WITAXLADY Posted May 17 Report Share Posted May 17 I am have been with ATX since the Saber.. However, the early renewal for Drake is very appealing! We tried it - it is workable. I know some of you have switched - Should I chance it? Atx is 3x the cost - what is the cost of Drake the 2nd year? What will be the downside? Please let me know if you would Thank you, D /WI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Michael Posted May 17 Report Share Posted May 17 Been with Drake for over 20 years and am very happy with it. There is a little bit of a learning curve as it is not always intuitive. Customer support, although not as good as used to be, is still very good. Usually answer in a couple of rings. A lot of new people answering now and don't always have the answer right away but are very good at calling back within a day. I really like the macros that you can write to automate the routine data entry that has to be entered on every return, saves a lot of time. I don't believe Drake low balls you for the first year. I have always paid the same with small increases over the years. It integrates well with Grunt Works and their portal, although not perfect, is good and works well with the tax program. The portal has gone up in price quite a bit over the past few years and I will be looking for a replacement for next year. I do mainly 1040's with a couple of simple 1120's and a 990. I have heard that Drake does not handle multi state business returns as well as the higher priced programs. PM me if you have any specific questions. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee B Posted May 17 Report Share Posted May 17 I switched to Drake in the 2017 tax season after using ATX for almost 20 years. No regrets. Patrick is correct, it's not as intuitive. Sometimes, it can get frustrating trying to find a specific worksheet. Their diagnostics are very thorough but can sometimes be frustrating to understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 17 Report Share Posted May 17 After using ATX for many years, I switched to Drake mid-season during the 2012 filing season debacle. Support is excellent (if not quite as good as it was before Phil Drake retired). Not quite as intuitive but the search box works really well. No bunny-hop endless circles as I ran into in ATX on too many occasions. If you switch, you get (or at least always used to get; ask about current terms) the current-season software free to roll over returns, or re-create them (to learn how the s/w works), plus prior-year programs free. I don't use Portals but use Verifyle instead. Gruntworx - that was once standalone but got bought by Drake and integrated with it years ago - is something I now consider essential but rarely use more than the non-verified (i.e., automated) bookmarked/indexed pdf creator. It makes methodical entries far easier, but the best use is looking for substantiating documents for the tax agency "send us proof of withholding" type letters. Boom, found in an instant, instead of endless searches through vaguely-named pdf's. It also has The Tax Book as an integrated add-in but I prefer the standalone version. Pricing has been remarkably stable. This year there is a price break for single-user offices (like mine) which I like. TL;DR version: jumping in the deep end worked and while it's not perfect I would not go back to ATX. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnH Posted May 19 Report Share Posted May 19 I agree with virtually everything stated so far in this thread. I too switched to Drake in 2012 and never looked back. It takes a little getting used to because it isn’t forms-based, but forms based software is way over-rated (especially since forms-based software still relies upon worksheets to a significant degree). Drake is great software and it still amazes me how stingy Drake is with memory. Startup is rapid, operationally it’s nimble, and backups are lighting fast. One hint if you switch to Drake. As soon as you get comfortable using it, spend some time learning how to construct “macros”. You can use them to design a lot of customization to automate numerous repetitive and routine tasks. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tax Prep by Deb Posted May 19 Report Share Posted May 19 I switched and have had no issues that couldn't be resolved with a quick phone call. I did the practice returns when I first tried it and by the time tax season started for the most part I was up and running at about the same speed as ATX. It just gets a little getting use to, but overall I am very pleased. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 19 Report Share Posted May 19 Yes, the macros are a fabulous tool. Highly recommended. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 20 Report Share Posted May 20 This year's addition of bulk 1040 extensions was a huge timesaver, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tax Prep by Deb Posted May 20 Report Share Posted May 20 19 hours ago, Catherine said: This year's addition of bulk 1040 extensions was a huge timesaver, too. I agree! At first I didn't know if I was going to use it, but when I tested it out on a couple, it was perfect. I have never had to file so many extentions in my 30+ years doing taxes as I did this year. I was very happy to see the bult extentions and that it worked flawlessly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted May 21 Report Share Posted May 21 I thought about switching back in 2012. I've only heard good things about Drake. But I just couldn't get thru the change. Stayed with ATX. I plan only a few more years so I guess I'll just stick with ATX and pay. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 21 Report Share Posted May 21 On 5/20/2024 at 3:20 PM, Tax Prep by Deb said: I was very happy to see the bult extentions and that it worked flawlessly. I put everyone on extension whose returns are not 100% ready and just waiting for signatures as of the beginning of April. Then, if we finish, no harm no foul. If the clients don't get me the information, no harm no foul - and no racing on the last day to get extensions filed. If later we find someone should send in money, I send them the Direct Pay (& state equivalent) link, or a paper coupon to print and then to mail in with a check. But that's also on the clients getting me enough information. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara EA Posted May 22 Report Share Posted May 22 How does the bulk extension fill out the 4868? I hope not all zeros! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Michael Posted May 22 Report Share Posted May 22 13 hours ago, Sara EA said: How does the bulk extension fill out the 4868? I hope not all zeros! All zeros if you use bulk extensions. Most of my clients don't make any payments with their extensions. I always inform them of the penalties and interest if they do end up owing. For the handful the do make payments, you have to file manually. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted May 22 Report Share Posted May 22 6 hours ago, Patrick Michael said: For the handful the do make payments, you have to file manually. Nah. Send 'em a link to Direct Pay and tell 'em to make sure they pick EXTENSION payment. Or (securely) send 'em a coupon to mail in with a check. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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