Prior year tax returns after switcing to Drake

[Naveen Mohan from New York]

I am switching to Drake after using ATX Max for 20 years. The question I have is how to do prior year taxes after my switch to Drake. Every year I get couple client who need to d prior year tax return. How do you guys handle it.

Do you go back to your old ATX Max for that year to do prior year tax return or do you access Drake prior year software. Also if I am not ATX customer next filing season, will ATX still allow me access to my prior year software license or will they shut down my account. If I use Drake option, since I did not purchase Drake for 2017 tax year or 2016 tax year will Drake even allow me to use efiling for prior year tax returns. 

Thanks for your help.

Naveen Mohan

[Lee B]

I have been using prior year Drake programs, since my ATX 2016 program will no longer open.

Since I did not buy ATX 2017,  ATX will not support any of the prior year programs that I purchased.

[jklcpa]

Agree with cbslee. Plus, ATX will cut you off from its server so those back year returns you'd prepare would be paper-only whereas those prepared in Drake could be e-filed.  I think once you get used to Drake you won't want to go back to ATX anyway.

[Tax Prep by Deb]

Your fee includes past years which is currently showing all the way to 2002 I believe.  The seminar I attended also stated that they were curious how it would work on Windows 10 and so he installed 2002 on his laptop and it works fine.

Yes ATX is going to cut us off when we do not renew, not exactly sure of the time frame but I am going to be going online and downloading all the programs and make a backup of my install codes just in case I ever need to get back into their software.

Also you will be able to continue to use the software they just will not allow any updating of forms nor e-filing from the program.  As far as they are concerned you are no longer a client so they will offer no support.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Tax Prep by Deb
Additional Remark

[Abby Normal]

44 minutes ago, Tax Prep by Deb said:

downloading all the programs and make a backup of my install codes just in case

Download all forms for all states too.

[Catherine]

I asked Drake for the prior-year programs.  They gave them to me, gratis, for the prior years that I needed.

[Alex]

Purchased Drake for 2018 and they gave me all the prior years (from 2002-2017) unlimited. 

Everything is in their download center, so I just download the previous years when I need to use them. They also have the converter program going back to 2008 (so I can convert

2007 tax year data if I have to).