TRX Premium

[Mike D]

Has anyone previewed the new TRX homegrown software as yet? If so would you be good enough to post your experiences for all of us who may be using it for 2012!

I personally have spent little time with it as there was no conversion software for TaxWorks, (somewaht suprised that TRX dodn't concentrate their efforts due to all of the current users). In addition there were no states and or business entities to work with as well.

I am still hoping that TaxWorks becomes available for 2012?

Thanks

Mike Dubin CPA

[J. Ron]

I took a look, but found for my purposes it was so incomplete that it was useless to me. For instance, I work largely with clergy who are considered self-employed for SS and Medicare, but are considered employees for income tax. The program would not even allow me to enter the W-2 without calculating the SS and Medicare. It did not have the clergy forms. I am sure that these issues will be corrected, but I was not able to evaluate it properly.

[Doug TRX Alliance]

Hey guys thanks for your review.

Mike you are right on, we have a gone a step above a conversion and created a proforma which will allow you to pull each client forward seemlessly. If you would like to add a State it is really simple as is the Business entities. I think you have been working Jenni please give her a call and she can show you how simple that is. However do keep in mind this is a DEMO (basically a 2011 Version) and the functionality is not all in a DEMO.

J. Ron our 2106 form has the clergy it has the housing allowance etc. and if the Clergy gets a 1099 and elects not to be taxed the Sch. C. fully accomodates this. We have had a couple other ERO's that do several Clergy returns each year give us a thumbs up for the simplicity of completing a Clergy return with our software, so please let us know where you see it is not adequate for your clergy returns. Also on the w2 if you need to override an entry it is SO SIMPLE just right click in the field and click override, check it out you will love this feature. And as I was telling Mike this is a DEMO and you commented yourself all the issues will be addressed in the December 10th Release.

Thanks again guys,

Doug Hughes

[artp]

Doug,

I have been quite frustrated with your new product Demo version. I have called support several times, but no one seems to be up to speed on this product. Could you please give me a contact name ? I have too many questions to post them all here.

Art

[Doug TRX Alliance]

Art,

Call 855-880-1040 and dial extension 3331 and you will get Nick for Support, or you can dial 3690 for Jenni she will be able to show you anything as far as the Tax side.

Thanks,

Doug Hughes

[Joel]

I sent an evaluation of the new software to TRX and received two return calls earlier this week. My concern was that the k-1s from partnerships and s-corps was limited to 15. As a result of my evaluation I was advised that I had downloaded an early version of the software and that the current version allowed up to 100. I was told that I would be receiving via US mail a disk with the most recent version. I have not yet received the new version but you might want to check with TRX as to your version.

[ed_accountant]

Hi,

This year TRX will be re-packaging and pushing - TaxExact Software as their own software.

http://www.taxexact.com/

The Taxexact software pricing purchased directly from Taxexact is the same price as TRX. I am not interested in using the TRX Taxexact software..

[TaxMan74]

Hi All,

Anybody heard anything about the contract situation between Taxworks and TRX?. I rather go with Taxworks than Taxexact. Taxexact may be good and my hesistation is not to learn a new software two years in a row. I hope I get Taxworks from TRX

[Kea]

When I called yesterday to see what they would be shipping me, they said they were still working on it. If I understood correctly, they were still waiting for Red Gear to make a final decision. I've also been using TaxWorks and was concerned about learning a new software, too. The person at TRX said that TaxWorks was making big changes to their software for 2012. So even if I got TaxWorks I would be learning a new software.

I, too, hope it stays TaxWorks because I don't want to have to do the whole conversion thing again - especially the ones with depreciation!

[jetaxes]

I talked to TRX this a.m and they will be shipping out TRX PRO (Tax Works) Monday

the 10th by FedEx. Thats what they call Tax Works -- At first I did not know what

software she was talking about -- Tax Pro! Anyway I had signed up before the

deadline to get Tax Works Premium at $299. - I sure am glad they have it again

this year.

I guess you know they have Tax Exact too and will be shipping that on Monday

also.

Joane

[Mike D]

The only software that TRX is shipping on Dec 10 is TaxExact, which they claim is their new homegrown product, not TaxWorks!

According to my most recent telephone conversation with Karen at TRX, they have not yet concluded talks with Red Gear. In addition I was further informed that should they finalize the agreement, the cost would be going up.

When I previously spoke with Red Gear directly they informed me that even if they do sign an agreement with TRX, based on the new software configuration, they will not be including the asset manager!

