April/May 2011 - CPA Practice Advisor

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Software

Lacerte Tax, an Intuit ProLine Solution

2011 OVERALL RATING 4.50 800-765-7777 www.proline.lacertesoftware.com Product delivery methods: __x___ On-Premises __x___ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor BEST FIRM FIT: Competitive solution for small and mid-sized firms with some advanced workflow needs beyond the capabilities of the Traditional Workflow products without the most complex requirements of the Advanced Workflow products like multi-tiered […]

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Thomson Reuters — GoSystem Tax RS

2011 OVERALL RATING 4.75 800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com Please indicate the available delivery methods for your product below: __x__ On-Premises __x__ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor BEST FIRM FIT: Good fit for top 50 firms, the Fortune 500, and those who need multi-office, multi-department support for the most complex returns. The only purely browser-based […]

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Thomson Reuters — UltraTax CS

OVERALL RATING 4.75 800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com Product delivery methods: __x___ On-Premises _____ SaaS __x___ Hosted by Vendor BEST FIRM FIT: Small to mid-sized firms that need advanced workflow functionality. Excellent fit for most full-service tax and accounting firms. STRENGTHS: Integration with other Thomson Reuters CS Suite products, as well as the CheckPoint research […]

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Software

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business — ProSystem fx Tax

OVERALL RATING 4.75 800-PFX-9998 (739-9998) CCHGroup.com Product delivery methods: __x__ On-Premises __x___ SaaS __x___ Hosted by Vendor BEST FIRM FIT: An excellent solution for firms of all sizes and those who want the most flexibility in how the application is delivered to end users (local, hosted or public/private cloud). STRENGTHS: – Integration […]

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Accounting for Different Needs of SMB Clients

One of the hardest things about evaluating software products is determining what features are likely to be the most important for the intended users. Obviously, needs will vary depending on the type of business. Retail shops will need a strong inventory module that tracks product life, assigns value and produces solid reports. An e-commerce module […]

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Small Business

Intuit — QuickBooks Premier 2011

2011 Overall Rating 4.5 877-683-3280 www.intuit.com Best Fit: Targeted at accountants who support non-accountant business owners who maintain their own books. Strengths: Ease of use & large install base, which means more end users will have experience with the application Strong accountant program with good training & referrals to certified ProAdvisors Company Snapshot improvements […]

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Red Wing Software — CenterPoint Accounting

2011 Overall Rating 4.25 800-732-9464 www.redwingsoftware.com Best Fit: Small & mid-sized businesses who need an entry-level product with all the basics; scalable to more sophisticated TurningPoint accounting product designed for larger companies Strengths: Inventory module supports LIFO, FIFO & Average Cost valuation methods, as well as lot tracking Excellent forms & reports designer, but […]

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Software

Orange Door, Inc. — Orange Door Tax Suite Pro

2011 Overall Rating 3.75 650-952-1773 www.orangedoorinc.com Product Delivery Methods: _____ On-Premises __x__ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor Best Firm Fit: Small practice with less complex clients, primarily 1040-focused, who need mobility or remote access, and ability to quickly ramp up/down the number of users Strengths: Fully web-based Client portals/collaboration tools Instant ramp-up/down […]

Small Business

Addsum Business Software Inc. — Advanced Accounting

2011 Overall Rating 4 800-648-6258 www.addsuminc.com Best Fit: A good fit for those with high transaction volume bookkeeping operations who require inventory support. Designed for small to mid-sized businesses, particularly small retailers and contractors who require industry-specific features. Strengths: Strong POS capabilities Multi-user version supports unlimited users at a site for $799 Support for […]

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Software

Drake Software — Drake Tax

2011 Overall Rating 4.5 800-890-9500 www.DrakeSoftware.com Best Firm Fit: 1040-focused practices looking to broaden their services with integrated write-up and tax planning options, as well as retail environments with multiple locations. Strengths: – Exceptional live support – Affordable all-inclusive pricing includes all entities, states, e-filing, plus tax planning, document management & write-up with ATF […]

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Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting 2012

