Ranking the Products.Electronic filing services are gaining. Tax preparation software products continue to get high marks from the professionals who use them, with 83% reporting that they are sufficiently satisfied with the products they use that they do not plan to switch this year. That's the conclusion of a survey conducted by the National Association of Tax Practitioners (NATP NATP National Association of Tax Professionals NATP National Agricultural Technology Project (India) NATP National Association of Tax Practitioners NATP National Apprenticeship Training Program NATP National Athletic Testing Program ) and shared with the Journal of Accountancy. Some 541 NATP members responded to the survey, reporting what they liked and disliked dis·like tr.v. dis·liked, dis·lik·ing, dis·likes To regard with distaste or aversion. n. An attitude or a feeling of distaste or aversion. about the products they had used to prepare 260,000 tax returns earlier this year. Although NATP members assessed a total of 23 software packages, only 13 were included in the final report (see exhibit 1). Products that received less than six assessments were excluded because they would not be statistically valid.
Exhibit 1: Tax Software Vendors
Vendor Tax program Address
ATX Forms Saber, Max and PO Box 1040,
Taxsolver Caribou, ME 04736
CCH ProSystem fx 21250 Hawthorne Blvd.,
Torrance, CA 90503
Creative UltraTax 7322 Newman Blvd.,
Solutions Dexter, MI 48130
Drake Drake Tax Solution 235 E. Palmer St.,
Software Franklin, NC 28734
Dunphy 1040 Professional 6740 Huntley Rd., Suite 103,
Systems Tax Preparation Columbus, OH 43229
Intuit ProSeries 2535 Garcia Ave.,
Mountain View, CA 94043
Lacerte/Intuit Lacerte 1040 Tax 13155 Noel Rd., 22nd Floor,
Software Dallas, TX 75244
Micro Vision Tax Relief 1040 140 Fell Court,
Software Hauppauge, NY 11788
Orrtax IntelliTax 13208 NE 20th St.,
Software Bellevue, WA 98005
TaxACT 2nd Story Software 5925 Dry Creek Lane, NE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Taxworks By TaxWorks By 350 North 400 West,
Laser Systems Laser Systems Kaysville, UT 84037
Universal Tax TaxWise 6 Mathis Dr. NW, PO Box 2729,
Systems Rome, GA 30164
Xpress Xpress Individual P.O. Box 280760,
Software Package Columbia, SC 29228
Vendor Telephone E-mail address
ATX Forms 800-944-8883 sales@atxforms.com
CCH 800-457-7639 cust_serv@cch.com
Creative 800-968-8900 sales@CreativeSolutions.com
Solutions
Drake 800-890-9500 drakeinfo@drake-software.com
Software
Dunphy 614-431-0846 dunphy@dunphy.com
Systems
Intuit 800-934-1040 www.proseries.com
Lacerte/Intuit 800-765-7777 www.lscsoft.com
Micro Vision 800-829-7354 www.microvisioninc.com
Software
Orrtax 800-377-3337 webmaster@orrtax.com
Software
TaxACT 800-573-4287 www.taxact.com
Taxworks By 800-230-2322 www.taxworks.com
Laser Systems
Universal Tax 800-755-9473 sales@universalsystems.com
Systems
Xpress 800-285-1065 www.expresssoftware.com
Software
Users ranked their tax software products from 1 (very dissatisfied dis·sat·is·fied adj. Feeling or exhibiting a lack of contentment or satisfaction. dis·sat  is·fied )
to 5 (very satisfied). Based on these rankings, users responded with
satisfaction ratings averaging 3.84 for their software package and 3.72
for the software's customer support (see exhibit 2). These rankings
were slightly lower than last year's figures, when product
satisfaction averaged 3.97 and customer support averaged 3.84. Network
users, however, reported slightly better satisfaction ratings for their
products--an average of 3.98 this year compared with 3.90 last year.
