not made anymore) also faxes-scans-copies. Brother HL-4070CDW is a color printer but I almost never use colors for tax; those are limited to the net worth charts I do on request for some clients.

The one beef I have with the color printer is that, since it is "Energy Star rated" it shuts itself down after x minutes of inactivity. So if you just need a page or two the older, slower, machine is actually faster as it is ready to go. It doesn't need to wake up, have its coffee, and check its facebook page and email, all before printing your page.

[Crank]

I prefer Brother Laser printers for the ability and ease and cost savings of refilling the toner cartridges. Refill for 20% or less of the cost of new. Each toner cart can be reused at least 2 times, with some as much as 4.

Same here. I just bought a brother HL-2270DW wireless for about $90 at Staples. Bought two non Brother laser carts for about $22 on Amazon. I have used a Brother HL-5250DN for the past 5 years and it was very good.

[Lion EA]

I still have every HP printer I have ever owned going back to a 4L from the early 90s. I get newer ones only because they get faster. My most current model is HP Laserjet 2055dn. Fast, small footprint, quieter than my older models.

[BulldogTom]

I just bought a Canon Imageclass 1350 Multifunction. I love it. Duplex printing, feed tray for copies and scans, 500 sheet capacity. I am very happy with the cost and the speed. The cartriges are a bit pricy, but I was able to get the cost down by going to inkjetsuperstore.com for the toner.

Tom

Hollister, CA

[TAXMAN]

Dang it I must be gitten old. I am still using both of my HP4050 printers. However I am having a hard time findin a decent SMALL color printer. Any one have a good choice on those buggies? Don't print much color maybe 2000 pages in a year.

[grandmabee]

I have the HP 4050 too but it now says to do maintenance and I don't know if I will be able to do that or need to take in for maintenance so that is why I thought should just get a new one.

[kcjenkins]

Read these tips before buying a new printer.

http://reviews.cnet.com/printer-buying-guide/

Here is another pretty good review source. http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/printers

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

Does anyone actually duplex their returns? I see that ATX says that it is not supported in 2011 or 12 and that the only way to duplex the organizers, is to print a PDF first and then print. I guess that's not a problem, but I was just wondering if it would be worth updating my HP 4200. It's really old and noisy , but still runs great. Thanks.

[BulldogTom]

ATX 2013 does support two sided printing (I did it by accident, so I know it happens). I don't do that for tax returns normally.

Tom

Hollister, CA

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

Thanks, Tom. I'm trying to decide if it's worth it.

[easytax]

Does anyone actually duplex their returns? I see that ATX says that it is not supported in 2011 or 12 and that the only way to duplex the organizers, is to print a PDF first and then print. I guess that's not a problem, but I was just wondering if it would be worth updating my HP 4200. It's really old and noisy , but still runs great. Thanks.

Comment pertains to if you need to paper file returns ---- Federal returns can be duplex but many states do not allow submission with duplex pages because they scan each page in --- apparently the fed's do not.

I can not answer the best duplex printer question or if ATX does or does not but thought this might be good information to know.

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I only file paper returns when I can't e-file. I only print the client copy. I was just trying to save some trees. I know that a lot of people give out CD's or PDF's, but most of my clients want a hard copy even if they already have a PDF. I guess I just have older clients.

Thanks.

[clay]

Duplex saves on paper costs and postage (mailing client fewer pages) and storage.

This assumes you print copies for your clients and your files. I tried the scanning thing but just too time consuming and I like having the prior year hard copy in front of me. BUT, I do have PDF copies of the returns on my computer.

[gfizer]

I use a HP LaserJet Pro 400 MFP M425dn and love it. It is super fast and very reliable. I purchase toner on ebay. It's not OEM toner but it works great and is economical. I am going to duplex client copies this year to save paper. I quit printing file copies a couple of years ago. I save a pdf copy to my computer's hard drive and another pdf copy to an external hard drive.

[North Idaho Rich]

Have always used Brothers. HL 5240's in both offices now with toner and drums purchased off ebay.

My old copiers wore out so I replaced them with Brother DCP7065's.

I'm hoping they will also be nice printers to be put into service when my stockpile of drums and toner runs out for the 5240's...

[Catherine]

My client copies are all duplex printed. First to PDF! Then I pick pages (cover sheets, letters, signatures all go single side). Major annoyance last year was not being able to move the order of pages when printing a return - ended up having to print in smaller "bites" of sections I wanted, then sort afterwards. My assistant gets that job!

[mcb39]

I also fine "Print Page" a handy tool for specific jobs.

[BulldogTom]

I am really liking the print features in ATX this year. We saw some of it last year (when the program was actually working) with the watermarks and different setups for Client and Filing and Preparer copies. I think this will go down as a major improvement over the 2011 software when it is all said and done.

Diggin' the watermarks on the client copy. They can't file it.

Tom

Hollister, CA

[SaraEA]

Clay, you say you print out and work with a hard copy of a prior year return, but that you also keep PDF copies on your computer. Why don't you just go with dual monitors so you can keep the PDF on one screen while you use the other to prepare the current year? I have used dual monitors for a number of years and after about a day of getting used to it I couldn't live without them. Think of it: when you print out a copy you then have to file it, retrieve it the next year, and put it back in the file again (and then file the file). With the dual monitors you eliminate all those steps. I also use them for putting up the instructions to esoteric forms on one side while I attempt to complete them on the other. Find you're missing property taxes? Pull up your browser on screen two, go the tax collector data base, and find the number you need to pluck into screen one. Did the client piecemeal his data through multiple emails? Put your email on one screen and pluck the numbers into the other. You not only save paper but time.