mcb39 Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 The impression that I got when speaking to a rep was that they were not preparing for networks. Three stand-alones would be fine. Correct me if I am wrong. That post from ATX Michelle was posted on the Original ATX Board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 The impression that I got when speaking to a rep was that they were not preparing for networks. Three stand-alones would be fine. Correct me if I am wrong. That post from ATX Michelle was posted on the Original ATX Board. Three standalones will work fine until a return on one machine is needed to be viewed on the other. Another hitch is e-file. If you e-file from three different non-networked machines, you must be diligent about DCN numbers and acks will be a nightmare. Their indications of not supporting a network are disappointing, but not unexpected. Those actions fit with the "business stupid" things CCH has done for the past 3 years. Saddling my horse. I have consult times with three other software providers. CCH continues to lose respect (how do you get below zero?) here at the firm and in my private business as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfassett Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 If they are not supporting network installation what is the purpose of the published network installation instructions, i.e., install the software on the server and then on the individual workstations? Come to think about it, this sounds all too familiar with QuickBooks network installation. But again, why would they publish those instruction if they were not supporting it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfassett Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Oh and BTW, I am to the point where i am about to forget about the saddle and just jump on and go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jklcpa Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 The horses are ring sour at this point from doing nothing but going in circles. Time to take that horse for a nice long trail ride and sample the grass in other pastures along the way. A horse can always find his way back to the barn on his own, if necessary. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Good one! In this case the horse may find the grass is a bit sweeter on the other side and may want to hang out there for a while and sample more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted May 11, 2013 Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 I think this is more about beating dead horses. And there are just too many of them stinking up the corral right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Your assessment is correct. At my work area, I have two computers. One is XP the other WIN 7 PRO with SSD. If I open ATX on the XP machine, no one else can access the database from the workstations after they logon. At first, I thought it was ATX dislike for XP. Now I know it is the RAVEN DB inability to work simultaneously with different OS. Likewise, if a WIN 7 machine opens the program first, none of the XP machines can access ATX. We have server and 8 work stations. Two are Windows 7 and the rest are XP. We never had a problem accessing database at same time. Usually we 5 or 6 logged in at a time doing returns. The system was slow if we had more than one person rolling over returns, and of course overall it was much slower than prior ATX versions, but it worked. Electronic filing was the only part of program we needed to designate one user to do (which makes sense, and prior versions of ATX were the same.) Only limitation was I couldn't remote desktop into server if I had it running already on server. We don't use terminal services so that never applied to us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Very interesting! So are you going with the new recommend specs. or staying put?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 We will be ABOVE recommended specs even if we change programs. In our situation, hardware power and speed is cost effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Interesting Rob! I am looking to do a simple network once I get the new laptop I just ordered for my assistant. It's nice to know at least one or two users didn't have issues with a network. Both of my computers will be win7, so any o/s issues won't come up at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 Are you also going to install ATX as a standalone backup? Just incase you have network issues?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 I'm not sure. Since its off season, I'll start with 2012. I've never even set up a network. Even if I can just get my assistant access to my documents files it would be an improvement over what I have now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Are you also going to install ATX as a standalone backup? Just incase you have network issues?? Nope. If ATX does not deal with the network issue, they will be history. I have been chosen to be a beta tester and I will be certain to give it the workout in a real world situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 I install the program on both the desktop and the laptop. Also, install at least one prior year so the clients can be rolled over. I can then move clients back and forth freely with the export/import feature and a jump drive. This works well for me because sometimes I am gone for several days and have the laptop with me. That enables me to work on returns and import them into the desktop when I return.. All returns are e-filed from the main computer. This may sound cumbersome to some of you; but that is what works for me. I prefer not to be networked.; and if I can get my new assistant to try her hand at tax returns next year, I will have to oversee everything she does on the laptop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 I install the program on both the desktop and the laptop. Also, install at least one prior year so the clients can be rolled over. I can then move clients back and forth freely with the export/import feature and a jump drive. This works well for me because sometimes I am gone for several days and have the laptop with me. That enables me to work on returns and import them into the desktop when I return.. All returns are e-filed from the main computer. This may sound cumbersome to some of you; but that is what works for me. I prefer not to be networked.; and if I can get my new assistant to try her hand at tax returns next year, I will have to oversee everything she does on the laptop. Way too cumbersome for 8 preparers, support staff and 3K clients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Nope. If ATX does not deal with the network issue, they will be history. I have been chosen to be a beta tester and I will be certain to give it the workout in a real world situation. I an sure you will kick it to the curb if it fails your requirement to run on your network. But folks like Joan and other's who may have a network with 1 or 2 workstations. I think if they also have a standalone backup they may just add an insurance against network failure of ATX and still do some returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 I'd like to be able to have my assistant printing while I'm finishing up returns. After just two months she had graduated from copying, setting up files, etc to doing the basic data entry on all the returns, including putting together the spreadsheet I use to do my RDP community property splits. Although