Based on price alone, I am willing to preview the TaxExact software and see if it works for me? Should they reach an agreement with Red Gear, I will assess it at that time.

I would not keep my hopes up.

Best of luck to all in the 2012 tax season and happy & healthy holidays

Mike Dubin CPA

[ed_accountant]

I have spoke to Karen Bills, TRX and heard the same line of BS for a few months. TRX has dragged this out and not been truthful from the beginning. The contract will not happen this year. I also have spoke to Taxworks Redgear and they have said it is too late anything to change and TRX will not get Taxworks.

TRX has been dragging this on for months. I am sure they have known all along it wasn't going to happen.

[Crank]

The 10MB "sneak peak" on their website of TaxPro is not TaxWorks. I assume that it is their home grown product. I havent downloaded the "demo". We will know soon enough.

John

EDIT: It looks like the "sneak peak" on the TaxExact" website. I guess we know.

EDIT: Upon doing some research it appears that TaxExact IS owned by TRX (Murfreesboro,TN) so could this be their in-house product? If I had read Mike Dubins post properly I would have know that TaxExact is TRXs product. Sorry.

[Roberts]

I'm one of the few people who purchased the TaxExact software when it was independent (the year before I transititioned to TRX). It was horrific, incomplete and they never did provide me with the state software they had promised. I literally couldn't do a single tax return with the TaxExact software and they refused to provide me with a refund. If that's what shows up in the mail and TRX thinks that satisfies their obligation for what I paid for last May, we will be meeting in small claims court.

[Crank]

I just downloaded the Tax Software Manual 2012 from trxmembers.com and on page 10 it lists supported operating systems as follows:

i. Supported Operating Systems (if It’s not listed, it’s not supported): Windows XP PRO, Vista Ultimate, Vista Business, 7 PRO, 7 Ultimate, Server 2008, 2003 Service Pack 2.

Well, I;m running Vista Home Premium 64 bit.

I was going to upgrade hardware this year but decided to delay it until next year. Im hoping that it is supported or else there is going to be an issue since I purchased TaxWorks and my OS was supported at the time of purchase.

Im wondering what other gems Im going to find in the manual.

[TaxOR]

@Roberts - I agree 100%. I'm going to try and see if I can get my money back by reversing the credit card charge from last May. If not that, then I'll see what legal options are available. I've also filed a complaint with the BBB, just t get on the record.

It was a bad decision on my part to renew with a disreputable company, obviously. I guess I just assumed they'd provide a refund, if they weren't renewing the same software. I was clearly wrong!

The other part of this that ticks me off is that now I'm looking into other software providers, and I'm not eligible for their early season discount. So in addition to losing out on the money I paid to TRX, I'm also getting hit with higher fees from the other software providers!

[Roberts]

Technically TRX hasn't renigged on my early purchase so I'm not complaining to anyone until they do. For all I know, they will deliver the product for which I renewed. I paid them to buy what they sold and delivered as TRXPro the last several years. If they have renamed a completely different product this and try to pass it off as meeting their agreement, it will not fly with the small claims court. When I renewed, they never quantified that they had the right to deliver a different product. They advertised that I was renewing my purchase of TRXPro.

When they switched from offering Intellitax to TaxWise and then TaxWorks - I was fine with that because they were still delivering a quality product. TaxExact is not a quality product from my previous experience as a TaxExact customer. In fact previously, they committed fraud by selling a product they could never deliver. Why should I expect anything different now?

[TRX 1]

I just want to give you an update on the RedGear contract negotiations. First off I want to tell you if you were not already aware of that RedGear/TaxWorks are owned now by H&R Block. When I first began using TaxWorks I was dealing with the previous owners, however since H&R Block has taken over things have changed.

My whole company was established to help you and I get better pricing on software, be able to compete with the H&R Blocks and be competitive on bank products. We did that however by us coming in and offering great products at such low prices our competitors began to talk bad about us and say things that are not true. Most of you guys bought ATX from me before CCH pulled our contract because we were selling it to you. In the beginning TaxSlayer sold us software but after us being so successful they doubled our price the second year, and through all of this we never raised prices on you guys.

Our TRX-Pro is 100% complete, and is by far superior to RedGear and our other competitors for the simple fact we listened to you and other tax preparers to develop it. The majority of our Tax Team has been doing tax returns for 15 years in high volume offices. The release for 2012 is totally updated from last year or the demo so if you thought you had already seen our software you are wrong. I hope you will consider our TRX-Pro because it is the only TRX-Pro we will be selling.

