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Are you renewing with ATX for 2008?


BulldogTom

Are you renewing for 2008 with ATX?  

148 members have voted

  1. 1. Are you renuewing with ATX for 2008

    • Yes - Early and Taking the discount
      45
    • Yes - But waiting till the last minute
      18
    • Not Sure - Will decide later
      64
    • No - Could change my mind if price is right
      13
    • No - I am leaving for certain
      9


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I have decided----ATX for another year.

I have looked at TaxSlayer, TRX $299 and $699 programs, and Drake. ATX, even with all the problems this year, is still the best tax program available for me. I don't do many returns, but I still want a professional output, even if it's only for family.

I'll look again next year to see if these other programs have improved.

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"Now for an interesting thought. Since they fired everyone from Maine and all original ATX staff, how do we know that they are even capable of programing the new software? "

Just so no one gets the wrong idea....NO ONE who works specifically on the ATX program has been let go. Period. The folks in customer support, shipping, and sales were great people and employees, but they had very, very little to do with the "core business". The heart of the software is still beating strongly despite rumors to the conntrary.

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Booger:

This issue for me is not that I want to switch from ATX, it's that I am still not sure ATX will exist and CCH is doing things to confirm that, by not being willing to guarantee the ATX product line. \

Good chance you may end up with Taxwise!

If they weren't going to support the ATX software, they wouldn't have sales people pushing it. Taxwise is so vastly different from ATX, they couldn't substitute one for the other. All that's been acknowledged from the poster's conversation with sales is that they are selling the ATX product and have a 30-day guarantee. If they send you anything other than ATX, you'd be able to get your money back. If you order steak and the waitress brings you smelly fish, you get to send it back. Right?

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I have decided----ATX for another year.

I have looked at TaxSlayer, TRX $299 and $699 programs, and Drake. ATX, even with all the problems this year, is still the best tax program available for me. I don't do many returns, but I still want a professional output, even if it's only for family.

I'll look again next year to see if these other programs have improved.

I think that's where I'm leaning too Donna. None of the programs I have looked at have everything in a neat little package. I requested TRX to send a demo CD when I couldn't download the program -- still nothing. Drake has not responded to my specific questions regarding payroll form e-filing.

Where I am at now -- I'm finding customer service non-existent any where and I think I'll stick with the ATX and crappy CS that I already know. At least I don't have to *learn* to do things differently. But I am definitely doing away with Kleinrock and the fluff & frills and will renew @ $530 less with MAX instead of TTO.

And I'll keep my options open for any *new* software that might come along.

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How do they know??? In yesterday's mail was a fancy brochure and seminar schedule from Thomson/UltraTax. It begins, "Dear Margaret: We're hearing from many ATX and TaxWise customers who are examining their tax software options and are concerned about how long CCH will continue to maintain and support three (3) different tax software systems."

It goes on to discuss the benefits including the fact that I could purchase UltraTax/1040 for as little as $1,700! And take $600 of the second product such as UltraTax/1120 for as little as $1,050! I nearly choked. "As little as $2,750" for not even what I now have or need. I surmise that they don't really understand the economics of those of us who are sole practitioners. We may have a few complex tax client situations but I, for one, cannot afford that kind of money. I can put up with a lot of being on hold, if necessary, on speakerphone for those dollars.

I'm sticking around another year to see what happens while still hoping Mel comes through. My options are limited. I sort of think that CCH will not support a ship with lots of passengers departing but I do think they are trying to fix some of their mistakes of the last year. At least, I hope so! And I do hope they do not try to convert ATX users to TaxWise users. I will definitely look elsewhere should that happen. Now back to work...

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"Now for an interesting thought. Since they fired everyone from Maine and all original ATX staff, how do we know that they are even capable of programing the new software? "

Just so no one gets the wrong idea....NO ONE who works specifically on the ATX program has been let go. Period. The folks in customer support, shipping, and sales were great people and employees, but they had very, very little to do with the "core business". The heart of the software is still beating strongly despite rumors to the conntrary.

Glad to hear that. Who are you. Do you work for CCH? Is this a guarantee?

And if you do work for ATX, why won't the sales team give me a money back gauranteee that if CCH kills the ATX product I can get my money back rather than be switched to Taxwise or... I want to resign with ATX but don't want to be switched. HAd that happen once by another vender and won't let that happen again.

