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  Product Details
  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

NEWS

IRS sets start date for tax season

The IRS announced that tax season will start in late January and that it will issue refunds to taxpayers despite the partial shutdown of the federal government.

PODCAST

Why CPAs can’t wait on automation tools

What do accounting firms waiting on others to develop AI, automation, and data analytics tools have in common with a baseball fan sitting in a stadium filling with water at an exponential rate? The answer could determine your firm’s fate.