|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
Product prices
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1040
|
ATXs 1040: $375
ATXs 1040 Office: $575
MAX: $985
|
$995$1,395
|
Starts at $2,500
|
$2,140
|
Starts at $949
|
$2,975
|
$849
|
$99
|
$995
|
$1,250
|
A la carte: $695
ProFiling: $1,112
Power: $2,295
|
$1,095
|
$2,00
|
|
1040 renewal
|
Early renewal discount ended May 31
|
$995$1,395
|
Starts at $2,500
|
$1,819
|
A threeyear price lock for early renewal ended June 30
|
Call for details
|
$699
|
$79
|
$750
|
$1,250
|
A la carte: $556
ProFiling: $896
Power: $1,836
|
$995
|
$1,700
|
|
State package
|
ATXs 1040: 3 states free
ATX's 1040 Office: Free
MAX: Free
|
Free
|
Included
|
$235$340
|
$249$349
|
$315$755
|
$319$379/first two states; after that, $50/state
|
$12.95/state; $51.80/all
|
Free
|
Free
|
A la carte: $295/15 states; $695/all states.
ProFiling: Free
Power: Free
|
$345
|
$200$300
|
|
State renewal
|
Same
|
Same
|
Same
|
$19$289
|
Same
|
Call for details
|
Same
|
Same
|
Same
|
Same
|
A la carte: 15 states; $556/all states.
ProFiling: Free
Power: Free
|
$200
|
Same
|
|
Additional fee for laser package
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Laser package unavailable
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
Per-return pricing
|
Separate product, PRS, allows 10 efiles for $150
|
$10/return
|
No
|
1040 and one state: $22; business, trust, estate and one state: $40; gift tax, employee benefits and one state: $30
|
$15/1040; $11/ state
|
$27
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
$100 fee ($300 nonrefundable deposit against $15/return)
|
$15/return ($400 deposit)
|
$16/1040; $9/ state
|
|
Additional cost for electronic filing software
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
$100
|
$99$499
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
Additional cost per electronic filed return
|
No
|
No
|
$5/1040; $2/state
|
$2/1040; $2/state; $950/unlimited
|
$3/1040; $2/state; $250/unlimited
|
$3/return; $1,000/unlimited
|
$1$5/return; free for direct filers
|
Starting at $7.95/1040; $3.50/state. Free after 100th return. $350/unlimited 1040; $150/unlimited state.
|
No
|
No
|
A la carte:$4/1040, $1/state
ProFiling: $1/1040, $.50/state
Power: Free
|
Varies on volume
|
$2/1040; $1/state; $1,000/unlimited
|
|
Conversion package available
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Some
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Cost of conversion package
|
Free
|
Free
|
$10/return
|
Free
|
Free
|
Free
|
|
|
Call for details
|
Free
|
Free
|
Free
|
Free
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
Filing
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do you provide direct filing (DF), service bureau (SB) or both?
|
Both
|
Both
|
DF
|
SB
|
DF
|
Both
|
Yes
|
SB
|
Both
|
Both
|
Both
|
SB
|
Both
|
|
Can you electronically file state returns?
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
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
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Market
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of individual users of 2004 package
|
50,000+
|
No charge for multiuser capability
|
75,000
|
No charge for multiuser capability
|
No charge for multiuser capability
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
7,200
|
Variable
|
75,000
|
N/A
|
81,000
|
|
Number of firms using product
|
N/A
|
18,530
|
N/A
|
40,293
|
55,593
|
20,000+
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
3,500
|
Variable
|
25,000
|
About 4,000
|
19,000
|
|
Percentage of renewals from 2003 package
|
About 90%
|
96%
|
99.5%
|
93.62%
|
85.955
|
96%
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
98%
|
96%
|
96%
|
93%
|
95%+
|
|
Number of years in business
|
13
|
28
|
40
|
27
|
22
|
40+
|
21
|
8
|
41
|
25
|
20
|
33
|
26
|
|
Support
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Toll-free number for support
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Days and hours (Eastern time) support available during tax season
|
M-F 8midnight;
Sat. 95
|
M-F 8-10;
Sat. 8-6
|
M-F 9-8;
Sat. 10-6;
Sun. 11-5
|
M-F 6-6;
Sat. 7-2;
Sun. 9-2;
24 hours last week of tax season
|
M-F 7:309;
Sat. 10-5;
Sun. 12-5;
24 hours last week of tax season
|
M-F 8:30-9:30;
Sat. 9-8
Sun. in April 10-6;
24 hours last week of tax season
|
M-F 8-6;
Sat. 9-1
|
M-F 9-10;
Sat. 9-6
|
M-F 8-11;
Sat. 8-9;
Sun. 1-6
|
M-F 9-9;
Sat. 11-3
|
M-F 8:30-midnight;
Sat. 8-5;
Sun. 1-5
|
M-F 7-8;
Sat. 7-4
|
M-F 9-10;
Sat. 9-6;
selected Sun.
