Discussion:Tax Research Materials Packaged with Software
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Discussion Forum Index --> Tax Questions --> Tax Research Materials Packaged with Software
| 3 January 2008 | |
| I am considering the ATX and Drake software packages for this year.
I am not asking for recommendations regarding one package or the other. (There are plenty of discussions about that!) I am wondering at the relative value of the research materials and research service provided by each. The trial/demo versions of the software don't offer access to the research materials. ATX offers this with their $1595 "Total Tax Office" package: Kleinrock's Complete Tax Library US Master Tax Guide (Kleinrock Edition) CCH® 1040 Express Answers Kleinrock's All-State Quick Answers Kleinrock's Business Quick Answers Kleinrock's Federal Tax Expert Kleinrock's All States Tax Expert Kleinrock's Federal Tax Bulletin Drake offers this as part of their $1395 solution: All Drake customers receive complimentary access to RIA's Checkpoint Online. It is a complete tax research site that includes the Federal US Handbook, public domain materials, daily news updates, RIA Tax Return Guides, a form line finder, and eighty calculators. | |
Death&Taxes (talk|edits) said: | 3 January 2008 |
| If ATX is paper and CD-Roms, the Drake is a better package because RIA is updated daily. You can grab a Quickfinder Allstates binder fairly reasonably, and if you only do one or two states, it might not matter. | |
| January 3, 2008 | |
| I like Kleinrock, very easy to use and doesn't require a Master's to operate. However, it's pretty minimal as far as research goes, with no cites for authority. Even Master Tax Guide has that! So I'd certainly prefer the RIA model, but that does require a Master's in at least two subjects in order to use effectively, unless you're in there every day. Pick your poison. I do know that Drake customers are the happiest group alive, so based on that.... | |
| 3 January 2008 | |
| Newtaxguy,
I have both ATX and Checkpoint for tax research, Checkpoint for A & A research also. Both have their good points. Here at our office we like the Kleinrock better for research easier to find our way around even for the interns. We just got checkpoint within the last 18 months so we are still newbies with it yet. But the search does't seem as helpfull. Check point is better kept up to date as far as that goes. Almost dailly. Both of these are online for us. | |
| 4 January 2008 | |
| Before you take the plunge into ATX, spend some time at the following forum:
http://www.atxcommunity.com/index.php? ATX's parent company is taking some strange steps with its support of that program, and it's taking them at the worst time--on the very threshold of tax season. I think those folks (ATX users) are in for a rough ride. You just don't read about those types of complaints with Drake. I'm just saying... (PS: I don't use either ATX or Drake.) | |
| 4 January 2008 | |
| It is my understanding that ATX has just laid off a number of staff....not good for this time of year. | |
Tonymontana (talk|edits) said: | 4 January 2008 |
| You should get started on the right foot and avoid ATX.
If your shopping based on price than it's time to raise your fees. If your just starting out than you probably don't need everything ATX has to offer and you should work on a pay per return basis with a better software. BTW I switched to Proseries from ATX and I have less gray hairs because of it. Just my 2 cents. Peace. | |
| 4 January 2008 | |
| Thanks for the valuable input. I will start a new thread for folks to air more about their start-of-tax-season thoughts on software. | |
