Many factors are influencing this year's offerings of tax-prep software, including lower prices and development of product lines that offer more to smaller practitioners. Internet-based tax prep, accompanied by document management and the ability for staffers to work remotely, also continues to be a topic of much interest, if not a flood of participants. And, as always, preparers continue to look for the product that has the forms that they need. ATX
ATX has simplified its line, which now includes 1040, with three states for $375; 1040 Office, with all states and 1040 Kleinrock Research for $575; Max, with 10,000 forms for individual and business returns for $985; Max Office, which includes everything in Max plus Kleinrock Reference libraries for $1,200; and Total Tax Office, which has everything in Max Office, plus Kleinrock's TaxExpert Suite. The 2005 enhancements focus on the inclusion of free e-mailing in all packages. Users will also have the ability to e-file 940/941 and 1041 returns, and e-file extensions for federal and state individual and business returns.
An expanded error messaging system features 8,600 messages that trap errors before returns are transmitted. Users will also be able to hide completed e-files, delete rejected ones, receive better reject codes, descriptions, and reasons; and a receive acknowledgement button has been added to the toolbar.
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ATX will now offer users the choice of whether to use an asset entry worksheet or a direct-entry method for Form 4562. The asset entry worksheet will be able to handle bulk sales, and automatically transfer data to selected state depreciation forms.
Integration among ATX's tax software now includes ATX tax software as part of the ATX Total Integrated Office. ATX has also focused on integration with Kleinrock Research, and will add context-sensitive research links to the Kleinrock product.
CCH
There is greater keystroke functionality this year to simplify data entry, as well as import/export from worksheet summary grids to and from Excel spreadsheets, government view to worksheet view context-sensitive links, and scrolling added between state K-1s. The worksheet view combines work paper and estimated paid federal and state taxes on the same page.
CCH has also included downloadable permission keys that allow users access to their ProSystem fx Tax permission key automatically from a secure location on the tax.cchgroup.com Web site. Also added have been e-filing capabilities: PDF files can now be attached to returns filed using IRS Modernized e-file. CCH continues to expand the integration of ProSystem fx Tax with the ProSystem line and with third-party products. The former can now export financial statement data from the return to CCH's ProfitDriver to provide what-if analyses. Users can also import financial statement data from ProSystem fx Write-up into individual tax returns, eliminating double entry of data on Schedule C, E, and F, while the company's Dynalink and Quiklink tools let users import farm and rental property tax lines into a tax return from ProSystem fx Engagement.