2011 Overall Rating 4.75 800-388-4697 www.Peachtree.com Best Fit: Easy-to-use application for those who handle inventory, job costing or other complex areas; evolves with the needs of small businesses. Strengths: – Scalable application with numerous industry versions – Business Status Report, along with New Sage Peachtree Business Intelligence reporting, Business Analytics for Sage Peachtree […]

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Small Business

Acclivity – AccountEdge 2011 for Windows

2011 Overall Rating 4.5 800-322-6962 www.accountedge.com Best Fit: With hundreds of business templates, AccountEdge is suitable for a variety of small businesses. Strengths: – Strong Apple Mac support – Mac network version available – Includes 100 industry-specific charts of accounts – Mobile version for iOS devices – U.S. & Canadian versions available – […]

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2011 Review of Cougar Mountain Software — Denali

2011 Overall Rating 4.75 800-388-3038 www.cougarmtn.com 4.5 – Basic System Functions 5- Core Accounting Capabilities 4.5 – Day-to-Day Operations 4.5 – Management Features 5 – Integration & Import/Export 4.75 – Help/Support Best Fit: Recently rewritten modular application provides mid-range flexibility and sophistication at a reasonable price. Well-suited for small to mid-sized businesses. Strengths: […]

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Small Business

Review of CheckMark Software — MultiLedger – 2011

4 – 2011 Overall Rating 800-444-9922 www.checkmark.com 4 – Basic System Functions 4.5 – Core Accounting Capabilities 3.25 – Day-to-Day Operations 4.25 – Management Features 3.5 – Integration & Import/Export 4.25 – Help/Support Best Fit: With good basic functionality at a value price point, this may be a good fit for accounting […]

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Software

Intuit — ProLine Tax Online Edition

2011 Overall Rating 3.5 888-236-9501 accountant.intuit.com Product Delivery Methods: _____ On-Premises __x__ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor Best Fit: Small practices with generally less complex clients, primarily 1040-focused who need mobility Strengths: Web-based No IT headaches Inexpensive Instant ramp-up/down Any number of users On-demand use PC & Mac friendly Potential Limitations: Lack […]

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TaxSlayer Pro Premium

888-420-1040 www.taxslayerpro.com 2011 Overall Rating 4 Best Firm Fit: Tax offices primarily focused on retail 1040 processing and bank products, with some need for simple business entity returns Strengths: – Support for all entities at federal & state level – Integrated bank products – Unlimited e-filing – Online return backup functions as limited portal […]

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Software

CCH Small Firm Services — TaxWise

800-755-9473 www.taxwise.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Firm Fit: High-volume, time-sensitive focused practices employing non-professional data-entry staff. Also a fit for those looking to grow their business through office expansion and additional customer offerings such as full-year accounting services like write-up and payroll. Strengths – Support for all entities at federal & state level […]

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Software

CCH Small Firm Services — ATX

800-681-1752 www.atxinc.com 4.5 – 2011 Overall Rating Best Firm Fit: Small and mid-sized full-service accounting firms with generally less complex clients, yet with broader entity needs, including payroll and wage compliance. Strengths: – Support for all entities at federal & state level – W-2/1099 & wage reporting – Form & interview-style input – Excellent training […]

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Software

RedGear Technologies — TaxWorks

800-230-2322 www.taxworks.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Product Delivery Methods: __x__ On-Premises _____ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor Best Firm Fit: Small 1040-focused tax offices with limited to moderate need for additional entities. Strengths: – All federal and state entities – Integrated bank products – Good client communication templates & e-mail integration – Data […]

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Software

Intuit — ProSeries

800-934-1040 www.proseries.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Firm Fit: Small to mid-sized firms with mostly 1040s, but also diverse business taxation needs with some moderately complex clients. Strengths: – Supports all entities, states & most local taxes – Options for research, fixed assets, document management & W-2/1099 reporting – Integrated billing system – Optional innovative […]

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Taxes

Online Backup: Why It’s an Important Tool

Recently, one of my clients saved some very important picture files to the hard drive on their local computer. They thought they were saving these picture files to the corporate network drive. This computer was on the upgrade list and was upgraded a few weeks later with the requirement of having the hard drive formatted. […]

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Technology

Tablets & Smartphones: Business Tools or Toys?