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If they weren't going to support the ATX software, they wouldn't have sales people pushing it. Taxwise is so vastly different from ATX, they couldn't substitute one for the other. All that's been acknowledged from the poster's conversation with sales is that they are selling the ATX product and have a 30-day guarantee. If they send you anything other than ATX, you'd be able to get your money back. If you order steak and the waitress brings you smelly fish, you get to send it back. Right?

I have to say that this is not necessarily true. I have been here before and had the same thing from another vendor trying to save a customer base and then switched me to another product.

I want to believe, but then CCH GAURANTEE IT!!!

If this is true they can stand behind it.

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How do they know??? In yesterday's mail was a fancy brochure and seminar schedule from Thomson/UltraTax. It begins, "Dear Margaret: We're hearing from many ATX and TaxWise customers who are examining their tax software options and are concerned about how long CCH will continue to maintain and support three (3) different tax software systems."

It goes on to discuss the benefits including the fact that I could purchase UltraTax/1040 for as little as $1,700! And take $600 of the second product such as UltraTax/1120 for as little as $1,050! I nearly choked. "As little as $2,750" for not even what I now have or need. I surmise that they don't really understand the economics of those of us who are sole practitioners. We may have a few complex tax client situations but I, for one, cannot afford that kind of money. I can put up with a lot of being on hold, if necessary, on speakerphone for those dollars.

I'm sticking around another year to see what happens while still hoping Mel comes through. My options are limited. I sort of think that CCH will not support a ship with lots of passengers departing but I do think they are trying to fix some of their mistakes of the last year. At least, I hope so! And I do hope they do not try to convert ATX users to TaxWise users. I will definitely look elsewhere should that happen. Now back to work...

Received the same letter and have used this program before. Definitely pricey but it is a good program. Still unlikely they will get my business.

I also agree that CCH is trying to fix what they messed up and am concerned about the users that are jumping ship. And TRX does not offer enough and seems to low level for my needs.

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Joel, read my new posting on this subject. Although I can not, [OK, will not] give you the name of my source, he is a programmer for the company, and I do trust his info. I'm going to be renewing based on his word to me. And thank goodness for that, having to learn a new program this year would be a real nightmare to me. Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.

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My overall experience this tax season was fine, so at this point I'm still pleased with the software itself and am remaining in the "will probably renew" camp. However, I'm not trusting enough to commit this early and so I'm also still in the "won't renew early" camp. I'll renew in Dec at the earliest unless they do something to lose my confidence in the interim.

Meanwhile I'm going full steam ahead to evaluate Drake (any maybe Tax Slayer Pro) during the extension period by using it to prepare most of my extension returns (except those with carryforwards, depreciation, and other issues that affect multiple years) and I may even opt to run dual programs next tax season. Learning the basics of another program isn't very difficult - finding the shortcuts and navigation techniques that increase efficiency is the biggest problem. That's why I prefer doing that sort of thing during the extension period as a means of keeping the powder dry.

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the atx or not question is about the size of the business.

a smaller sole prop business, 125 returns (me) or less, is looking for an alternative. trx is a possibility, although my opinion is that atx is still has value even for a smaller tax practice.

for you folks with a somewhat larger business (or are able to bill $125+/hour), an atx product should be a no-brainer.

if you have a much larger practice, quit being cheap and go with a more expensive program - or get atx and the more expensive program - you can afford it. and quit complaining - your problem of too many returns and not being satisfied with atx is a bore.

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I'm still pretty sure that I will be going with ATX for next tax season, but after reading some of these posts I'm not so sure that the program as we knew it will still be around. I didn't have the problems this year as I did last year with updating and printing. But I think that was a function of changing computers. ATX has a niche as a good value for the price for accountants ,like me, that have a small practice and don't want or can't spend large sums of money on tax software. In fact, I only use the forms service and it has worked well for me. However with the "price creep" that I have noticed in the "CCH era" I will be taking a serious look at the other inexpensive tax software programs. Also for those of you who are comfortable with the price and value of ATX and don't at least want to look around, let me tell you how ATX got me originally "hooked". In 2000 I was not using a Tax Program but ATX sent me a free Zillion Forms copy for my 1999 extensions and late filers. I liked the program and got used to preparing my returns using my computer. The following two tax seasons I recieved free copies of the Zillion Forms Software but in 2003 they did not send me nor at any time say they weren't sending me a free copy of the program. Since I found this out at the start of the 2003 tax season I had no choice but to purchase the software at the "outrageous" price of $300. I just hope CCH doesn't try to "yank the rug out" from under us.