|
|
Days/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 16-5
|
M-F 9-8
|
M-F 9-8; selected Sat. 96
|
M-F 9-5
|
M-F 9-6
|
M-F 8:304:30
|
M-F 11-8
|
M-F 8:305:30
|
M-F 8-5
|
M-F 9-8
|
|
Number of tax-season support staff
|
200+
|
200+
|
24 (for 1040 only)
|
500
|
500+
|
450+
|
Varies
|
75
|
35
|
Varies
|
300
|
50
|
100+
|
|
Online support
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
Technology
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What operating system(s) does product run on?
|
Windows 98 and above
|
Windows 98, 2000, ME, XP, NT (4.0 or higher)
|
Windows XP
|
Windows 98, 2000, ME, NT, XP
|
Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP Pro or Home, NT
|
Windows 98, 2000, ME, NT Workstation ver. 4.0, XP Pro, MDAC ver. 2.6
|
Windows 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, DOS 3.1 or higher
|
Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP
|
Windows 98SE, ME, 2000, NT, XP
|
Windows 98, 2000, XP
|
Windows 2000 or later
|
Windows 2000, XP
|
Windows 98SE, 2000 Professional SP2, XP Pro, 2003 Server
|
|
Recommended operating system
|
Windows 98 and above
|
Windows XP
|
Windows XP
|
Same
|
Windows 2000, XP Professional or Home
|
Windows XP
|
Windows XP
|
Any of the above
|
Windows XP Pro
|
Windows XP, 2000
|
Windows 2000 or later
|
Windows XP
|
Windows XP, 2003 Server
|
|
Program size in Mb
|
350 Mb
|
87 Mb without states; 233 Mb with states
|
226 Mb with 1040 only
|
38 Mb for 1040 and operation files; 12 Mb for 1040; and 26 Mb for global program
|
650 Mb
|
100 Mb
|
5 Mb
|
30 Mb
|
150 Mb
|
65 Mb
|
8.13 Mb
|
80 Mb
|
30 Mb
|
|
Minimum RAM recommended
|
128 Mb
|
64 Mb for Windows 95, 98, 2000, or NT; 128 Mb for ME or XP
|
256 Mb
|
256 Mb for all but XP, which uses 512 Mb
|
128 Mb
|
256 Mb
|
640 K
|
16 Mb
|
128 Mb
|
256 Mb
|
128 Mb
|
128 Mb minimum, 256 Mb recommended
|
128 Mb minimum, 256 Mb recommended
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
Display and data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IRS data displayed on-screen
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No; link to IRS sites provided
|
|
Vendor data displayed on-screen
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Both vendor and IRS
|
Yes
|
|
Batch processing
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Heads-down data entry
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Program management tools
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reports
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Organizers
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Labels
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Client letters
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Scheduling program
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Other packages available
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Online tax-preparation option
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
State packages
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Multistate package
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
Does your product include the following?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1120
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
|
No
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
1120S
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No, included in price of 1120
|
|
1065
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
1041
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
990
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
706
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
709
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
|
Included in price of 1040
|
ATXs 1040: No
ATXs 1040 Office: No
MAX: Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
No
|
Yes, with Executive and Power
|
No
|
No
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATX
|
Drake Software
|
GoSystem Tax
RS
|
Lacerte
|
ProSeries
|
ProSystem
fx
Tax
|
Tax Software for the Professional
|
TaxACT Preparers Edition
|
TaxSlayer Pro
|
Taxware Tax Preparation
|
TaxWise
|
TaxWorks
|
UltraTax CS
|
|
State support
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All states supported
|
All states supported
|
All states supported
|
All states supported
|
All states supported
|
All states supported
|
States not supported: Ala., Ariz., Calif., Colo., Del., District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Md., Mont., N.H., N.D., R.I., Utah, Vt., Wis.
|
States not supported: Ark., Fla., Nev., S.D., Tenn., Texas, Wash., Wyo.
|
All states supported
|
State not supported: Vt.
|
All states supported
|
In Ariz. only the business return not included
|
All states supported
|