CCH Small Firm Services Scan&Fill for ATX & TaxWise

A unique feature of the Scan&Fill application among other products in this review is its support for electronic signature capture using the optional Topaz signature pads. This feature, along with the local installation and automated filing in the Document Manager makes this an excellent tool for high-volume tax firms. Scan&Fill users avoid the lag associated with using a tool that requires documents be electronically sorted at a service bureau ,which would stop most commercial tax operations from using the tool with their clients who come for a one hour interview, and leave with a signed tax return.

Integration:

Scan&Fill is the only program besides CCH’s ProSystem fx Scan which has all parts of the application installed on the professional’s local network. The application includes a Document Manager system, and most users will also want to capitalize on the integration between Scan&Fill and the TaxWise or ATX suite of products such as tax prep software, Client Accounting Suite and the Fixed Asset Manager programs.

Scan&Fill supports automatic password protection of e-mail transmissions of data extracted from the Document Manager. Although this solution is not as secure as most portal solutions, it is successfully used in practice by many firms.

Help/Support/Training:

The solution is very easy to navigate, and is tightly integrated with the tax and document management applications. As such, minimal training is needed for an employee to be fully proficient on the software. CCH Small Firm Services provides a required webinar to help train new users upon purchase.

Small Firm Services offers free support on this product, with extended service hours during tax season. For the TaxWise line, support is offered in both English and Spanish, which may be helpful to practitioners serving the growing number of native Spanish-speaking communities around the country.

Although CCH Small Firm Services does not sell scanners or Topaz electronic signature pads, the website does recommend certain models and has a relationship with a preferred vendor who has served other customers well over the years.

Pricing

Scan&Fill is priced for unlimited usage at $790 for a single user and $1,130 for five users. The product is not offered on a “pay per use” model.

2011 Overall Rating