RCS — TaxSlayer Pro

From the April/May 2008 Review of Tax Compliance Suites

The TaxSlayer Pro preparation system from Rhodes Computer Services provides a full complement of compliance tools that supports all entities with annual income reporting requirements, including individual, 1120, 1120S, 1065, 1041, 990 and 5500. The system provides all federal and state forms, and offers built-in depreciation, checkwriting, unlimited e-filing and networking capabilities. RCS also offers a tax office marketing system, plus add-on programs for paperless document management and client bookkeeping, and options that enable the practice to provide clients with financial and investment planning, insurance products and mortgage solutions without the professionals requiring additional licensing. Tax-Slayer Pro is offered as an all-inclusive package with all of the above entities, states and other features priced at $995. The program can be used by all preparers within an office at no additional cost. The company’s document management solution, Paper Cut, costs $149 (minus a current discount of $100); TaxSlayer Books, the client bookkeeping program with payroll, 1099 and W-2 options, starts at $99. RCS has been offering tax preparation software, services and bureau options for more than 40 years.

General Operations/ Ease-of-Use -- 4.5 Stars
TaxSlayer Pro guides the user through initial setup of firm information, including rate structures that can be based on flat-fee charges depending upon the form or service, or based on hourly billing increments. All of the program’s menus, including the primary interface menu, provide both graphical icon-based (point-and-click) options and heads-down numerical key-based selection, allowing users to keep their hands on their keyboard and 10-key as much as possible, instead of the mouse. TaxSlayer Pro opens to a very crisp and uncluttered environment that provides icons across the top of the screen for accessing the Client Status and Help Centers, a pop-up calculator, the Appointment Scheduler utility and other features. A master menu in the center of the screen offers access to primary functions for working with client returns, using e-file functions, the report center and accessing Help options. Additional numerical options are available for revisiting system configurations and defaults.

When accessing returns, TaxSlayer first displays a master client selection list, with sortable columns for SSN, name, contact data, preparer, return status, refund/due amount and additional data, while also allowing users to search by last name or SSN. Within a client return, the program opens a multi-paneled interface that is centered around interview-style data-entry sheets, with a numerical text menu on the left that gives access to specific data-entry areas such as income, adjustments, deductions, credits and the client’s state returns. An additional Forms menu, also on the left, eases searching and selection of specific forms, while also offering a tab to display completed client forms. A Diagnostic Warnings panel is housed at the bottom of the screen, alerting users to potential errors, missing data or other problems.