2017 tax software survey: Individual product survey responses

In this year’s survey by the JofA and The Tax Adviser, 3,544 CPAs assessed the software they used to prepare 2016 tax returns for a fee. The survey was conducted in May and June 2017. Overall, respondents rated their software an average of 4.3 out of 5. Users of three products, Lacerte, ProSystem fx, and UltraTax CS, formed a majority of respondents. Their share of respondents, in total and by firm size, are shown below with others of the 13 products the survey asked about that received more than one reply. Additional survey analysis, including charts of major likes and dislikes of users of the top seven products are available in the August 2017 issues of The Tax Adviser and the Journal of Accountancy.

What tax preparation software did you predominantly use to prepare 2016 tax returns for clients?

Market share among firms with five or fewer preparers

Market share among firms with six or more preparers

Individual major product survey responses

Detailed survey responses for each product may be obtained by clicking on the product headings below. Contact information, basic packages and their features are shown below for selected products receiving more than 1% of total responses in the survey. More detailed product information is available at the software vendors’ websites at the addresses shown.

ATX

• CCH Small Firm Services, a Wolters Kluwer business, Kennesaw, Ga., https://www.cchsfs.com/
• Packages: 1040 (individual returns, includes three states, 100 efiled returns); 1040 Office (preceding features, plus all states, efiling included, tax research);  MAX (preceding features, plus federal and state business returns, sales and use forms, payroll compliance reporting); Total Tax Office (preceding features, plus integrated document management and expanded research capabilities)
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: Yes
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes

CCH Axcess Tax

• Wolters Kluwer, CCH, Riverwoods, Ill., CCHGroup.com
• Packages: Multiple bundles based on firm needs
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: Yes
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes

Drake

• Drake Software, Franklin, N.C., DrakeSoftware.com
• Packages: Drake Unlimited, Drake Pay Per Return
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: Yes
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes

Lacerte

• Intuit, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., intuit.com
• Packages: Lacerte Unlimited, Lacerte 200, Lacerte Pay-Per-Return (Fast Path)
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available:  No
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes

ProSeries

• Intuit Inc., Mountain View, Calif., intuit.com
• Packages: ProSeries Basic (50 1040 returns + two states; Unlimited 1040 returns + four states; or Unlimited 1040 + 15 Business returns); ProSeries Professional: Pay Per Return, 1040 Complete, PowerTax Lite, PowerTax Library
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: No
• Integrates with accounting software: Yes

ProSystem fx

• Wolters Kluwer, CCH, Riverwoods, Ill., CCHGroup.com
• Packages: Multiple bundles based on firm needs
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: Yes
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes

UltraTax CS

• Thomson Reuters, Dexter, Mich., tax.thomsonreuters.com
• Packages: No
• Per-return pricing available: Yes
• Integrated tax research available: Yes
• Integrated accounting software available: Yes