Just renewed with ATX

[Tax Prep by Deb]

Thought I would give you all a heads up if you don't know already.  I just renewed my ATX Max software and was given the 10% discount, plus my account rep thru in an extra research book!  Different this year however, is that starting in 2017 any tax return e-file for 2015 or 2014  is going to be charged an extra $5.00 transmission fee.  They truly are starting to nickel and dime this program to death.  Perhaps next year I will be trying out something else.  Sad because I've been with them since the early days and long for them!

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

I will be passing this additional $5 fee on to my clients as a line item. They need to pay for being late. I have too many of them that are behind through their own fault.

[jklcpa]

I would also pass the $5 fee on to the client. My annoyance would come from being charged a fee for those fiscal year entities that legitimately have a due date in 2017 that are required to file on the 2015 forms based on the starting date of the fiscal year, and also those fiscal year entities that are on extension with an extended due date in 2017 that are technically not late.

It does seem like nickel & diming to me also.

[Tax Prep by Deb]

29 minutes ago, NECPA in NEBRASKA said:

I will be passing this additional $5 fee on to my clients as a line item. They need to pay for being late. I have too many of them that are behind through their own fault.

I agree and that's exactly why I confirmed the price increase.  I have every intention of passing it on.

[Jack from Ohio]

10 hours ago, NECPA in NEBRASKA said:

I will be passing this additional $5 fee on to my clients as a line item. They need to pay for being late. I have too many of them that are behind through their own fault.

"Additional fee for filing prior year tax returns.............. $15.00."

[Richcpaman]

I have a flat $40 "Electronic Filing and other Administrative Costs" line item that I add to every invoice for a return that I prepare.

But I hate being nickled and dimed.

Rich

 

[cred65]

In order to receive the 10% discount the sales rep informs us that we have to buy the unlimited cch learning center  for $279.  Is this what you have received?

[Tax Prep by Deb]

On Wednesday, November 02, 2016 at 2:31 PM, cred65 said:

In order to receive the 10% discount the sales rep informs us that we have to buy the unlimited cch learning center  for $279.  Is this what you have received?

No.  Actually I had received a postcard with a 5% discount offered by 10/31 but when I logged on it was 10%.  My rep asked if I needed any research books as I had ordered quick finder last year (Actually last year I purchased the book only so I could get a discount on the software, told him I didn't want to spend any more money so he said he thought he could get it thrown in for no additional charge so I took him up on it.  

I would suggest you log on to Atx and I believe on the right side of the page you will be asked to renew, click on the link and it will open up your quote and see if they have already given you a discount.  Like I said my discount on my account quote was more than the postcard they sent me.  If not just wait another week and check again, their offers change often.

 

[SaraEA]

Richdpaman, isn't that $40 fee "nickel and diming" your own clients?

[JohnH]

Everybody has their own way of handling these things, but I don't understand the reasoning behind calling out additional fees for prior-years' returns.  Wouldn't it be better to convert the billing for prior years' returns to time expended rather than form-based or line-based pricing?  

An hour spent on a prior-year return is no different than an hour spent on a current-year return IMO.  It's just an hour, no different than any other hour.  If it takes longer to switch to other software, check for updates, research anything that has changed, etc, then the extra cost is baked into the bill automatically. 

The only reason I can think of to have a special prior-year fee is to call the client's attention to the fact that their procrastination cost them extra.  In that case, $10-$15 isn't going to affect their behavior.  If that it the goal, then the add-on should be in the range of $100- $200, or maybe a 25 - 50% upcharge on the bill.  (But even that won't matter to some clients). 

 

[MDEA]

I think the point of this post is not what we are going to charge but why CCH needs to nickle and dime us. We can charge what ever we want. They need the extra money because Taxwise lost the government contract and they want us to make up part of  the revenue.

[JohnH]

8 hours ago, MDEA said:

I think the point of this post is not what we are going to charge but why CCH needs to nickle and dime us. We can charge what ever we want. They need the extra money because Taxwise lost the government contract and they want us to make up part of  the revenue.

That's a smart move by CCH, if they can get away with it. 

[Lion EA]

RIch:  are we (Circ 230) preparers allowed to charge extra for e-filing?

I have charged extra for paper returns for my last dinosaurs that refuse to e-file.