Renew ATX for 2009?

[TaxCPANY]

ATX/CCH's 19% increase in the price of Total Tax aggrieves me, so that, for once, I didn't' opt for the "early renewal discount," when it first was offered.

Now that that discount period has been extended way longer than ever before, I 'enjoy' much more time in which to make my decision; but I can't find anything recent on this board about how the rest of youse are taking this.

What am I missing -- really?!

TaxCPANY

(Might be the stupidest question I've ever posed, but, really, I mean it.)

[JohnH]

I don't take advantage of the early bird discounts because I don't see any real value there - the savings is outwieghed by the business risk. I understand the importance of saving money, but it seems to me that the flexibility to make a last-minute change of vendor is more important than saving less than the fee for a single tax return. One never knows when the current vendor will make a last-minute change that makes you decide it's time to move on. If you've already committed, that decision becomes much more difficult. I wait until the last minute to renew and I also continually evaluate alternatives, usually by getting a demo from competitors and running one or two exension returns on it.

As for the price increase, well it is what it is. When a product is priced considerably below market and the company is acquired, the acquiring company looks to price increases as their chief means of funding the acquisition. (They issue the obligatory nonsense about how nothing is going to change and various other other marketing hype, but the reality is quite different where the actual plans are being made by management) . Whereas for many of us the decision to go to ATX in the past was practically a no-briainer, CCH is now slowly putting us in the position of having to cotinually evaluate them vs competitors on the basis of cost vs benefits. That takes us back to point # 1 above.

For me, ATX is still winnning the race right now. But if they overreach by raising prices too much, cutting features too far, or reducing customer service to unacceptable levels, it will be time to move on. There is still competition out there and the gap is closing.

[joelgilb]

Won't be much longer that we can use ATX anyway. CCH trying to create a totally new tax preparation software and discontinue both ATX and Taxwise. Couple of years maybe?

I only hope they understand the 2 products enough to save the features that both base of users have come to appreciate.

Of course I am sure we can expect this "Improved" (sarcasm intended) New Tax Software Package to come with a higher price.

[TaxCPANY]

It indeed is all about CCH's acquisition, JohnH -- as I learned when Intuit acquired Lacerte and so motivated me to seek and find ATX, in the first place.

I must say, I envy your client base. In my case, this 19% increase could equal anywhere from three return-fees to a fraction of some other client's -- i.e., I bill strictly by my hours; so I see this as how many more hours I'll be indentured to CCH/ATX before I reach profit. Still, it's less than a *good day.*

Thanks much for your thoughtful response. VTY, TaxCPANY

I don't take advantage of the early bird discounts because I don't see any real value there - the savings is outwieghed by the business risk. I understand the importance of saving money, but it seems to me that the flexibility to make a last-minute change of vendor is more important than saving less than the fee for a single tax return. One never knows when the current vendor will make a last-minute change that makes you decide it's time to move on. If you've already committed, that decision becomes much more difficult. I wait until the last minute to renew and I also continually evaluate alternatives, usually by getting a demo from competitors and running one or two exension returns on it.

As for the price increase, well it is what it is. When a product is priced considerably below market and the company is acquired, the acquiring company looks to price increases as their chief means of funding the acquisition. (They issue the obligatory nonsense about how nothing is going to change and various other other marketing hype, but the reality is quite different where the actual plans are being made by management) . Whereas for many of us the decision to go to ATX in the past was practically a no-briainer, CCH is now slowly putting us in the position of having to cotinually evaluate them vs competitors on the basis of cost vs benefits. That takes us back to point # 1 above.

For me, ATX is still winnning the race right now. But if they overreach by raising prices too much, cutting features too far, or reducing customer service to unacceptable levels, it will be time to move on. There is still competition out there and the gap is closing.