Exhibit 3:
Capabilities and Characteristics of Tax Software
|
|
Program
|
AM-Tax Pro
|
AlPluslTax for Windows
|
GoSystem for Windows
|
Lacerte Tax Software
|
Professional Tax System
|
ProSystem fx
|
Tax/Pack Professional
|
Tax Relief-Windows
|
Tax$imple
|
TaxWorks
|
TurboTax ProSeries
|
Ultra Tax
|
|
Vendor
|
AM Software
|
Arthur Andersen LLP
|
CLR
|
Lacerte Software
|
TaascFORCE
|
CCH
|
Alpine Data
|
Micro Vision
|
Tax$imple, Inc.
|
Laser Systems
|
Intuit
|
Creative Solutions
|
|
INSTALLATION AND SETUP
|
|
Multiple firms supported
|
No
|
Yes 999
|
Yes
|
Yes 4
|
Yes unlimited
|
Via WAN
|
Yes 99
|
Yes
|
Yes 5
|
No
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes extra charge
|
|
Preparers supported
|
Yes
|
46,656 per firm
|
Yes unlimited
|
90
|
Yes unlimited
|
99
|
99
|
999
|
5
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
|
User definable drive and directories?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes drive only
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes drive only
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Ability to select separate drive/directory for client files?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Modifications required to config.sys/autoexec.bat?
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Not usually
|
No
|
No
|
Yes, in some cases
|
Yes
|
|
TRAINING
|
|
Manual include tutorial? Number of pages?
|
No 120 pages
|
No 360 pages
|
Yes extensive
|
Yes 192 pages
|
Yes, 800 pages
|
Yes 36 pages
|
Yes 191 pages
|
Yes 27 pages
|
Yes 50 pages
|
Yes 31 pages
|
Yes 25 pages
|
Yes 1,000 pages
|
|
Other training aids? Describe
|
|
Multimedianbsp;
|
Workbooks, case studies, integrated online help
|
Free 1990 1995 software, tutorials, seminars
|
Screen display guide
|
On site, seminars, CD tutorials
|
No
|
Video, manuals, CD-ROM tutorial, reference cards
|
Free prior-year software
|
Classes
|
Seminars, CPE self-study courses
|
Seminars, teletraining, self-study
|
|
Offer CPE credit for training?
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
ANALYSIS
|
|
Married filing jointly separate comparison?
|
Yes
|
Yes (Windows)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes, in integrated Tax Planner
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Comparison automatically generated?
|
Yes
|
Yes (Windows)
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Calculate W4s?
|
No
|
Planned
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Simultaneous multistate processing? How many?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes 4
|
Yes 5
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 40
|
Yes unlimited
|
Yes unlimited
|
|
What-if analysis?
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Planner
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Show processing status?
|
Yes
|
Status line display
|
Yes
|
Yes user defined
|
Yes
|
Via manage option
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Client status
|
Yes
|
Completion dates
|
|
Use review notes?
|
Yes
|
Yes (Windows)
|
Preparer and reviewer notes
|
Yes user defined
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Notepads
|
Audit statements
|
Yes
|
Notepads
|
|
Tax planning supported?
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
BNA
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Tax planning integrated with tax preparation?
|
No
|
BNA
|
No
|
BNA
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Multiple year analysis? Number of years?
|
Yes 5
|
Yes up to 12
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 5
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 3
|
Yes 5
|
Yes 3
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 2
|
Yes 2
|
|
PROCESSING
|
|
Batch processing?
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Interactive?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Preferred
|
Interactive
|
User choice
|
User choice
|
Interactive
|
Interactive
|
User choice
|
User choice
|
Interactive
|
Interactive
|
User choice
|
Interactive
|
Interactive
|
|
Input from accounting software (name)
|
No
|
Quicken/Financial Navigator
|
Various call
|
Various
|
TaascFORCEs EasyACCT Professional Series
|
All with add-on
|
None
|
Yes all packages
|
Any ASCII
|
Yes, P.D.S. Client Accounting Softwaretax
|
Quicken and any other exchange format (.txt) file, QuickBooks and most trial balance software
|
Creative Solutions Write Up Solution (WS2), SCS/Data Write
|
|
Asset depreciation records maintained?
|
Yes
|
Yes Extra charge
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Other comments
|
|
|
|
|
Input sheets available
|
|
|
|
Mouse supported in DOS program
|
|
|
|
|
ONLINE HELP AND AUDIT DETECTION
|
|
Help by form or line?
|
Form
|
Line sensitive
|
Yes
|
By line and hypertext
|
Windows 95: form and line
|
Both
|
Both
|
Line sensitive
|
Line sensitive
|
Line sensitive
|
Both
|
Screen
|
|
Online reference to
|
Yes
|
CD-ROM research
|
Various
|
|
|
CCH products
|
Some IRS instructions
|
IRS instructions
|
Hotkey to tax reference
|
Federal regulations
|
IRS instructions, source data
|
Hotkey to tax reference
|
|
Audit detection
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes with diagnostics
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
CALCULATIONS
|
|
Calculation method used
|
Automatic
|
On completion or autocalculate
|
User definable
|
DOS: on completion; Windows 95: time calculate
|
Automatic or on demand
|
On completion
|
Automatic on schedule
|
User definable
|
Automatic
|
On completion
|
Automatic
|
Automatic
|
|
PRINTING
|
|
Batch processing (multiple returns)?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes up to 100
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Federal and state together?
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Batch processing of extensions?
|
No
|
Add-on program
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Under development
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Printing buffer? Size?
|
No
|
Yes no limit
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes varies
|
No
|
Yes
|
With add-on
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Client letter?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Client letter for federal/state combined?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Client letter customizable?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Client billing by form?
|
Yes
|
Add-on program
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Client billing by time?
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Windows only
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Add-on program
|
|
Print blank forms?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Mailing labels?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Other printing features
|
|
|
|
Appointments, status reports, practice management reports
|
Includes soft fonts, onscreen view
|
|
Rolodex cards
|
Tax ledger
|
Select one or more form for a client and print simultaneously
|
Envelopes, reports, organizers, slip sheets
|
Supports OCR, prints federal or state attachments with state returns
|
Custom collate
|