lindakay Posted January 16, 2013 Report Share Posted January 16, 2013 Hi, just wondering if anybody on this forum was using the TaxWorks program through TRX and decided to bail out of the new TaxExact and purchase TaxWorks directly from Red Gear. I'm seriously considering doing that, mostly in light of the facts that time is running out and so much of the TaxExact program is not working right. It's an unexpected expense, but it may be what I have to do if I'm going to have a workable tax business by January 30th when IRS starts accepting returns. If I'm not able to file returns by then, I will lose a lot of clients. So, if anyone has purchased TaxWorks from Red Gear, please let me know how it's going. Thanks! Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Linda, before you spend a dollar on Taxworks beware their software for 2012 is in worse shape than TRX. If you read the posts their users are demanding and some have got refunds of their pre season purchase price. If you want to look at alternatives try Taxwise or Drake. Drake is getting a ton of business from Taxworks users who are not satisfied BUT you will pay their full price of $1495. They will not cut you a pre season discount in Jan. Taxwise was running a special $995 for their power package with a 3 year lock on renewal pricing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindakay Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Oh, my goodness, didn't know about Red Gear's issues. My first year in business (5 years ago) I had a bad experience with Drake and that's how I ended up with TRX. I also used TaxWise one year when I worked for Liberty Tax and I found it rather cumbersome. Yikes!! I'm starting to think there's no good alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindakay Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Where are these posts of TaxWorks users that you are talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Taxalmanac is one post. Because Drake knows they will get a ton of business in 2013 they are not willing to deal. I like Drake software, have used it before. What did you dislike about Drake? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roberts Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Interesting, TaxWorks is giving out refunds because their software isn't working. TaxExact is still trying to sell the idea that their software will eventually work properly. Honestly, I switched tax software last week. I gave Tax Exact an honest review and determined very quickly that even if they got it working, it wasn't a complete package I would want to pay money to receive. I kept hoping (because I'm cheap) but the more I looked at the worksheets and forms, the more frustrated I became imagining how much it's going to take to get things entered. If I don't see myself using it next year (zero chance in hell), why invest 100+ hours of entering data to build my corporate returns just to save $600? Bad investment. But woohoo, I can save $100 by using the after-the-fact payroll I've already paid for with Tax Exact. Nope - doesn't work and no clue when it will work. I've got W-2's to deliver on Friday and the software isn't operational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindakay Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Roberts -- What software did you switch to? Are you happy with it? Taxed -- The Drake program I used was a web-based program through a company called World Wide Webtax. I thought I was getting Intellitax, but they did a switcheroo at the last minute, much like what TRX did this year. The program took 30 seconds to generate the return for viewing every time you made a change of any kind. You couldn't "peek" at just one form without waiting the 30 seconds to do so. I know 30 seconds doesn't seem like a lot of time, but it is when there is a client breathing down your neck, espeically when it's an impatient one. The program also didn't calculate some figures properly, and even though I brought these things to their attention many times, they never did make the necessary changes. One of the figures it didn't calculate properly was the taxable amount of a state refund for clients who itemized the prior year and took the state tax deduction. They told me just to call it all taxable, like it didn't matter, but it surely mattered to my clients. The program didn't allow for overrides either, so it took some manipulation on my part to get the program to compute the proper amount of tax liability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 So then that was not the core Drake software. I think Drake this year has a cloud based program called Drake Zero, I seem to recall getting an e-mail from them few months back. I do not like these online cloud based programs. I would have to get better assurances of the data security and indemnification if there is a data breach. You have to be careful about refunds for folks who itemized the previous year but going standard this year because they meet the threshold. Without that refund worksheet most software will ignore it and before you know the client gets a CP2000. If you will notice the TRX program mimics the Taxwise program by asking for a date confirmation, and the color coded forms tree. Remember Taxwise trainers used to say "get the red out"! What do liberty tax charge for a 1040 with Sch A these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneInAlabama Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 I used TaxWorks for the last two years and didn't like it at all. TaxExact is more to my liking. I had used ATX since about 1993 and if you could do a tax return with pencil and paper, you could do it with ATX. With TaxWorks, the worksheets threw me for a loop. They didn't follow logic for me, but that is probably due to my age. Older people think differently from younger people. Also with TaxWorks, you couldn't override entries. You had to search through the worksheets to find a box that was or wasn't checked. TaxExact is more like ATX as for entry. I know there is still a lot of work that needs to me done on TaxExact, but I am confident that it will be done and on time. I expect problems, but that would be true for any software, at least for any that I can afford. