ATX Customer Advisory Board

[HV Ken]

There exists talk in this community from time to time about whether CCH is committed to the ATX product. I have what I find to be exciting news in regards to this. I would like for you all to know that ATX has formed an "ATX Customer Advisory Board", and I have been asked to participate. I do not know if there are others participating from this community or not.

I have been a long time user of ATX. I know with my software engineering background (from my life in corporate America) and tax preparation experience that I can be a good contributor to this effort. I am excited to have a voice into the program and feel like many of the ideas I have had over the years will finally be heard! My tax preparation experience is in personal returns and predominantly NY state returns. I do not take this commitment lightly and plan to be an active participant. Perhaps there are other long term users like me that have ideas and have been frustrated like me that these ideas were falling on deaf ears. I value the collective wisdom and experience of this community. I would be glad to receive ideas, talk to people, etc. to try to get other people's ideas (especially in areas where I am not well-versed, like business returns, states other than NY, etc.) and bring them forward to the board. Please contact me if interested....

The point is (at least to me) that CCH appears to be demonstrating a commitment to ATX. I think this is great news, and I am personally reassured by this. Our kickoff meeting is in early June. There I will be able to learn the makeup and backgrounds of the other participants and CCH's goals for the group. Please understand that I have signed and am bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) when it comes to planned software enhancements and schedules.

[JohnH]

Ken:

That is very good news.

Thanks for posting and thanks for being willing to give your time in this effort.

[BulldogTom]

Good to know one of our own is going to get some input. Please let them know how frustrating the last two years to have the e-file servers go down at the end of season. The software is good, but the service on e-file has been a real issue. I had a reject that showed up as accepted and did not know about it for a week. I still have one in transmitted status that accepted in February.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[TaxCPANY]

1) Restoring "Asset History" to the Asset Entry worksheet would redress CCH/ATX's biggest gaffe, this past Tax Season -- you must have seen the chorus of complaints posted here and in many forums, once that news broke. Almost none of us "small practitioners" need a full-blown "fixed asset manager," but almost all of us have clients buying, selling, abandoning fixed assets, each year -- and requiring us to weigh whether bonus depreciation, Sec. 179, etc. is best -- that we're still sore that CCH pulled the plug, especially with no prior warning.

2) As a fellow New Yorker, I hope you would noodge CCH to get ATX -- not just ProSystems fx -- listed as an "approved provider" of entity e-files to New York City. CCH already has had its foot in NYC's door for two years, so adding ATX to the mix shouldn't be a big deal -- and I know a fair number of other NY-based practitioners who'd be keen to consider ATX if that enhancement were available.

Thanks much for stepping-up, Ken. I will try to offer more than wish-list items, in future.

VTY, TaxCPANY

There exists talk in this community from time to time about whether CCH is committed to the ATX product. I have what I find to be exciting news in regards to this. I would like for you all to know that ATX has formed an "ATX Customer Advisory Board", and I have been asked to participate. I do not know if there are others participating from this community or not.

I have been a long time user of ATX. I know with my software engineering background (from my life in corporate America) and tax preparation experience that I can be a good contributor to this effort. I am excited to have a voice into the program and feel like many of the ideas I have had over the years will finally be heard! My tax preparation experience is in personal returns and predominantly NY state returns. I do not take this commitment lightly and plan to be an active participant. Perhaps there are other long term users like me that have ideas and have been frustrated like me that these ideas were falling on deaf ears. I value the collective wisdom and experience of this community. I would be glad to receive ideas, talk to people, etc. to try to get other people's ideas (especially in areas where I am not well-versed, like business returns, states other than NY, etc.) and bring them forward to the board. Please contact me if interested....

The point is (at least to me) that CCH appears to be demonstrating a commitment to ATX. I think this is great news, and I am personally reassured by this. Our kickoff meeting is in early June. There I will be able to learn the makeup and backgrounds of the other participants and CCH's goals for the group. Please understand that I have signed and am bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) when it comes to planned software enhancements and schedules.

[SFBOB]

My concern for the future of ATX software is that many of the new prepares coming into the business have very limited tax knowledge.I recomended ATX to an associate several years ago that was using Lacerte; she purchased ATX on simple returns that were W/2, standard deduction and E Filed. Her town was small and several hundred clients worked for the same company. I called her the next year and asked how she liked ATX. She said it takes alot more tax knowledge. I said what do you mean; she said I MEAN IT TAKES A LOT MORE KNOWLEDGE!!!. She has continued to use ATX for E Filing due to the low cost and is using Lacerte pay per return for complex returns. This lady has been in the tax business for over 25 years.

