May 2012

Firm ProfileArsement, Redd & Morella, LLC – Lafayette, LAwww.cpa-arm.com Contact – John R. Redd, III, CPA, CVA, Partner The firm operates out of a single office with 6 partners and 32 additional staff members. They are a traditional firm servicing small businesses by providing a “controllership by the hour” approach. A cornerstone of their original […]

Firm Profile:Wilson Morgan LLP – Irvine, CAwww.wilsonmorgancpas.com Contact – Mark Solone, Tax Manager Wilson Morgan is a traditional CPA firm offering a mix of assurance and tax services. The firm has 11 partners and a total staff of 45 working in a single office location. They are in their sixth year of using GoFileRoom. Other […]

      Case Study Firm Profile University Foundations – University of South Carolina, Columbia, SCwww.sc.edu/foundations Contacts – Susan Smith, CPA and Kim Elliott, CPA This organization is a nonprofit foundation providing accounting and financial services support to the entire university. There are currently seven active users of Treeno with plans to expand to the […]

Firm ProfileWiss & Company, LLPwww.wiss.com Contact – Don Logan, IT Director Click here for the May 2012 Review of iChannel. The firm has four offices in the New York / New Jersey market with 33 partners and an additional 167 staff. Primary client services include tax, audit, business valuation and litigation support. The core software […]

NetDocuments – NetDocuments 2012866-638-2627www.netdocuments.com Best Firm Fit: NetDocuments will work best in firms that have offer niche services beyond traditional audit and tax services because of the lack of pre-built integration with tax and accounting applications. NetDocuments’ primary market focus is law firms and financial advisory firms. The system offers a great deal of flexibility […]

In real estate, one of the main mantras is, “location, location, location.” With remote technologies allowing greater communication between accounting professionals and their clients, the physical location is gradually becoming less important, at least for some practice models.

The success of your firm depends on so many factors, but none are more important than your dedication to your clients and your professional knowledge. Almost everything else is logistics and workflow: How you get your work done; How you provide finished products for your clients; How you collaborate with staff and clients; and How […]

Treeno Software, Inc. – Treeno Document Management 4.0 800-528-5005 www.treenosoftware.com   Best Firm Fit Treeno is a good fit for small to mid-size firms that don’t want to deal with all of the technology issues and capital investments by leveraging the SaaS option. If your practice uses software from a variety of vendors, then the […]

  Doc.It, Inc. – Doc.It Suite 3.4 888-693-6248 www.doc-it.com   Best Firm Fit Doc.It has identified firms with twenty to a few hundred staff. However, they are looking forward to focusing on firms in the five to fifteen category. Due to the modular design of Doc.It , the system can be effectively deployed over a […]

Conarc, Inc. – iChannel by Conarc 770-849-0508 x116 www.conarc.com    Best Firm Fit: The value of iChannel increases with the size of the firm as a result of all of the functionality that enables it to be used across the entire enterprise. The system is designed to be deployed in many different types of industries, […]

Xero, Inc. www.Xero.com 800-411-9376   Best Fit: Xero is best suited for small companies who need cloud-based collaboration with banking integration and support for multiple currencies. The rules-based transaction classification engine is a possible game changer for entry level accounting software.   Strengths: Bank integration with Yodlee supports many, but not all deposit and credit […]

Even with the increase of electronic payments, checking account fraud is on the rise. Perhaps it’s due to people struggling in a down economy or “moral decay,” but more likely it’s because the latest computers and printers make it is easy to duplicate checks that appear acceptable to cash at a bank or retail establishment. […]

The iPad is an invaluable business tool if properly used. The first step is to realize it is not a replacement for your laptop or desktop computer...

Thomson Reuters – GoFileRoom800-968-8900CS.ThomsonReuters.com Strengths: 100% browser based SaaS solution Integrated FirmFlow workflow application Integrated TaxSort 1040 document recognition software Flexible metadata configuration Profiles for pre-assigning meta data values by document type with drag and drop Potential Limitations: Only available as a cloud based SaaS solution Best Firm Fit: GoFileRoom is a good fit for […]

Intuit – QuickBooks Onlinewww.QuickBooksOnline.Intuit.com800-286-6800 From the May 2012 review of SaaS Small Business Accounting Systems. Strengths: Friendly user interface and simple navigation Automated deposit and credit card account data imports from most banks No contracts or long-term commitments. Product supports most major internet browsers. Potential Limitations: Limited inventory and project/job costing functionality Does not support […]

Intacct – Intacct Corporationwww.intacct.com877-437-7765 Strengths: Has a strong ecosystem of third party solutions to meet most industry requirements. Customizable dashboards are very impressive, and provide an alternative to standard reports. Full integration between customer relationship management and payroll Supports any number of users, with strong user access control tools Relationship with AICPA/CPA2Biz has yielded integrations […]

Online accounting products are a small but rapidly growing segment of business management tools. Real-time collaboration between client and accountant, as well as better importing tools have made these solutions a compelling alternative to traditional, locally-installed applications. We have noticed a large number of new offerings in this space over the last couple of years, […]

BizAutomation – BizAutomation.comwww.BizAutomation.com 408-786-5116 Best Fit: Small organizations who need a process-oriented business management tool with strong CRM and fundamental accounting processes in a single, integrated platform. Strengths: Integration with Google Apps allows users to access familiar tools from within the application. Solid Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality, tightly integrated into the product. Built on […]

