Renewing ATX for 2013?

[Yardley CPA]

Last year, I received my ATX renewal email on March 20th. Haven't received anything from ATX so far this year and, with all the issues that the program has given users, I'm not surprised it has yet to flow into my inbox. As a caveat, I have to disclose that I've have experienced hardly any of the issues that have been documented on this forum. The 2012 program has worked relatively well for me (not looking to jinx myself down the stretch.) I'm curious to see if ATX will still be an option for 2013. If it is, I wonder what the pricing structure will be and whether they offer any type of incentive given the problems that have been reported this year.

I think it's prudent to review what other packages offer and I plan to do that during the next few months. With that said, I have been a long time user of ATX and go back to the Saber days. if ATX is offering a renewal package, my early inclination is to sign-up and use them again in 2013. I guess time will tell and it will depend on the pricing and the information provided in their renewal solicitation. Will they speak to the issues experienced in 2012 and will they make mention of their commitments for 2013? I'm curious to see what they will offer.

Good luck to everyone as we approach the 15th!

[Maribeth]

I think that what CCH should do is what Glynn did back in 1999. Back then, I received a postcard in the mail. Actually it was a bunch of little postcards, wrapped up in cellophane paper, and sent to the professionals. There was a postcard from ATX and it said something like this: You will love my software. I will give it to you free, use it until February. If you don’t like it, simply return it to me, there will be no charge for the returns you have filed. If you do like it, you can pay me the $500 and use the cash flow from the returns you have already filed to pay me.

Does anybody else remember that?

Well, I took him up on his offer and I have been with aTX every since. Through the bad and through the good.

I will look at other software – that is something I do every year and I keep coming back to ATX.

But what I will say this year – no early money – you had my money for almost a year and you have cost me cash flow problems this year. I want the same deal as Glynn gave me in 1999. I take your software, pay you in February 2014. Or I go somewhere else.

[Maribeth]

Well, I just went back into my files for ATX 1999. It was called the "CEO Free Trial Program". Can't remember the name of the new CEO but if he wants us to stay with ATX, he better look at how Glynn did it in 1999.

[Catherine]

I would LOVE to stay with ATX next year. I am very used to the program, and the workflow operates the same way I worked back when I still did returns on paper. It's a great match for me.

That said, I will NOT renew early. Saving a paltry $100 - $150 and letting them hold my money for a year was barely worth it at all. After this year's debacle, I do not put it past CCH to take my money, NOT provide ATX next year, and use the fact that they have my money to try to push me into TaxWise or something else next year.

Instead, I am going to take some time this summer and re-do all my returns in Drake (and re-do the ones I've done in Drake for reason A, B, C, X, Y, Z... in ATX). That way I will be prepared to hit the ground running next season no matter what happens with the software.

[Guest Taxed]

Smart move. You can't trust early renewals anymore. Too many of us got burned this year by CCH, Redgear and TRX. I have a feeling that there will be a shift in the industry the way they treat tax preparers going forward. There is too much bad press to allow these companies to pull a fast one again. i amwaiting to see the fireworks at the IRs forums vendor booths!!!

[ari]

Doing taxes in Drake is like driving a Ferrari; everything is nice and quick...turns out i don't have attention deficit disorder...it's just

that ATX moves too slowly

[WITAXLADY]

WELL I bought Drake 4 weeks ago and have not handled the learning curve at all! so have been plugging along with ATX and every glitch I am so sorry I did not convert to Drake - April 17th!

[ari]

Have you tried Control G

if not, try that and it'll become alot easier

makes Drake forms based

[JohnH]

Do you use dual monitors? If so, try running a Drake Tutorial on one monitor while preparing the return on the other. Their forum is also very helpful for software questions.

I agree with ari - Drake is super fast once you get used to it. Using Ctrl-G does help simulate forms-based entry, but it doesn't take long to abandon that altogether once you get accustomed to navigating from the keyboard.

Looks like I'll be filing LESS extensions this year than I have in the past, thanks to my having switched to Drake back in Feb. And that includes time to re-enter basic client data. (I didn't run a conversion program - am just doing everything from scratch on every return).

[Guest Taxed]

The Drake conversion program is really good. You go from ATX 2011 to Drake 2011 and then Drake 2011 to Drake 2012. As long as you ran the ATX 2011 once most of the usual carryforwards are handled correctly. The only issue is notes and other misc. items in depreciation that get inputed in the wrong place. To avoid that once you convert to Drake 2011, open the return and tidy it up and then move it to 2012.

JohnH how long did it take you to enter all the assets for depreciation?? That is the real time killer.

[JohnH]

I extend all my entity returns, and the individual clients affected (mostly S-corp shareholders). So about the only asset entries I have to deal with on personal returns prior to Apr 15 are a few with rental properties and a couple of Schedule C's. I guess I'm fortunate because the clients I need to extend are fairly cooperative.

After Apr 15, I will look into running the conversion program to convert the entities with depeciation schedules. From what I was told by Drake, I think this can be done on a case-by-case basis. I think I can already visualize how that's going to work. I have become more familiar with the program by working on clients with small asset schedules, so it will be much easier to transfer that knowledge to larger ones.

[Guest Taxed]

Over the years I have found that bulk conversion will have seepage of junk data into some of your returns that can't be logically explained. I always do return by return conversion of all returns with carryforwards, depreciation etc. It is much cleaner BUT takes a long time!

[jklcpa]

I extend all my entity returns, and the individual clients affected (mostly S-corp shareholders). So about the only asset entries I have to deal with on personal returns prior to Apr 15 are a few with rental properties and a couple of Schedule C's. I guess I'm fortunate because the clients I need to extend are fairly cooperative.