I like ATX because I started on the forms and took H&R Block classes when I started in 1987 after retiring from my own office supply business.I like to see where the numbers are going on the forms.

I demoed ATX to several of my associates using Prosries and Lacerte and their main objection was that they could understand it, however their employees could not. THEY NEEDED TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON THE INPUT SCREENS.The fact that ATX is based upon a spread sheet requires moving to many many locations on the screen.

The future is in growth of the ATX Tax program sales for CCH and I do not see it happening.If you have not guessed by now I am 80 years old.I plan to stay with ATX as long as it continues to be available. [Lets ask our selves how long the ATX users on this site have been in the business] and how many are new preparers. Have a good one Bob

[MontanaEA]

I've never used it, but ATX does have an interview mode. Just click on the "Navigate" tab, then on "Interview" to change from direct input on forms mode to interview mode.

[kcjenkins]

It is true, however, that any program that is forms based needs a user who understands which form to select, and when, while the input sheet type program makes that decision based on answers to the questions. Of course, that is also why the TurboTax self prepared returns often have serious errors, since if the person answering the questions does not understand the reason for the question, they may easily answer incorrectly. It's the reason why the chains like the input sheet programs, and why so many of us old codgers like ATX.

[JohnH]

I wouldn't want my tax return prepared by someone who relied upon an input sheet for anything beyond using it as a reminder or checklist. If they need the input screen to tell them how to actually prepare the return, they need to stick to short forms and very simple returns.

[taxit]

Ken,

I'm glad to hear this. I like the ATX program. The problem I have with ATX is speed, printing and rolling over customized forms, mainly the letter. After I hit print it takes 30 seconds to bring up the print selection box. I've been testing Drake and the speed for calculating and printing is faster than ATX. Also, once you customize a letter you can roll that customized letter to the next year at least according to Drake. However, looking at both programs I plan to stay with ATX.

[HV Ken]

I am surprised there are so few people interested in this opportunity to have their voice for enhancements potentially heard....

[NECPA in NEBRASKA]

Ken, my biggest concern is the printing of returns. It is cumbersome, but at least better now that I am E-filing and not printing out as many pages. I really like the program and will continue to use it as long as they don't raise the price too much. I also really miss Kleinrock.

Bonnie

[mcb39]

I have no problem with the printing, especially as you say with e-file. I always go to Custom and print only the forms and worksheets that I want. If more is needed, it is always on the harddrive or backup disk. Actually, I have had no serious problems with the software and the improvements over the years have been fantastic. My problem is with the communication. I am waiting for two weeks now to find out why I have never gotten a credit for a referral that I made last year, which was fulfilled. Someone was going to get back to me and since I have also e-mailed them twice and gotten no response., I am disappointed, to say the least. Because of this, I have missed the discounted renewal date it they don't appear to care. I might add that I have used this software since 1996, and feel that I should have earned some respect as a customer. Consequently, I am now in no hurry to renew, nor am I sure that I am going to. $1,000 plus is no small matter when you are a self-employed, one person operation. I have to measure the increasing costs of everything as well as the software. I don't think the price of the software is excessive, I just want what I am entitled to as a faithful, long-time client.

[SFBOB]

Hi mcb39 If you have been around since 1996 then you know William Tasker, he remembered all of us. CCH is a very large corporation and they work just like the banks. New face every Saturday morning when I come in. I have had excellent service from Tech support by sending an E Mail and getting an answer every time within 24 hours. I also blow a little smoke their way and thank them in advance for the gretat service they provide. Good Luck Bob

[mcb39]

Hi mcb39 If you have been around since 1996 then you know William Tasker, he remembered all of us. CCH is a very large corporation and they work just like the banks. New face every Saturday morning when I come in. I have had excellent service from Tech support by sending an E Mail and getting an answer every time within 24 hours. I also blow a little smoke their way and thank them in advance for the gretat service they provide. Good Luck Bob

Yes, Bob, I remember William Tasker well. He is the first person that I ever got phone support from, many years ago. He went on to bigger and better things and for several years was the trusted ally of the ATX Community Board before CCH took them over. Is he still with them?

In all honesty, in all of those years, I have only had to call support a handful of times. Mostly because somebody on the "board" had answered the question before I had to ask it. This is in reference to both the old ATX board as well as this new one that Eric so kindly created for us.