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Gene be careful with those overrides. With MeF it may not allow you to e-file! I know even under the old legacy system most software made you fix overrides before you could e-file. The worksheets serve a purpose to make sure the input is placed on the correct form and field. Try to do a K1 that has most lines filled directly without a worksheet and you will see what i am talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneInAlabama Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Thanks Taxed. I do use the overrides very sparingly. Only when I can't find any other solution and am absolutely sure of the figure that is supposed to go in that space. Being able to override is very helpful in those cases. TaxExact had that capability on the original demo, I assume it is still available. I haven't tried it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindakay Posted January 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Actually, Liberty Tax offices are all franchises, as far as I know, and the individual owners are free to set the fees as they choose, and then apply any additional discounts once it's all totalled up. They do have default fees, though, which for the most part are through the roof. If a franchise owner left them as is, he/she would probably not see those clients next year. I used TaxWorks through TRX for the last 3 years and I was able to override entries. What I didn't like about the worksheets is that many of them wouldn't show what calculations were happening in the background to arrive at the final figure. I would spend a good deal of time on some returns trying to figure out how they arrived at a certain number because I didn't want to override anything unless I was 100% I was right. Sometimes I would realize that I had just entered a number in the wrong place, which was why the program got a final figure that didn't seem right. So, yes, I agree that the TaxWorks worksheets are confusing, and maybe I think that way because I'm old, too -- lol. Hopefully, TRX will deliver by the deadline and those of us who stuck with it will be glad . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_accountant Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 I have purchased 2012 Taxworks from redgear. I have used it for 3 years and did not want to downgrade to TaxExact. I have many corporate clients with depreciation that I did not want to convert. Redgear has done some enhancements that has delayed their rollout of the software. The delays have created many complaints. The main complaints were the delays in the release of the organizers that large firms use. As of today, the program and all modules function and I am able to work on corporate tax work for future February filing. Their organizers are partially ready. Their custom letter, slipsheet and questionaire has not been able to be customized..which they say will fixed in this weeks update. The programs printing to printers is not functional yet, but it prints to a pdf which in turn could be printed.. I am confident the future updates in the next two will resolve Redgear's issues. The 2012 taxworks forms are working and calculate for the indidividual, corp, scorp and partnerships. Some Taxworks customers have had installation issues but it was not an issue for me. You can go to facebook page redgear technologies to see customer issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crank Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 I really liked TaxWorks the past two years I used it. It was a small learning curve from ATX and somethings it did better than ATX and some not as good, but the price was right and it worked fine. This year is a different story on TaxWorks, ATX and of course TRX With that said I have had a Drake rep hounding me, and they are aware of the problems with the other vendors. Best they will do is 300 / includes 15 returns efiled (fed, state, business, whatever, then $19 per return for any type returns (again all included for this price) With about 100 returns to do I would be better off with the flat fee $1500 version but that will be the most expensive software I have ever purchased. So Im gambling. Trusting Doug's word and promises and hoping I dont have the worst tax season of my career. Still not sure what to do if TRX doesnt deliver. If they deliver partial then Drake 295 +$19 might be used for complex returns but I really dont know and Im still leaving my options open. /fingers crossed/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted January 17, 2013 Report Share Posted January 17, 2013 Doug says he will deliver by jan 3oth in a previous post. I really hope so. The issue will be complex returns not the garden variety 1040 standard deduction or even Sch A. If complex returns involving K1, Gen Business credit etc. can't be handled accurately or without lots of overrides, then we may have to look at pay per return option. Both Drake and Proseries are an option?? I have not done pay per return in over 10 years, almost feel embarressed returning to that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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