| | 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 |
| Included in price of 1040 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | N/A | Yes | No | No |
| State support | All | All | All | All | All | All | All except Tenn., Utah | All | All | All |
Product Details 