the jumpdrive/export method would work for the clients she initially sets up, I don't want to have to do the same in reverse to have her print and assemble. My time is more valuable! I think with a basic 1040 class, she'd be able to do most EZ & itemized deduction returns, and probably Sch C & E too, and I would just have to review them. Smart woman I hired, and to top it all off, she knows bookkeeping too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 What does HRB charge these days for their basic tax prep course? I think it used to be around $200 including course materials few years back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaraEA Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Joan, I wouldn't hold so much hope that your assistant will be able to do "itemized deduction returns, and probably Sch C & E too." I think you underrate the need for knowledge and experience. Sure, HRB's tax course might be good (at least it used to be), but even that outfit doesn't allow new preparers to do Schs C and E if they can help it. We had a new assistant this year who had an accounting degree and really picked up data entry fast. We couldn't criticize her for the many mistakes she made because SHE DIDN't KNOW TAX. Client would give us a 1098 for mortgage interest and taxes and she'd put it on Sch A, not realizing that they had an office in home or lived in the rental property. Same with auto expenses that had to be entered on Sch C instead of A. She really blew the family day care providers because she entered their expenses in the wrong places. And while we couldn't blame her for these errors, it took a lot of time when we checked the returns to track down where the heck she entered the numbers so we could delete and put them in the proper place. For those of you considering UltraTax, I've used it for years and it's an amazing workhorse. It's not perfect, and some of the changes this year made it cumbersome at times. For example, it would try to help you by "remembering" data that it would automatically plug in. Well, stick in "Cli" and it would autofill "Clifton TX" and some Zip code. Well, you might have wanted Clinton CT, or Clifton might have more than one zip so you'd have to stop and check if the one in there was correct. It wasted so much time. The Sch D entries used to be on one line that was so long it was hard to tell if you were on the right entry. I guess responding to complaints, each enry now occupies THREE lines and you have no idea where you are or what the running totals are. I don't trust the tax projection worksheets, especially for the states, but I've never found a really good tax projection progrm that considered all the moving parts. Outside of these annoyances and a few bugs, though, the program is remarkably accurate and has excellent diagnostics. When we do outside states or forms that we pay for individually, we just add the software cost to the client's bill. We gave up on ATX for the few workstations that had it in January and just added those features to UltraTax. With the cost, though, we're thinking of using our QuickBooks for W2s, 1099s, etc next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Way too cumbersome for 8 preparers, support staff and 3K clients. Of course, my system could never work for you. I am a one person office with a new first time assistant. I do, however, have an inexpensive HP laser printer for the laptop so she is able to do other things on either the laptop or the old XP desktop which also has a printer. Hard to kill those old HPs if you take care of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joanmcq Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Sara, I am not underrating the need for experience and training. I am one of those that can't believe that ANY person calling themselves a tax professional doesn't take a ton of continuing education to stay on top of the game. She needs training, and needs to understand the concepts behind what she's doing. And nothing goes out without review. But hell, in the dark hours right before April 15, I had her reviewing MY work; are all the numbers consistent? Did I make any typos? And there are Cs, and then there are other Cs. Some of my well trained clients come in with everything so well organized its just data entry. Others? Whoo boy! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 I am not a technical person, but I have a questions. I did not have as many issues as others, because I only have one Windows 7 Pro with 12 Mg of RAM. I have encountered slowness and some random crashes. My questions concerns using two different operating systems. I was able to use my XP laptop and SLOWLY prepare a few returns when absolutely necessary through Logmein Pro. Is that normal or was I just really lucky. I'm undecided about next season, and am going to look at other programs this summer, if I ever get caught up enough to look. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack from Ohio Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 I am not a technical person, but I have a questions. I did not have as many issues as others, because I only have one Windows 7 Pro with 12 Mg of RAM. I have encountered slowness and some random crashes. My questions concerns using two different operating systems. I was able to use my XP laptop and SLOWLY prepare a few returns when absolutely necessary through Logmein Pro. Is that normal or was I just really lucky. I'm undecided about next season, and am going to look at other programs this summer, if I ever get caught up enough to look. Thanks! As long as only one user is working at a time, the Raven DB will work with XP. If more than one user is working at the same time and all use XP, there is no problem. The problem occurs if two or more users are working at the same time from workstations with different OS (XP & WIN 7 for example). The DB crashes one or the other or locks them up. It is a MAJOR program issue that will probably not go away. If you have multiple people working at the same time, they must all have the same OS. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Taxed Posted May 16, 2013 Report Share Posted May 16, 2013 Sara, I am not underrating the need for experience and training. I am one of those that can't believe that ANY person calling themselves a tax professional doesn't take a ton of continuing education to stay on top of the game. She needs training, and needs to understand the concepts behind what she's doing. And nothing goes out without review. But hell, in the dark hours right before April 15, I had her reviewing MY work; are all the numbers consistent? Did I make any typos? And there are Cs, and then there are other Cs. Some of my well trained clients come in with everything so well organized its just data entry. Others? Whoo boy! A quick learner with some guidance and a good checklist is a great help during crunch time! I had an assistant (college freshmen) do 1040EZ and 1040 standard deduction input and first pass with a day's training. The key was checklist to the client organizer. Once you collect all the source documents, refer to the checklist for which form and line it goes on. If the first pass is 80% or more correct and you have to tidy up a few items it is still a big help. Does this always work 100%. No but then i don't expect that either because then there would be no need for me! Remember to develop a good checklist based on how you run your shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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