1. news
  2. TAX

2010 Tax Software Survey: Drake Software

Please note: This item is from our archives and was published in 2010. It is provided for historical reference. The content may be out of date and links may no longer function.

Related

TOPICS

Click here for detailed survey responses for Drake Software. (Opens in new window; click once to enlarge.)

General Information
Tax program name: Drake Software
Vendor name: Drake Software
Telephone (sales): 800-890-9500
E-mail (sales): Sales@DrakeSoftware.com
Website: DrakeSoftware.com
Number of users: 34,000+
Pricing
Price on Federal 1040 (new customers):

$1,495 (with early season discounts as low as $1,095)

     Increase from last year? Yes
     By how much? $100
Renewal price:

$1,495 (with early season discounts as low as $1,095)

State price (new customers): Included
     State renewal price: Included
Pay-per-return pricing: $285 (up to 15 returns)
Additional cost for e-filed returns: Included
Web/SaaS Version
Do you offer an online/SaaS version? Yes
     Name: Web1040 or Remote1040 (SaaS)
     Cost: $1,495 for either version (Web1040, Remote1040, or installed package) with early season discounts available.
     Number of users: 2,000+
     When introduced: Web1040 was introduced in 2008.

Remote 1040 was introduced in 2007.

Support
Toll free phone: 800-890-9500
Hours: Monday–Friday 8am–9pm EST

Tax season: Monday–Friday 8am–10pm, Saturday 8am–6pm EST

E-mail support? Yes
IM/Chat? No
Other? Knowledge Base, broadcast e-mails, online tax research forums
Features/Functionality
Do you offer organizers? Yes
Client letters? Yes
Client portals?

No, not for preparer-to-client interaction. (This is in the works.) But we do provide for office-to-office and preparer-to-Drake interaction for Client Write-Up and payroll.

Does your software integrate with other products? It integrates with other features of Drake, as well as imports from Microsoft Excel and Access, QuickBooks and Peachtree.
New features added to your software for this year:

 

Advertisement
  • Improved PDF generation of tax returns
  • Enhanced preparer security features
  • Ability to password protect and encrypt PDF copies of tax returns when e-mailing to clients
  • Enterprise Office Manager: A web portal for multisite management
  • Remote payroll entry portals for Client Write-Up: Web-based portals that allow employer to enter payroll info online. Then the accountant can download directly into Client Write-Up for processing and report generation.
  • Streamlined data entry on entity returns (1120, 1120S, 1065, 990)
  • Integration of extensive new tax law into 2009 calculations
  • Backup capabilities to the Drake Document Manager
  • Our Client Write-Up package will look and function more like the Drake Software program
  • Streamlined update system: If you install it, we update it for you automatically)
  • E1 Prepaid Visa Card
  • Accounts receivable for Client Write-Up
  • 1040:
    • Enhanced Partner/Shareholder basis worksheets and calculations
    • Streamlining data entry
    • Integrating the extensive new tax law into 2009 calculations
    • Programming to support the first phase of modernized e-file on the 1040 product

Additional Comments

Web1040 runs in a browser so it requires no install. Remote1040 is a thin client application that customers have to download. The thin client consists of a data entry module that runs locally on the customer’s machine. For both products calculation, printing and e-filing all happen on the server and are executed over SSL encryption.