Exhibit 2: How Users Rate Their Tax Software
Satisfaction
1=very
dissatisfied
and 5=very
satisfied
Number Average
of number
surveys of 1040
re- returns Prog- Net-
Vendors Tax program ceived filed ram work
ATX Forms Saber, Max and 59 195 3.29 3.33
Taxsolver
CCH ProSystem fx 14 418 4.21 4.57
Creative UltraTax 22 581 4.57 4.38
Solutions
Drake Software Drake Tax 71 872 4.15 3.90
Solution
Dunphy Systems 1040 Professional 7 525 3.43 3.00
Tax Preparation
Intuit ProSeries 104 337 3.98 3.68
Lacerte/Intuit Lacerte 1040 Tax 67 499 4.28 4.18
Software
Micro Vision Tax Relief 1040 31 571 3.47 3.75
Software
Orrtax Software IntelliTax 20 289 2.95 3.67
TaxACT 2nd Story 14 91 3.50 n/a
Software
Taxworks By TaxWorks By Laser 20 430 3.95 4.33
Laser Systems Systems
Universal Tax TaxWise 52 646 3.59 3.63
Systems
Xpress Software Xpress Individual 6 1,847 3.33 3.6
Package
Satisfaction
1=very dissatisfied Plan to use product
dissatisfied and next year
5=very satisfied
Average
rating of
program
Vendors Support last year Yes No Undecided
ATX Forms 3.59 3.60 78% 10% 12%
CCH 4.14 4.19 92% 8% 0%
Creative 4.33 4.16 100% 0% 0%
Solutions
Drake Software 4.50 3.97 96% 1% 3%
Dunphy Systems 3.71 4.33 100% 0% 0%
Intuit 3.79 4.18 75% 8% 18%
Lacerte/Intuit 4.29 4.27 96% 1% 3%
Micro Vision 2.73 3.92 68% 13% 19%
Software
Orrtax Software 3.42 3.89 68% 21% 11%
TaxACT 3.71 n/a 79% 7% 14%
Taxworks By 4.10 2.68 85% 10% 5%
Laser Systems
Universal Tax 3.26 3.53 75% 12% 13%
Systems
Xpress Software 4.17 3.6 83% 17% 0%
The number who said they would continue to use the same package this year was about unchanged from last year. The numbers do not include those users who had to switch because their products were discontinued dis·con·tin·ue v. dis·con·tin·ued, dis·con·tin·u·ing, dis·con·tin·ues v.tr. 1. To stop doing or providing (something); end or abandon: ; the products were TAASC TAASC Training Aids Support Center and AM-Tax. ELECTRONIC FILING More preparers offered clients the use of electronic filing (ELF) this year: 78%, up from only 59% last year (see exhibit 3). This year, 89% said they planned to offer ELF service to their clients. Those firms that used ELF filed a larger percentage of returns electronically this year than last year: 59% vs. 47%.
Exhibit 3: How Respondents Handheld Electronic Filing
Percentage of
respondents Eligible
offering returns
electronic electro-
Vendors Tax program filing nically
ATX Forms Saber, Max and 65% 55%
Taxsolver
CCH ProSystem fx 73% 58%
Creative Solutions Ultra Tax 68% 48%
Drake Software Drake Tax Solution 93% 78%
Dunphy Systems 1040 Professional 43% 60%
Tax Preparation
Intuit ProSeries 81% 52%
Lacerte/Intuit Lacerte 1040 Tax 85% 51%
Software
Micro Vision Tax Relief 1040 71% 47%
Software
Orrtax Software IntelliTax 90% 62%
TaxACT 2nd Story Software 62% 61%
Taxworks By Laser TaxWorks By Laser 75% 59%
Systems Systems
Universal Tax TaxWise 92% 69%
Systems
Xpress Software Xpress Individual 100% 94%
Package
Percentage of Percentage of Percentage
respondents respondents of those who
charging who will offer plan to
separate electronic charge a
fee for the filing for separate fee
Vendors service 2001 next year
ATX Forms 57% 77% 63%
CCH 56% 85% 64%
Creative Solutions 33% 90% 56%
Drake Software 17% 100% 23%
Dunphy Systems 50% 71% 80%
Intuit 53% 89% 51%
Lacerte/Intuit 39% 89% 49%
Micro Vision 59% 80% 67%
Software
Orrtax Software 33% 90% 28%
TaxACT 75% 77% 60%
Taxworks By Laser 53% 94% 53%
Systems
Universal Tax 30% 100% 43%
Systems
Xpress Software 33% 100% 33%
However, fewer preparers charged a separate fee for that service: 42% vs. 55%. Some 48% plan to charge a separate ELF fee this year, down from 56% last year. When preparers who don't don't 1. Contraction of do not. 2. Nonstandard Contraction of does not. n. A statement of what should not be done: a list of the dos and don'ts. offer electronic filing were asked why they didn't did·n't Contraction of did not. didn't did not didn't do , the usual replies were either "my clients don't ask for it" or "it's it's 1. Contraction of it is. 2. Contraction of it has. See Usage Note at its. it's it is or it has it's be ~have not worth the extra cost." STANLEY Stanley, town (1991 pop. 1,557), capital of the Falkland Islands, S Atlantic Ocean, on East Falkland island. It is the main port and trading center of the islands. The name is sometimes written as Port Stanley. ZAROWIN is a senior editor on the JofA. Mr. Zarowin is an employee of the American American, river, 30 mi (48 km) long, rising in N central Calif. in the Sierra Nevada and flowing SW into the Sacramento River at Sacramento. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (see Sutter, John Augustus) along the river in 1848 led to the California gold rush of Institute of CPAs and his views, as expressed in this article, do not necessarily reflect the views of the AICPA AICPA See American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). . Official positions are determined through certain specific committee procedures, due process and deliberation deliberation n. the act of considering, discussing, and, hopefully, reaching a conclusion, such as a jury's discussions, voting and decision-making. DELIBERATION, contracts, crimes. . |
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