Is this the year of the Tablet? Has the mobile Internet finally arrived? What business purposes are served by using mobile Internet devices, and how can they help us serve clients better? Whether you are working with products from Apple, Motorola, BlackBerry, HTC, Samsung or a myriad of other providers, access to the Internet, and applications or “Apps” drive the mobile world.

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Technology

Get Ready for the Tablet Invasion

Is the introduction of the Apple iPad and other tablet devices the dawning of a new revolution in information technology, or a more subtle evolution? They may not be as disruptive as all of the political revolutions going on around the world today, but tablets are poised to have a significant impact on the flow […]

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Strategic Performance Management with Sage Peachtree Business Intelligence

The larger an organization gets, the harder it is to separate the truly important information from the routine and mundane details that seem to consume our daily lives. Too often, the most important information is obscured by the volume of transactions flowing through our business management systems. Although tools like alerts and reports can show […]

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Cloud Technology

New Name, New Content, New Faces — Same Great Resource

It’s been a fast paced year. Like you, I’ve been busy with tax season activity and ensuring that my clients’ needs were met. In tandem, my team and I here at the magazine have been hustling to put together a knock-it-out-of-the-park first issue. We’ve changed the name and size of the publication, added columns, and […]

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Technology

Are Your Clients Getting Enough FaceTime?

Those of you who are “chronologically challenged,” as am I, will remember the bad old days of pink “While U Were Out” slips, Franklin Planners and multiple phone calls through secretary-controlled switchboards. Fortunately, we now have Outlook, smartphones and direct inward dial telephone systems … and that’s just the beginning! Today’s modern practitioner is making […]

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Technology

How to Improve Client Communications by Channeling Your Messages

Column: Successful Small Business Consulting From the April/May 2011 issue One of the most important skills consultants must perfect is the way in which we communicate with others. When someone cannot communicate clearly or efficiently, that person loses the respect and trust of clients, coworkers, bosses, and really everyone around them. So since your success […]

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Firm Management

CES 2011 Gadget Round Up for Accountants

At the beginning of each year, we make our annual trek to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to look specifically at computer hardware, peripherals and trends that could impact the accounting profession in the year ahead.

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Technology

Three Buzzwords That Really Changed the Profession

Column: Tricks & Tips From the April/May 2011 Issue As the technology editor for this publication for nearly nine years, I’ve witnessed many significant, and even a few monumental changes in the technologies and workflow practices of tax and accounting firms. From the transition to the paperless office, to automated tax documents, the ongoing SaaS […]

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Advisory

Beyond Just Business: A Strategy That Works

?9222 In economic climates such as this, when jobs are somewhat scarce, markets are in flux and retirement can seem so far away, it’s natural for some to cling to what levels of stability they have, whether it’s Linus and his “security blanket,” or a comfortably permanent job as an in-house accountant for a large […]

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Firm Management

Unique Business Model Serves To Expand Lawhorn CPA Group Nationwide, Preserve Brain Trust

7122 Great Practices – Jason Lawhorn, Lawhorn CPA Group, Inc. Firm Profiled Lawhorn CPA Group, Inc. Jason Lawhorn, CPA.CITP, president & CEO of Lawhorn CPA Group, Inc. Change Begins at Home Jason Lawhorn is a small firm owner with a big vision — to expand the Lawhorn CPA Group brand cross country. After transitioning […]

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Technology

6 Steps to Developing an Effective Client Portal Strategy

I think it’s fair to say that just about every accounting and tax practice in the country has given consideration to deploying a client portal in recent years. In fact, current estimates are that the number of firms that have a client portal in place is somewhere in the range of 20% to 40%.

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Firm Management

Symposium Draws Profession’s Thought Leaders

Where does innovation come from? While this may be a rhetorical question for some, it was precisely the intent of the inaugural CPA Practice Advisor Thought Leader Symposium, which brought together 25 of the most influential tax and accounting professionals, technophiles and consultants for three days of collaboration and dialogue. As the host of the […]

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Taxes

2011 Review of Tax Compliance Systems (Advanced Workflow)

How Collaboration & Integration Meet Advanced Workflow Needs

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Taxes

2011 Review of Traditional Workflow Professional Tax Systems

Maximize Your Tax Prep Efficiency: It’s All About Workflow