Intuit — Intuit Tax Onlineproadvisor.intuit.com/product/intuit-tax-online866-676-9674 Strengths Web-based, anytime access No IT management or updating required Pay-Per-Return pricing, no startup costs Instant ramp-up/down with any number of users PC and Mac friendly Mobile app for checking status, client information, securely emailing returns From the makers of Lacerte and ProSeries Potential Limitations Lacks integration with accounting programs […]

Intuit — ProSerieswww.proseries.com800-934-1040 From the May 2012 review of professional tax compliance systems (traditional workflow). Best Fit: Small to mid-sized firms focused on large 1040 client bases, but also with the need for varied business compliance. Firms who require workflow solutions and integration with QuickBooks. Strengths Optional scan and organize system, plus direct download of […]

CCH Small Firm Services – ATXwww.atxinc.comPhone: 866-345-4172 Strengths: Compliance for all entities including federal and state plus local forms W-2/1099 and wage reporting options Form and interview-style input Available bundles for Workflow, Research and Accounting functions Integrated AR management and credit card acceptance Potential Limitations: Does not offer client portals or online tax organizers Limited […]

CCH Small Firm Services — TaxWisewww.taxwise.com866-345-4171 Strengths Compliance for all entities at federal and all states Form-based interface, friendly navigation Scan and populate feature for W-2s, 1099s and K-1s Integrated suite of products including fixed asset management, client write-up (AP and AR) and document storage Multiple client refund options, such as debit card and refund […]

Drake Software — Drake Taxwww.DrakeSoftware.com800-890-9500 Strengths: Top-rated live support All-inclusive pricing includes all entities, states, e-filing, tax planning, document management, and write-up system with live & ATF Payroll New online client collaboration system Integration with GruntWorx for paperless and automated tax prep Optional debit card and bank product dispersal of proceeds Multi-office manager sync system; […]

The evolution of DMS over the past ten years has been slow but steady, which is just fine because it takes time for a firm to implement all of the extended functionality.

RedGear Technologies — TaxWorks www.taxworks.com 800-230-2322 Best Fit: 1040-focused tax offices with occasional need for additional entities, particularly those wishing to offer integrated bank products, with bilingual options and remote data entry capabilities. Strengths Integrated support for bank products Client communication templates and e-mail integration Digital client tax organizers Data import from multiple accounting systems […]

TaxSlayer Pro — TaxSlayer Pro Premium www.taxslayerpro.com 888-420-1040   Strengths All entities at federal and state level, with unlimited e-filing Built-in support for bank products, with text-messaging to clients Online return backup can act as limited portal Smart phone and remote access to firm reporting Supports the W-2 barcode scanning to automatically populate inside a […]

Intuit—Lacerte Tax lacerte.intuit.com 800-765-7777     BEST FIT Small and medium size firms with a focus on medium complexity work and organizations reliant on other Intuit products, such as QuickBooks   STRENGTHS Easy, intuitive interface Licensing structure includes electronic organizers, trial balance modules and state electronic filing Strong integration with Intuit product offerings   POTENTIAL […]

Thomson Reuters — GoSystem Tax RS CS.ThomsonReuters.com 800-968-8900 BEST FIT Firms requiring calculation power for complex business entity structures and support for entities processing multiple K-1s   STRENGTHS Ability to handle the most complex tax return structures Wholly web-based solution that is accessible from nearly anywhere Nice features to aid new users in learning proper […]

Thomson Reuters — UltraTax CS CS.ThomsonReuters.com 800-968-8900 BEST FIT Firms of all sizes serving a wide variety of client types and who may use other products within the CS Professional Suite   STRENGTHS Strong integration with CS Professional Suite product lineup Available as a hosted solution Support for up to 4 monitor configurations   POTENTIAL […]

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business — ProSystem fx Tax SaaS CCHGroup.com 800-739-9998   BEST FIT: Tax and accounting firms with a wide range of client complexity who need a top tier tax preparation product.   STRENGTHS Multiple platforms to choose from, including a state-of-the-art SaaS solution New interface should be familiar for users already converted […]

Are you and your firm keeping up with technology? Do you have a replacement cycle for your computers, or do you run them until they die before you swap them out?

The tax season may be over, but if you're considering changing programs, now's the time.

Check out the latest reviews of professional tax compliance systems.

The benefits of email are a two edged sword as they can both improve a firm's effectiveness with enhanced collaboration, and can cause great embarrassment and financial loss in cases of litigation.

As I evaluate the previous tax season, I honestly feel that it was one of the best ever for my firm—despite a few curve balls like the IRS allowing brokerage firms to delay delivery of 1099’s for nearly a month (talk about workload compression).

Keeping up with the changing landscape of technology and practice issues is challenging.

A very challenging demographic for many practitioners is the “micro business.”

2012 promises to be a big year from a computer hardware perspective with new Ultrabooks, tablets and phones, but the real news for 2012 will be in software.

Visibility + Credibility + Reassurance = New & Repeat Business

If you were alive in the 70’s you undoubtedly know this song by Harry Chapin. It’s a wonderful song and one that I think about often.

Email remains one of the best marketing channels for educating and influencing prospects — and eventually turning them into long-term clients.