If you want to see what RedGear would cost you in addition to what you have already paid here is what they are offering:

We have been trying to work a deal with RedGear and the best they have come up with for what they gave us last year would cost you an additional $800.00 which would include the asset manager. In addition to this I would have to guarantee RedGear you would send 25,000 bank products through RedGear or I would have to pay then an additional $100,000.00.

Respectfully,

Doug Hughes

President TRX Software Development, Inc.

[ed_accountant]

Doug Hughes,

President of TRX

Why wont you and your company issue refunds to your customers when you have not shipped product and clearly you promised them a different product at the time of sale, April & May of 2012 ? Your sales team promised Taxworks and now you wish to deliver another product. This is a bait and switch.

I suggest that you rectify your policy and issue refunds to your customers to save your company's reputation, credibility and goodwill! I and many others will take legal action and file online compaint's against your company.

These online complaints will follow your company for years to come.

[Roberts]

Doug Hughes,

President of TRX

Why wont you and your company issue refunds to your customers when you have not shipped product and clearly you promised them a different product at the time of sale, April & May of 2012 ? Your sales team promised Taxworks and now you wish to deliver another product. This is a bait and switch.

A refund or a date in small claims court. It's up to him.

I find it odd that his own demo isn't a proper demonstration of their own software. )

And you are right. The internet message boards and legal complaints will show up every time a potential customer does a google search of his company and software for many years. It's basically a death sentence to any type of customer satifsfaction or quality control he's tried to produce.

[TRX 1]

We value our relationships with our vendors and understand that many of our members are quite happy with the software they have been receiving. We hope and plan to continue those relationships in the future as long as they make economic sense for our business. However, the ever-changing nature of our industry sometimes dictates that long-term contracts have to be revisited and that can result in material changes to our business model. That is one of the primary reasons we now offer a proprietary solution, so that we can protect our business and, more importantly, our customers in the event that contractual changes with our vendors necessitate changes in our membership pricing. This is from the FAQ section of the www.trxsoftware.com website and it has been there for the last few tax seasons.

[TRX 1]

If you feel that your sales person specifically told you that you would receive RedGear or TaxWorks , let me know and I will have the phone call pulled and if it is so I will have no problem issuing a refund. However I would appreciate the chance to prove to you our software is great by using it for the first week of tax season and if you are still not satisfied I will issue you a refund. According to RedGears website their new revised software will not even be available until 1-1-2013 so you will not even know if you like it or if it even works before tax season starts.

[TRX 1]

As you can see there is no bait & switch so if you wish to go and pay the high prices that is your decision however I will warn you that since the majority of you do not do bank products along with the bank products seem to be going away the cost of your software from other software companies will be increasing over the next few years. As proof in the pudding with RedGears new contract offering to us here is what you would have had to pay if I had signed the contract:

The last offer from RedGear would have made the packages:

1. The $299-$399 package would move to $699-$799 and would only include 1 state and no business returns at all.

2. The $699-$799 Package would move to $1099-$1199 and no longer include asset manager.

3. Asset manager would cost $400 and would only be eligible for the $1099-$1199 as a add on.

As you can see these prices would not work for most if not all of our customers so we had no option but to discontinue to offer the RedGear Product.

[TRX 1]

Doug Hughes,

President of TRX

Why wont you and your company issue refunds to your customers when you have not shipped product and clearly you promised them a different product at the time of sale, April & May of 2012 ? Your sales team promised Taxworks and now you wish to deliver another product. This is a bait and switch.

I suggest that you rectify your policy and issue refunds to your customers to save your company's reputation, credibility and goodwill! I and many others will take legal action and file online compaint's against your company.

These online complaints will follow your company for years to come.

If you feel that your sales person specifically told you that you would receive RedGear or TaxWorks , let me know and I will have the phone call pulled and if it is so I will have no problem issuing a refund. However I would appreciate the chance to prove to you our software is great by using it for the first week of tax season and if you are still not satisfied I will issue you a refund. According to RedGears website their new revised software will not even be available until 1-1-2013 so you will not even know if you like it or if it even works before tax season starts.

[Don in Upstate NY]

Our TRX-Pro is 100% complete, and is by far superior to RedGear and our other competitors for the simple fact we listened to you and other tax preparers to develop it.

I would like to point out that neither the manual nor the demo indicates that the software supports the preparation of 1041 (Trust and Estate) returns. So it is certainly NOT a 100% complete replacement or functional renewal of last year's software.