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ATX MAX up $ 500 ?


Lee B

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Copied from the ATX Board:

Just got a renewal notice email and there is no 1040 office Package being offered. The ATX Max package is $500 more and the ATX 1040 only has 3 states. I really like the ATX software but not sure what I am going to do. Something to think about but first I have to finish out tax season.

I wonder what Drake's pricing will be now ?

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I jumped to Drake last year. ATX put on a press to get me back this year. Told me they could easily beat Drake and offered me a super special deal--$50 off the current price (which was $300 more than Drake). I passed. The previously hyper friendly sales agent suddenly adopted a whole new attitude and hung up.

Sooo glad I made the jump last year. Prep time with Drake is about 2/3 what it was with ATX and support is phenomenal. I really enjoyed ATX for the 20 or so years I used it (and its predecessor)--especially in the early (pre-CCH) days. But I can't imagine leaving Drake now. Wish I'd done it ten years ago when I first thought about it.

Oh, did I mention they haven't had a price increase in years?

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I recently was offered Drake '16 to try out.  I did give it a go in 2013 and wasn't comfortable with it, probably didn't give it a good enough tryout as I've been with ATX since Sabre and it was like teaching an old dog new tricks, although I don't think I'm that old so I am teachable, wasn't patient enough.  But I hear so much good about Drake that I want to find out why it gets such good grades and give it a try again. 

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1 hour ago, FDNY said:

wasn't comfortable with it

After ATX, the first three returns will feel really weird and awkward.  then you'll start getting the hang of it and be able to fly through the entry screens.  I thought having to go to View mode to see a form would be really annoying - but it loads faster than switching pages in ATX.

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I am a faithful Drake user for eight years.  They have had one price increase in 25 years.  Prior to that I was with TaxSlayer, but found their state programs for corporations and entities severely lacking.

TaxSlayer did fine for Georgia and South Carolina, and was a success story - having started with a chain of 22 tax prep offices in Augusta area.  They got tired of being held hostage by software companies so they developed their own.  Good support staff but software was weak for many states and other entities.

Prior to the CCH, I used ATX for 4 years.  They increased their price every year.  About 15 years ago, they had a massive crash and the support staff did everything they could to get me off the phone because the volume of complaints was mountainous.  Users received an apology from the CEO at the end of that tax season, and an offer of financial substance.  The "financial substance" was a discount on travel tickets to Europe, and a stiff price increased loomed large even after the poor performance for the year.  I bailed.  On the positive side, ATX is the only software I know using the tax forms as an input guide instead of the DOS-inherited questionnaire format.  I've tried to get Drake to adopt this, but to no avail.

 

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Like Catherine, I found the first couple returns I did in Drake pretty awkward and had an 'oh no, what have I done?!?!' feeling in the pit of my stomach. But after the first 2 or 3 returns that went away and by the 5th return I was feeling pretty comfortable. By the time I did a few more I was kicking myself for not taking the leap years earlier.

For me, the two biggest benefits are outstanding support and the fact that it takes me only 2/3 the time (or less) to prep a return than it used to take using ATX. I guess I'd have to add in the pricing as a third benefit.

After two years there are still a few things in the software I find a bit clumsy but I had that occasionally with ATX too.

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I switched to Drake in 2014 and did find the that a number of things seemed awkward.  However, once you get the hang of it, it goes very smoothly.  Just can not say enough about their customer service.  Not only is it the best in the tax industry, it is the best of any industry.  No waits, no holds, the phone doesn't even ring.  May be it is 5 seconds before the phone is picked up even on a day like today when you would expect the lines to be jammed.  The employees are courteous, patient and knowledgeable.  OUTSTANDING!!!

 

As for the pricing, you can get in for $300 and that gives you 15 free returns.  Then it is 20$/return until you hit around 75 returns.  No need to shell out a large chunk unless you want to take advantage of their discount. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Margaret CPA in OH said:

Rich, what are you using?  My Max package is actually the same as last year. You must have all the bells and whistles as my package without shipping with discount is $1421.

Rich - My quote is exactly the same as Margaret's ($1,421) and dated 4-1-17 (like yours); mine is for the "ATX MAX Package" (I assume hers is too).  Your quote is for the "ATX ADVANTAGE Package" and it has numerous features mine doesn't.  Those I don't have are (as listed on your invoice): User Guide PDF, Tax Prep Partner 1041, Tax Prep Partner Standard Bundle, Practical Tax Expert, Complete Tax Library, Practical Tax Bulletin, Paperless PLUS, Advanced Calculation and Compliance, Conversion Services, Concierge Care (Sounds like American Express), Enhanced Asset Management, 6 Concurrent User Licenses (Mine has 3).

