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Ditching ATX for ProSeries


PJCCPA

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As a brand new fully licensed CPA, I put everything in place to start my own part-time nights and weekends Tax Practice in time for the 2016 Tax Season.  The only problem is, ATX failed my Test.  It could not handle doing my own return easily or that of one of my pre-existing clients.  Since I live in New Jersey on the Delaware River and spent most of my time working in Wilmington, Delaware in the past, but my wife works in New Jersey, I need to be able to file MFJ on my Federal Return, MFS on my Delaware Non-Resident Return, and MFJ again on my New Jersey return to optimize my Returns and get the best result and biggest possible refund, same for one of my pre-existing clients and will likely be the same for many of my potential new clients.  Can ProSeries do this easily, seamlessly, and flawlessly by doing this all in one quick swoop and efiling all 3 in one shot without using the ATX solution of having to create a Duplicate Return for all 3, doing one set as MFJ and another set as MFS then efiling each one separately and risk the New Jersey return not giving the proper credit for Delaware Non-Resident Income Taxes Paid on the New Jersey return, and then trying to figure out how to override it?  Thoughts?  Suggestions?

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I used ATX for many years and can say except for the cost you won't be happy in the long run.  I left ATX 3 years ago and haven't looked back.  The program is great, the support is exceptional and the cost is fair considering everything you get from this program.  If your just starting out you want a program you can trust.  The advice of taxxcpa of sticking with ProSeries is good advice.  I only do 1040's you realize the clients pay for the program.  We do roughly 600 returns per year.  The ProSeries cost me about $1250 (I'm still in the 5 year discount program for switching from ATX) so this it's about $2.10 per client to do a tax return for software.  In a couple of years it will be up to about $2300. or about $3.83 per client.  Still a bargain.  BUT it just a Superior program.  The Support is better.  The Authorized Chat room has real help on it. You need to be with the Pro's 

My 2 cent's

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I switched to ProSeries after ATX had a major program change that gave network users fits.  My understanding is that those particular problems have been fixed, but ProSeries is a superior program when it comes to handling multiple state returns.  I also find their e-filing to work better for me - I am able to e-file amended returns using ProSeries which I never could do with ATX.  The cost is quite a bit more than ATX unless you get a really good deal from them for switching like some of us did after the 2012 tax season.  If you have any friends in the business, they will get a discount if you cite them as a referral.  It doesn't help you, so if you don't know anyone that uses it, don't worry about having a referral.

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I switched with the 2012 debacle.  Much prefer PRO but do miss some basic forms that ATX has and pro doesn't.  also modifying letters in pro is an exercise in frustration.  Never waited more than 5 minutes for US support and they truly know the program and tax laws.  The worst thing I find with pro is the letters and their dashboard.  I Loved the atx dashboard.  But from a tax prep point of view, way superior.

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  • 3 years later...

I did the rollover in the off season.  After the 2012 fiasco with ATX, we purchased ProSeries and rolled the customers over during the summer.  As best as I remember, it went better than average with changes between vendors.  There were some issues with depreciation for a while, and maybe some installment gains that did not transfer at all but other than that I don't really remember much of a problem.  I have been happy that I changed for the most part.  As always, there was a learning curve but overall I have been very pleased.

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used ProSeries for personal since 1997.. used ATX for business returns but lost all confidence in the program a number of years ago and started using ProSeries for all returns.  Had some issues with crashing on printing for tax year 2018 but that that has been working fine last few days.. I like the quick zoom, (tunneling down) forms based of return prep. the program is very intuitive (pun intended) and seems to fit how I learned to do returns manually many years ago and then with Parsons Personal Tax Edge, with Intuit bought.  

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