I have e-mailed them twice about the referral matter and have never received a reply. I also talked to a sales rep in that regard and he was going to take care of it and get back to me. At this point, I no longer care. I have not received a renewal call from them to my knowledge. To be fair, though, I am away from home a lot and could have misseed it as sometimes messages get deleted before I get to listen to them. But, I have my cell phone with me at all times. Yes, I have been with them a long time. In fact I still have the 1999 through 2009 programs, inclusive, on my main work computer. Jump drives enable me to work when I am away from home as I am now.

Thank you for acknowledging my post. (I was part of the meal that many of us old faithfuls put on for the support crew when William was still there and it was still ATX.)

[SFBOB]

Yes, Bob, I remember William Tasker well. He is the first person that I ever got phone support from, many years ago. He went on to bigger and better things and for several years was the trusted ally of the ATX Community Board before CCH took them over. Is he still with them?

In all honesty, in all of those years, I have only had to call support a handful of times. Mostly because somebody on the "board" had answered the question before I had to ask it. This is in reference to both the old ATX board as well as this new one that Eric so kindly created for us.

I have e-mailed them twice about the referral matter and have never received a reply. I also talked to a sales rep in that regard and he was going to take care of it and get back to me. At this point, I no longer care. I have not received a renewal call from them to my knowledge. To be fair, though, I am away from home a lot and could have misseed it as sometimes messages get deleted before I get to listen to them. But, I have my cell phone with me at all times. Yes, I have been with them a long time. In fact I still have the 1999 through 2009 programs, inclusive, on my main work computer. Jump drives enable me to work when I am away from home as I am now.

Thank you for acknowledging my post. (I was part of the meal that many of us old faithfuls put on for the support crew when William was still there and it was still ATX.)

[SFBOB]

mcb39 To the best of my knowledge William Tasker is in the publishing business in Caribou Maine. Eric very likly is in contact with him. I did talk to him many months ago and he decided CCH and a move to Rome Georgia was not in his plans. I plan to stay with aATX until I close my business. I will hit 80 July 5th. Have a good one Regards Bob

[MontanaEA]

OK, so to take advantage of the opportunity for input, my two biggest gripes/suggestions are:

1. The organizer - thanks for bringing back the "Mini", but I end up having to use a hybrid. I use the main part of the mini, but need the detail in the long organizer for Sch's A, C, and E. Lumping all the medical expenses together, including unused SE health insurance, for example, just doesn't cut it. And, I don't want to see columns for multiple Sch C's on one page - too confusing for the client. So what would really work the best would be one mini-organizer, with expanded input for Sch's A, C, and E. Also, it confuses my clients to show the net from Sch C or E as "other income" from last year. Only items needing their input should be listed in the organizer, not net income from other schedules. I wish there were a way to list inputs (and last year's figures) for amounts I need on the Montana state itemized deduction schedule, like the light vehicle registration fees (LVREG), and contributions to political candidates.

2. Printing - it would save SO much time if we could save our forms to print selections as a default, and not have to reselect them every time we print. Also, the printing can be a little quirky sometimes. Just this morning, I had a return that would only print the first page of the 1040 until I left ALL the pages selected. I don't know why - it happens once in a while.

3. The questions could stand going over. There are a couple of weirdos in there that apply to no one I know. I always edit the questions in my organizer, but it would be nice if I didn't have to. And if I have to edit them, it would be nice if it were easier to do.

[MontanaEA]

OK, so to take advantage of the opportunity for input, my two biggest gripes/suggestions are:

1. The organizer - thanks for bringing back the "Mini", but I end up having to use a hybrid. I use the main part of the mini, but need the detail in the long organizer for Sch's A, C, and E. Lumping all the medical expenses together, including unused SE health insurance, for example, just doesn't cut it. And, I don't want to see columns for multiple Sch C's on one page - too confusing for the client. So what would really work the best would be one mini-organizer, with expanded input for Sch's A, C, and E. Also, it confuses my clients to show the net from Sch C or E as "other income" from last year. Only items needing their input should be listed in the organizer, not net income from other schedules. I wish there were a way to list inputs (and last year's figures) for amounts I need on the Montana state itemized deduction schedule, like the light vehicle registration fees (LVREG), and contributions to political candidates.

2. Printing - it would save SO much time if we could save our forms to print selections as a default, and not have to reselect them every time we print. Also, the printing can be a little quirky sometimes. Just this morning, I had a return that would only print the first page of the 1040 until I left ALL the pages selected. I don't know why - it happens once in a while.

