Isaac M. O'Bannon is the managing editor and digital content manager for CPA Practice Advisor (www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com), drawing on two decades of experience covering the areas of professional accounting, taxation, business productivity and consumer technologies. Prior to CPA Practice Advisor, O'Bannon was a consultant at firms in San Francisco, Denver and Tulsa, serving clients that included Logitech, Polycom, Hilti, Microsoft, the Stanford Research Institute, the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering and other technology leaders. He is a U.S. Navy veteran. Email: isaac.obannon - @ - cpapracticeadvisor.com
September 12, 2011
800-888-5803 www.tenenz 2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Small practices managing year-end compliance processes for multiple small businesses. Strengths Easy interface & data entry. Free e-filing. Good forms support. Inexpensive. Potential Limitations Limited import options & does not export. No built-in invoicing functionality. Minimal online support, but live support is free. Summary &...…
September 9, 2011
800-536-1099 www.1099-etc.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Accounting practices performing after-the-fact payroll, quarterly and year-end information reporting for multiple clients. Strengths Excellent interface, client management screens. Extensive federal, state & local forms library along with e-filing. Option for outsourcing printing & mailing of all recipient copies. Imports from outside accounting & other programs...…
September 9, 2011
888-IDMS-inc (436-7462) www.IDMSinc.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Professionals with multiple mid- to large-sized clients managing year-end compliance and ATF payroll for multiple entities. Strengths Multiple data-entry views, management dashboards. Good managerial reporting options, output formats. Print & mail outsourced service. Strong Help utility & assistive features. Built-in document management with secure emailing....…
September 9, 2011
866-440-5471 www.SpokaneComputer.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Practices seeking a simple system for managing multiple clients, with support for all federal and state year-end compliance requirements. Strengths Intuitive interface, client management screens. Import from Microsoft Excel, QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree & text files. Multiple file output options. Print/mail service bureau option. Potential Limitations No...…
September 9, 2011
866-999-1366 www.AccountantsWorld.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Firms managing year-end compliance and ATF payroll for multiple entities. Strengths Strong multi-client views, dashboards. Web-based system provides remote access. Integration with larger web-based suite. Comprehensive forms support. Electronic filing of federal and state quarterly forms, W-2 and 1099 Potential Limitations No built-in invoicing functionality,...…
September 9, 2011
805-504-1366 www.magtax.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Firms managing year-end compliance for multiple businesses, with built-in electronic filing for federal and supported states. Strengths Comprehensive forms, reporting capabilities. Output to various file formats. Excellent QuickBooks integration. Strong Help utility/assistive features. Potential Limitations No built-in invoicing functionality. Does not provide 940-series forms. Summary...…
September 9, 2011
480-460-9311 www.1099fire.com 2011 Overall Rating 4 Best Fit Small and mid-sized businesses; for in-house use, although it does support multiple EINs. Strengths Multiple options for print, e-filing, various forms. Good multi-staff access capabilities. Outsourced print/mail service option. Potential Limitations Basic multi-client management utilities. Limited built-in help functionality. Summary & Pricing The 1099 Fire...…
September 8, 2011
888-746-0440 www.FormMagic.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Accounting firms with large client bases, with varied import/integration needs. Strengths Strong multi-client management tools. Multi-user level security. Multiple data entry options. Built-in diagnostics. Potential Limitations Limited local forms. Lacks client billing/invoicing center. Summary & Pricing Tax-Mate provides a comprehensive 1099 and W-2 solution, with strong...…
September 7, 2011
I wasn’t in New York City 10 years ago. My first visit wasn’t until 2003, on a fall day similar to when I watched the towers fall on tv. In July 2003, I went to Ground Zero, well- as close as I could get, about half a block.
September 6, 2011
I wasn’t in New York City 10 years ago. In fact, my first trip to the city wasn’t until 2003, on a fall day similar to what I saw two years earlier, when I watched the towers fall on tv. In July 2003, I went to Ground Zero, well- as close as I could get,...…
September 1, 2011
Accountants and accounting firms have long suffered from the false stereotype of being stodgy, even predictable and boring. Even more so, the auditor: that truly numbers-focused researcher of data whose sole purpose is to determine the propriety of an organization’s financial reporting and their internal controls over financial reporting. Perhaps only actuaries are more maligned…
August 24, 2011
Social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have been around for several years now, and we’ve covered the subject as it relates to professional tax and accounting firms several times. But a recent Forbes article (10 Myths about Social Neworking for Small Business) reminded me that even when faced with sound logic, adaptation can...…