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the atx or not question is about the size of the business.

a smaller sole prop business, 125 returns (me) or less, is looking for an alternative. trx is a possibility, although my opinion is that atx is still has value even for a smaller tax practice.

for you folks with a somewhat larger business (or are able to bill $125+/hour), an atx product should be a no-brainer.

if you have a much larger practice, quit being cheap and go with a more expensive program - or get atx and the more expensive program - you can afford it. and quit complaining - your problem of too many returns and not being satisfied with atx is a bore.

SCL -- my practice is not large (about 150 returns) nor do I charge $125+/hr. I figure the cost per return (incl e-filing my quarterly & annual pr forms) is about $5 per client's form using ATX. I do not want a write up program but I do want everything in ONE place.

I think that was rather rude of you to insinuate that those with large practices are "cheap" and that they can afford it. I'm lucky in my relatively small practice, I have very little overhead. I am not dissatisfied with ATX software; I'm dissatisfied with their lack of Customer Service.

Oh and BTW SCL -- I am renewing and I will renew to get the discount. But Kleinrock & CCH can keep their "research materials". I'll go back to TheTaxBook and utilitze NATP more.

Chris B

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Personally I'm not bored with this discussion, but I get bored with a topic I have a guaranteed satisfactory way to deal with my boredom.

Rather than trash the people posting to the topic, I just quit looking at it.

Works every time.

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Well, I like Kleinrock, and I also like that having it integrated with the tax program means time saved when I need the research 'right now'. That to me is worth the extra cost. To each his own priorities, of course.

The only thing I liked about Kleinrock was the Federal Tax Bulletin -- I will miss that. I can't even recall using their research materials in the past few years. But a few years ago, it was confusing to me.

I changed to the 1040 Express Answers this year and I just prefer TheTaxBook Deluxe Edition {not to mention that I didn't even receive my Express Answers until well into the filing season -- and after several calls to find out where it was -- I realize the lateness was due to Congress and their problems} But I do know that TaxBook was out the early part of January. I think the whole package for Kleinrock is rather expensive considering it is mostly all online research now.

Maribeth, I will certainly check out the TaxTools -- I used that years ago.

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The only thing I liked about Kleinrock was the Federal Tax Bulletin -- I will miss that. I can't even recall using their research materials in the past few years. But a few years ago, it was confusing to me.

I changed to the 1040 Express Answers this year and I just prefer TheTaxBook Deluxe Edition {not to mention that I didn't even receive my Express Answers until well into the filing season -- and after several calls to find out where it was -- I realize the lateness was due to Congress and their problems} But I do know that TaxBook was out the early part of January. I think the whole package for Kleinrock is rather expensive considering it is mostly all online research now.

Maribeth, I will certainly check out the TaxTools -- I used that years ago.

I have used The Tax Book for several years now. This year they offered an online edition of the book. I looked at their demo but "old dog, new tricks" did not go with it. You might want to look at that option also.

Maribeth

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I did not have any problems with the program this year, and only called CS once to get onto the website since I had gotten locked out. I'm paying about $10 per return with Max with about 100 clients and I know that whatever states I might get clients from, I've got the forms. I rarely use the CCH Express Answers..I'm really used to Quickbooks, and have been getting The Tax Book for the last two years (have QF at work and TTB at home biz). I may research other programs...the only thing I dislike about ATX is that it is a memory and hard drive hog. So I guess I'll up and renew early for the discount...and if I've paid in June when I'm flush from tax season, it sure helps the budgeting!

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Dear JohnH,

If you prepare fiduciary returns, test Drake on that. Drake failed my test, last summer -- e.g., no fix *and* no callback -- despite uploading the problem file to them. No problem with my test individual return, but after that, I didn't want to take the time to test other entities before re-upping with ATX.

VTY, TaxCPANY

My overall experience this tax season was fine, so at this point I'm still pleased with the software itself and am remaining in the "will probably renew" camp. However, I'm not trusting enough to commit this early and so I'm also still in the "won't renew early" camp. I'll renew in Dec at the earliest unless they do something to lose my confidence in the interim.

Meanwhile I'm going full steam ahead to evaluate Drake (any maybe Tax Slayer Pro) during the extension period by using it to prepare most of my extension returns (except those with carryforwards, depreciation, and other issues that affect multiple years) and I may even opt to run dual programs next tax season. Learning the basics of another program isn't very difficult - finding the shortcuts and navigation techniques that increase efficiency is the biggest problem. That's why I prefer doing that sort of thing during the extension period as a means of keeping the powder dry.

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