After Apr 15, I will look into running the conversion program to convert the entities with depeciation schedules. From what I was told by Drake, I think this can be done on a case-by-case basis. I think I can already visualize how that's going to work. I have become more familiar with the program by working on clients with small asset schedules, so it will be much easier to transfer that knowledge to larger ones.

John, the thing I found in converting the business returns was that the net income tied in but the line entries for some of the individual line items (mostly in the other expenses) would be on the wrong lines when Drake tried to convert the detail of the the other expenses (ex: line 26 for the corp returns). An example might be that accounting & legal entered in ATX ended up on the bank charges line in Drake. I corrected the 2011 converted returns in Drake prior to rolling over to 2012. Some entries on the partnership returns didn't convert exactly correctly either. I can't recall now what it was, but might have been the cash distributions entered on Sch K, but they weren't showing on M-2? FWIW, every single asset and its depreciation for regular and AMT methods converted perfectly.

Even though the net income was correct, I did fix those entries that were showing up on the wrong lines because it was affecting the comparision schedule that my clients like and that I used as part of my review process.

[JohnH]

Thanks. That's good to hear. Sounds as though the conversion on these should go fairly smoothly. Reviewing and rearranging "Other" expenses should be easy. Looking forward to getting started on them in May or June,

[cheering]

Here is my post from another Topic Thread called:

What do you say when an ATX sales rep calls you to renew early?

I'm going to do what I always do... tell them the truth. and The truth is:

CCH violated my trust.

CCH ruined my life for 3 solid months, and probably at least the next 9 months to come, probably 12 to 21 months.

[while I convert to different software].

CCH has irrevocably had a negative affect on every relationship I have, in my office, and in my life.

I am pissed as hell, and ATX is squarely to blame.

I am expecting ATX to send me their software for free, for at least 1 year.

ATX must be oblivious to the fact that 6 software companies have called me, questioning why I am staying with ATX.

These companies know ATX's business. Does ATX know their business ? Do they know their customers ?

Drake has been calling me repeatedly, but, this time, it's gonna be Me that's calling them...

I hope they've improved their data conversion.

-cg

[Randall]

I won't renew early. I'll continue with ATX for my extensions, as well as doing some on other software. I won't try to re-do my returns on another software. I think they'll get the bugs out by Oct 15. Ha! But I don't think they can fix the slowness. And the nature of the program (I'm guessing) allows for too many quirks to pop up.

Drake is my leading contender. I like the comments on speed. It sounds like you can toggle back and forth between the form and the input so that doesn't sound much different than ATX.

[Guest Taxed]

Drake salesreps are agressively pushing Drake for 2013. Already I got e-mails and calls and I am sure they were be aggressive at the IRS forums. The question is will they give any discount or raise the price now that theyare king!!!

[cheering]

ATX should give us the 2013 program for free, to evaluate.

this is the only way i can consider staying with ATX.

[JJStephens]

ATX should give us the 2013 program for free, to evaluate.

this is the only way i can consider staying with ATX.

That would be nice, but I wouldn't hold your breath on it. They have not be particularly generous in issues like this in the past (I've used them since about '93 with a two year hiatus in 2010-2011). That said, they did offer me a substantial discount this year to come back. I could see a discount happening, but not a complete freebie. My guess is that CCH would shut down ATX before that happened (a possibility many of us have feared ever since they acquired ATX a number of years ago)--or perhaps sell it to someone else (with all the joys that entails).

[joelgilb]

Agree with Stephens, ATX is not going to offer the software for free, My guess, the discount will be similar to prior years.

ATX believes they did the right thing in rewriting the software and does not see all the issues many of us have had. They never will unless they see the user base dwindle to virtually nothing.

[cheering]

right, but it won't stop me from asking for the 2013 program for free...

what discounts have yall gotten in the past ?

any master negotiators in here ?

[JJStephens]

I'm not a master negotiator, but here's my story.

I went with TRX several years ago when they were offering ATX for $299. That lasted one year--then they lost their contract with ATX. I grudgingly switched to TaxWorks (or whatever it was that TRX was offering). The first year was bad, the second year even worse. Last June I called ATX to ask what deals they had going. At first they said nothing. I said that I simply could not swing their fee (my wife was still seriously ill and cash was at a premium). The gal I was speaking with asked me to hold on for a few minutes. When she came back she told me that since I was in effect a new client, she could offer me ATX for three years for $795.

I've never understood why businesses offer new clients a better deal than loyal returning clients. Well, maybe I do. Market share (not service) is the goal. They take their loyal clients for granted. With me, they do that at their peril. There are some things in life that are sacred. Insurance, and automobiles and certainly tax software are not among them! I'm the one writing the check. If you don't value me as a client, I'll write the check to someone else who will (at least until the ink dries!).

[Guest Taxed]

Did they put the $795 lock price for 3 years in writing? Last year CCH was offering Taxwise lock price for 3 years at $995.

$795 is a good price for 2013 version assuming they have fixed all the problems of the 2012 version. Drake I believe is $1095.

[jklcpa]

Drake pricing for the unlimited renewal is:

$1095 if paid in April & May

$1195 in June & July

$1295 in Aug & Sept

$1395 in Oct & Nov

$1495 Dec 1 and thereafter

I spoke with a Drake rep recently and asked how & when this year's PPR will unlock to unlimited. This comes via an update, usually shortly after 4/15, but their board met and decided that this year it would be after 10/15. I wonder if this was due to the number of users coming over to Drake that might have extension returns.

[Guest Taxed]

Right you are! They know they will pick up the lions share of all those who jumped this year. The 2012 demo program prints NOT For Filing on the signature line. I don't recall seeing that in previous years?