| |
ATX Max |
Drake
Software |
GoSystem
Tax RS |
Lacerte Tax |
ProSeries
Professional |
ProSystem fx
Tax |
TaxACT
Preparer’s Edition |
TaxWise
Power Package |
TaxWorks |
UltraTax CS |
| Product
prices |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1040 |
$1,085 |
$995–$1,395 |
Beginning at $2,500 |
$2,250 |
$999 |
$3,125 |
$99 |
$2,295 |
$1,095 |
$2,000 |
| 1040 renewal |
Early renewal: 10% off |
Same |
Same |
$1,913 |
Early renewal: Unlimited
e-filing |
Call for details |
$79 |
$1,836 |
$1,095 |
$1,750 |
| State package |
Included |
Included |
Included |
$340 |
$999 |
$335–$795 |
$12.95/each; $51.80/all |
Included |
$200 |
$225–$525 |
| State renewal |
Early renewal: 10% off |
Included |
Included |
$289 |
Early renewal: Unlimited
e-filing |
Call for details |
$12.95/each; $51.80/all |
Included |
$200 |
$225–$525 |
| Additional fee for laser
package |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
N/A |
No |
No |
No |
| Per-return pricing |
$165 per 10 returns |
$10 per return |
No |
$30 per federal and one
state |
$15 per federal |
$28 per federal 1040; $33
per all others |
N/A |
$15 per individual federal,
state and e-filing; $30 per business
federal, state and e-filing |
$17 per state |
$17 per state; $10 per
federal |
| Additional cost for
electronic filing software |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
$100: federal 1040 Package;
$100: 1120/1120S/1065 Package; $100:
1041/5500/990 Package; $50/per state. All
states: $500/per package |
N/A |
No |
No |
No |
| Additional cost per
electronic filed return |
No |
No |
$5 per federal; $3 per state |
$2 per federal and state;
$950: Unlimited |
$3 per federal; $2 per state;
$150: Unlimited for individual or
business |
$3/return; $1,000/unlimited |
1–25: $7.95 federal,
$3.50 state; 26-50: $4.95 federal,
$2.50state; 51–100: $1.95 federal,
$1.95 state; 101+: Free federal and
state; Unlimited federal EF: $350;
Unlimited state EF: $150 |
No |
$1.50–$3 per return |
$2 per federal; $1 per state |
| Conversion package
available |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Cost of conversion
package |
Free |
Free |
Call for details |
Free |
Free |
Free |
N/A |
Free |
Free |
Free |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
ATX Max |
Drake
Software |
GoSystem
Tax RS |
Lacerte Tax |
ProSeries
Professional |
ProSystem fx
Tax |
TaxACT
Preparer’s Edition |
TaxWise
Power Package |
TaxWorks |
UltraTax CS |
| Filing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Do you provide
direct filing (DF), service bureau (SB)
or both? |
Both |
SB |
DF |
Both |
SB |
Both |
SB |
Both |
SB |
SB |
| Can you
electronically file state returns? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Do you allow for
electronic signature? |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Market |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Number of
individual users of 2005 package |
50,000 |
N/A |
75,000 |
N/A |
70,000 |
N/A |
N/A |
75,000 |
N/A |
80,000 |
| Number of firms
using product |
N/A
|
20,204
|
N/A
|
42,000
|
N/A
|
20,000
|
N/A
|
12,000
|
6,000
|
20,000
|
| Percentage of
renewals from 2004 package |
90% |
95% |
95.9% |
95% |
N/A |
95% |
N/A |
95% |
90% |
95% |
| Number of years in
business |
14 |
29 |
41 |
26 |
20 |
40 |
9 |
20 |
34 |
25 |
| Support |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Toll-free number
for support |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Hours (Eastern
time) support available during tax season |
M–F 8-10;
Sat 9–5 |
M–F 8–10; Sat
8–6 |
M–F 9–8; Sat
10–6; Sun 11–5 |
Jan 9–Apr 18: M–F
9–9; Sat 10–5; Sun 12–5;
week before Mar 15 and April 15: Sat
10–8; Sun 12–8 |
M–F 8–11; Sat
11–6; Sun 12–5 Key dates during
the last week of tax season: 24 hours |
M-F 8:30–9;Sat.
9–8; Sun 10–6 (24 hours support
April 11–April 15) |
M–F 9–10; Sat
9–6; Sun 1–6 |
M–F 7:30–midnight;
Sat 8:30–6;Sun 1–4 |
M–F 9–10; Sat
9–6 |
M–F 9–10; Sat
9–6; selected Sundays |
| Hours support
available during off-season |
M–F 8–10;
Sat 9–5 |
M–F 8–9; Sat
9–5 |
M–F 9–8 |
M–F 9–8 |
M–F 9–8 |
M–F 9–8 |
M-F 9–6 |
M–F 8:30–6 |
M–F 10–7 |
M–F 9–8 |
| Number of support
staff during tax-season |
125 |
200 |
138 |
170 |
450 |
450 |
75 |
350 |
30 |
150 |
| Online support |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
ATX Max |
Drake
Software |
GoSystem
Tax RS |
Lacerte Tax |
ProSeries
Professional |
ProSystem fx
Tax |
TaxACT
Preparer’s Edition |
TaxWise
Power Package |
TaxWorks |
UltraTax CS |
| Technology |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| What operating
system(s) does product run on? |
Windows 98 and above |
Windows 98and up and NT (4.0
or higher) |
Windows XP |
XP Professional or Home,
Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98
(pending for 2006 tax product) and
Windows ME |
Windows XP Professional or
Home and Windows 2000 |
Windows Millennium and up |
Windows 95 and up |
Windows XP, 2000
Professional (with Service Pack 2) and
Windows NT Workstation (with Service Pack
6a) |
Windows 2000 and XP |
Windows 2000 and XP |
| Recommended
operating system |
Windows XP and above |
Windows 98and up and NT (4.0
or higher) |
Windows XP Professional |
Windows XP |
Windows XP Professional or
Home |
Windows XP |
Windows 95 and up |
Windows XP Professional |
Windows XP |
Windows 2000 and XP |
| Program size |
350 Mb |
87 Mb without states
installed; 233 Mb with all states
installed |
9.52 Mb |
1040 and one state: 40 Mb–50
Mb |
512 Mb |
100 Mb (includes laser
forms) |
27 Mb |
1 Gb |
800 Mb |
20 Mb |
| Minimum RAM
recommended |
128 Mb |
64 Mb for Windows 95, 98,
2000, or NT; 128 Mb for WindowsME or XP |
256 Mb minimum; 512 Mb
recommended |
256 Mb |
256 Mb |
256 Mb |
16 Mb |
128 Mb |
128 Mb |
512 Mb |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
ATX Max |
Drake
Software |
GoSystem
Tax RS |
Lacerte Tax |
ProSeries
Professional |
ProSystem fx
Tax |
TaxACT
Preparer’s Edition |
TaxWise
Power Package |
TaxWorks |
UltraTax CS |
| Display and
data |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| IRS data displayed
on-screen |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Vendor data
displayed on-screen |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Batch processing |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Heads-down data
entry |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
| Program
management tools |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Does your
program produce: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reports |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Organizers |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Labels |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Client letters |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Scheduling program |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes (integrated with
Practice CS) |
| Other
packages available |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Online
tax-preparation option |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| State packages |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Multistate package |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Does your
product include the following: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1120 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 1120S |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 1065 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 1041 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
N/A |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 990 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
N/A |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 706 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Included in price
of 1040 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
N/A |
Yes |
No |
No |
| 709 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Product Details