3. The questions could stand going over. There are a couple of weirdos in there that apply to no one I know. I always edit the questions in my organizer, but it would be nice if I didn't have to. And if I have to edit them, it would be nice if it were easier to do.

OK, so that turned into three, not two suggestions. Also:

4. It would be helpful if we could search our client files for all the returns that contain a particular form or schedule.

5. The update forms report drives me nuts, and I end up ignoring it. We need to be able to leave the completed tax returns out of it.

6. There should be a way to print the Form 8879 WITH the DCN on it before we create the e-file, so that the copy the client signs has the DCN on it. I refuse to create the e-file until I have the Form 8879 signed in case there are any changes to the return, and so that I don't somehow accidently send the e-file before I get the authorization.

[TaxCPANY]

Hi, Montana,

The "Tax Warehouse" provides my 'version' of your #4 request, automatically for forms, or, with its 10 customizable fields, for worksheets.

And a big thanks to kcjenkins for pointing that out, sometime ago!

VTY, TaxCPANY

P.S. I'm right there with ya about the hybrid Organizer and retaining print preferences.

OK, so that turned into three, not two suggestions. Also:

4. It would be helpful if we could search our client files for all the returns that contain a particular form or schedule.

5. The update forms report drives me nuts, and I end up ignoring it. We need to be able to leave the completed tax returns out of it.

6. There should be a way to print the Form 8879 WITH the DCN on it before we create the e-file, so that the copy the client signs has the DCN on it. I refuse to create the e-file until I have the Form 8879 signed in case there are any changes to the return, and so that I don't somehow accidently send the e-file before I get the authorization.

[MAMalody]

<<<6. There should be a way to print the Form 8879 WITH the DCN on it before we create the e-file, so that the copy the client signs has the DCN on it. I refuse to create the e-file until I have the Form 8879 signed in case there are any changes to the return, and so that I don't somehow accidently send the e-file before I get the authorization.>>>

I kind of like this feature. I like the error check that goes with it and since all my clients are internet based, sometimes it picks up something that I need from the client that I can't e-file without. Since you can't e-file the return without selecting it for filing, this has not been a problem for me. In fact, if you open and close the return after creating the e-file the return is rejected on the e-file tab and cannot be e-filed. To be honest, though, I must admit that I accidentially filed a return a couple of years ago because I created the file prior to receiving the F8879 from the client.

[BulldogTom]

I am with Mike on the 8879. I like the error check on e-file. But then I have to remember to go to the e-file tab and delete. It would be really cool to have an option to "create e-file pending signature" and that would show in the e-file tab. So you would get another status in that tab telling you the return is done but you need to check a box for "signed 8879 recvd" or something like that.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Margaret CPA in OH]

My process is to have the 8879 signed with the correct figures. I first have created an efile without the signature to check that the only error message is the lack of date signed. When the 8879 is received with signature, I create and efile. When the efile is accepted, I utilize the Form 9325 which contains the DCN as well as any other info about the return including how the client can check on the refund status. This eliminates contacting me about any delays. The client has the date of acceptance and any other IRS info.

I find this to be less confusing than having another checkbox plus it provides info to the client.

[RoyDaleOne]

A couple of years ago I sent CCH a number of suggestions, all related to head down entering of the data. Not one has been implemented. I now offer my services and any suggestions I have for a fee to them. They pay other people and their knowledgeable programmers, so they need to pay anyone who makes a suggestion that they use. So far I have not received a request for information about the services I offer from CCH.

[JohnH]

I always thought ATX should offer a "shoebox entry" page for Schedule A, similar to one offered in Ultra Tax. It's a single page with about 4 entry lies for each major category on Schedule A. For clients with fairly straightforward itemized deduction situations, it's quick & easy to pop the entries in on the single page and move on to other parts of the return. I suggested it to ATX at one point, but I was told I could build my own. After having a couple of customized worksheets trashed by program updates, I stopped trying to do anything custom that involved calculations.

[Gail in Virginia]

I always thought ATX should offer a "shoebox entry" page for Schedule A, similar to one offered in Ultra Tax. It's a single page with about 4 entry lies for each major category on Schedule A. For clients with fairly straightforward itemized deduction situations, it's quick & easy to pop the entries in on the single page and move on to other parts of the return. I suggested it to ATX at one point, but I was told I could build my own. After having a couple of customized worksheets trashed by program updates, I stopped trying to do anything custom that involved calculations.

I like this idea!