Clarifications and corrections.Following are clarifications and corrections for the article "Tax Software Buyers' Guide" (JofA, Sept.97, page 49): * In the review of Arthur Andersen's A-Plus-Tax, we inadvertently failed to mention that the product is available in Windows 95/NT and DOS, not Windows 3.x Windows 3.x can refer to either an individual or all of the following versions of Microsoft Windows:
* In the review of Computer Language Research's GoSystem for Windows, we reported the program misstated a foreign tax credit by a small margin. The company's technical support people said that when they ran the exercise, they came up with essentially the correct tax figure. * In the review of Lacerte software, we said the program allowed us to report rental income Noun 1. rental income - income received from rental properties income - the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time from a second home that had been rented for fewer than 14 days. Lacerte, while conceding con·cede v. con·ced·ed, con·ced·ing, con·cedes v.tr. 1. To acknowledge, often reluctantly, as being true, just, or proper; admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge. 2. that statement, maintained that the "error" would have been picked up had we run its built-in diagnostic program -- a point we readily concede con·cede v. con·ced·ed, con·ced·ing, con·cedes v.tr. 1. To acknowledge, often reluctantly, as being true, just, or proper; admit. See Synonyms at acknowledge. 2. . Lacerte also disagreed with our criticism that the program allowed three exemptions for the taxpayer and the spouse spouse A legal marriage partner as defined by state law . We acknowledge we entered contradictory information: We checked two boxes -- one saying the husband and wife were filing a joint return and another that the husband was electing to take an exemption for his wife, who was filing a married-filing-separately return. Consequently, the program allowed two exemptions for the husband and one for the wife. While we concede our input error, we believe the software should never have allowed more than two exemptions -- regardless of user input. Lacerte grants that, if its diagnostic tool had been run, it would not have picked up the input error; but the company explains that it considers the input error so rare as to "not warrant an automatic diagnostic report" in such a case. * In the review of MicroVision's Tax Relief, we failed to mention that, in addition to its Windows 3.1 version, a DOS package is available. Also, we cited the program for mishandling suspended sus·pend v. sus·pend·ed, sus·pend·ing, sus·pends v.tr. 1. To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a punishment: suspend a student from school. passive losses from two passive activities, which were not allowed even though the disposition of a third passive activity generated sufficient passive income to absorb these losses. During our review, we called the company's technical support and explained the problem. We were told the program had a bug and, to correct the problem, we should enter the suspended passive losses as active losses on the K1. Subsequently, the company informed us the earlier correction itself was incorrect. After following new instructions, we found the program correctly handled the passive activity losses. And for clarification on our comments on how Tax Relief handles an excess IRA Ira, in the Bible Ira (ī`rə), in the Bible. 1 Chief officer of David. 2, 3 Two of David's guard. IRA, abbreviation IRA. contribution, see the UltraTax section below. * In the review of Laser Systems' TaxWorks, we cited the program for mishandling a health insurance expense. On further examination, we determined our criticism was not warranted. On another issue, in which we said the program erred in computing computing - computer the depreciation adjustment for the taxpayer's home office, Laser Systems claims the resulting alternative minimum tax was correctly figured; we have been unable to determine the cause of the problem and therefore acknowledge the software handles the tax correctly. * In the review of Creative Solutions' UltraTax, we criticized the program for failing to automatically compute To perform mathematical operations or general computer processing. For an explanation of "The 3 C's," or how the computer processes data, see computer. the excess individual retirement account contribution and the corresponding tax. While Creative Solutions agrees our statement is technically correct, it claims the criticism is misleading. When faced with an excess IRA contribution, the company explains, a taxpayer has the choice of paying the additional tax or withdrawing the excess IRA contribution and the corresponding deduction deduction, in logic, form of inference such that the conclusion must be true if the premises are true. For example, if we know that all men have two legs and that John is a man, it is then logical to deduce that John has two legs. . The company maintains that forcing the taxpayer to make a "conscious decision" is a better approach. We agree that it's a judgment call, and in light of the fact that at least one other tax program (Tax Relief) works that way, we defer de·fer 1 v. de·ferred, de·fer·ring, de·fers v.tr. 1. To put off; postpone. 2. To postpone the induction of (one eligible for the military draft). v.intr. to the issue and withdraw our criticism. In addition, we inadvertently failed to indicate that, in addition to having a Windows 95/NT version, Ultra-Tax also has a DOS version. |
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