Then too, of course, there's the "Add 5 User Licenses" (nice discount: Retail price-$299/ Your price-$299).

I'm just doing 1040s and suppose you're doing lots more, but, as you know, sometimes those sales reps throw in the kitchen sink whether you need it or not.     

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And don't you just hate it when things are thrown in that are unneeded but really important stuff (as advertised and listed on my renewal form) are left out to be obtained separately.  I am in a not very nice back and forth again really angry that online and on my renewal form ATX advertises for ATX MAX Package, "Unlimited individual and business e-file returns for preparing federal, state, and municipal forms."  Except one has to purchase a separate Ohio package to efile RITA returns.  And more municipalities are going to RITA annually. 

What is it about the English language that WK cannot understand about '(u)nlimited individual and business e-file returns ...municipal forms?'  RITA forms are for municipal returns.  I believe this is false advertising and am just so annoyed.  And it isn't even listed on my renewal form.  One might think, with an Ohio address, that I just might need or use that software.  Grrr...

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On 4/17/2017 at 1:29 AM, Edsel said:

On the positive side, ATX is the only software I know using the tax forms as an input guide instead of the DOS-inherited questionnaire format.  I've tried to get Drake to adopt this, but to no avail.

 

That's my primary problem with Drake. Finding where something goes when you haven't used it in a while is a PITA. They say they have forms entry - it's not forms entry.

How much does Drake cost for a single user license? Is it $1,095?
I basically use Drake to do that taxes for a law office and everything is submitted with the lawyers information. In previous years I'd enter my EIN information and do 2-3 returns with me as the preparer - not allowed this past season with the EIN matching.

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58 minutes ago, Roberts said:

That's my primary problem with Drake. Finding where something goes when you haven't used it in a while is a PITA. They say they have forms entry - it's not forms entry.

How much does Drake cost for a single user license? Is it $1,095?
I basically use Drake to do that taxes for a law office and everything is submitted with the lawyers information. In previous years I'd enter my EIN information and do 2-3 returns with me as the preparer - not allowed this past season with the EIN matching.

Yes, the early renewal for Drake is still $1095.  If you prepare only a few returns, you can purchase on a pay-per-return basis for $300 that includes the first 15 returns without additional cost, and $20 per return after that. Once 85 returns is reached, it can be converted to unlimited.

http://kb.drakesoftware.com/Site/Browse/Pay-Per-Return-Package-Pricing-and-Details

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Brief history of my experience

  • started on my own in the early 1990s
  • used Parsons Personal Tax Edge (PTE),. Preparers Edition for1040s, loved it, forms based, window based, very intuitive, 
  • used ATX/SABRE for business returns. never had confidence in the program.. basically program consisted of giant and interconnected excel sheets
  • Intuit bought out Parsons.. dropped PTE.. switched to Intuit ProSeries (PS) for 1040s, stayed for short longer with with ATX for business returns. ATX program was error prone and in my opinion very poor.
  • Got an offer from Intuit on the business side of things. never looked back in spite of PTE price I think was $ 79, yes $ 79 to over $ 4,000 to Intuit PS package that I have. Intuit PS really courted ATX customers and got a lot of ATX users.. I, and I think most users use the forms mode in PS though an input mode (not sure what they call that mode) is available but again, I think most users use the forms method.. program looks very similar to the old PTE)

well that is my story software wise. I use mostly Peachtree for accounting, now called Sage 50 and been using Medlin payroll software for many, many years.

 

 

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4 hours ago, Roberts said:

Hmmmm, I need to check with them about Pay per return next year. I really only do about 10 of them but they are HIGH priced so I don't mind paying it.

$1095 is a solid price for their software.

This is how Drake's discount period has been structured in prior years, and I'd expect it to be the same or similar this year.

Pricing is for months of purchase as follows:

April & May- $1095;  June & July- $1195;  Aug & Sept- $1295;  Oct & Nov $1395;  Dec 1 and after- $1495

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On ‎5‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 11:02 AM, Randall said:

My Total Tax Package is only up $116.

 

Yet my TTO package increased $ 211.85 (not including sales tax, but TaxBook All States, which I do use).

The diversity of my clients requires some kind of 'total' package, but the little I've read about ATX Max begins to suggest it could accommodate them all.  Three concurrent user licenses would suffice.  Could someone post a Max product description, please?

2017 ATX TTO renew copy.pdf

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To JoanMcQ

Joan, I can almost swear you used to post on another board and were from Sacramento.  Some of your posts were from the heyday of our favorite Roni Deutsche.  Are you now from Nevada?  I know a few people that got sick of the politics in CA and moved to NV.

 

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