Why is TaxWise the Golden Son and ATX the Ugly Step Child of CCH?

[Chowdahead]

Recently I was talking to a relative of mine who is also a tax preparer and we were talking about the insane amounts of Due Diligence requirements for EIC and now the CTC. and AOTC, etc.

Well he uses TaxWise and he tells me that his RI state forms are all ready to file, yet my state forms are still unavailable for ATX.  The release date is supposedly tomorrow but I have already to hand-calculate a few dozen clients by hand this past week and it's takes more time than necessary.  This is a recurring issue every year and TaxWise seems to get the forms faster.  Is this an ATX issue or what?

Additionally, PaperlessPlus allows electronic signatures.  However, only TaxWise supports having the signature automatically populate on all of the required documents.  For ATX customers we have to drag and drop the signature to each necessary page.

I am sure there are other functionalities given to TaxWise as well.  Why are these two products treated so differently if they are owned by the same company?

[Possi]

I use TW, too. Sometimes, the states used to be slow to get to us, but the last few years it's been fast.

The two products ARE very different. It's like 2 completely separate businesses under the CCH umbrella. I could save money switching to ATX, but I have used TW since I was with Liberty 16 years ago. When I started my own business, I stuck with it because it was easy to learn. It is, I believe, the better fit for a one-woman-show. And as long as I have my extended office HERE, I get through the tax season pretty smoothly.

TW does not have a professional board like this one. To discuss software, we have to go to their blog, which I hate. It is like going to a mall of different stores to find one pair of shoes, the ones with the bling. I can never find them. I come here and BAM, there's my shoes.

[Terry D EA]

I always had issues with ATX and the late approval of the State forms. Once I left ATX, that problem has not existed. I am now with  Drake and all the State forms I use are approved including NC which was notoriously late with ATX. So, I can speak for the last 9 years but prior to that it was an ATX problem.

[Don in Upstate NY]

One of the reasons that TaxWise COULD have been favored by CCH is that the IRS had a contract with TaxWise for the software  to be used in the IRS walk-in offices and the VITA/TCE sites. I said HAD A CONTRACT; Tax Slayer has it this year. 

I have found TaxWise to be fine for simple returns, but unresponsive to errors, at least to errors that wold effect their VITA/TCE clients.  For example the AMT module deletes the Schedule A Miscellaneous Deductions (as it should) and then also adjusts any depreciation used in those deductions.  Not a big deal if you remember year-to-year, but wrong in any case.  Also at this point there does not seem to be a provision for the TWO driver's license numbers required by New York State.

[JohnH]

14 hours ago, Terry D said:

I always had issues with ATX and the late approval of the State forms. Once I left ATX, that problem has not existed. I am now with  Drake and all the State forms I use are approved including NC which was notoriously late with ATX. So, I can speak for the last 9 years but prior to that it was an ATX problem.

Yep, problem solved.

Permanently.