Latest Articles

August 15, 2011 

Congratulations to the 2011 “40 under 40” tax and accounting profession leaders! I envy young professionals today because we are keenly aware of the importance of networking and programs that help to polish leadership skills. The Kansas Society of CPAs has its “20 up to 40,” one of many successful leadership development programs sponsored by…

Mary MacBain

August 12, 2011 

800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.75   Best Fit Accounting firms who use the Accounting CS application to work with clients on payroll and bookkeeping, as well as accounting professionals who use other CS Professional Suite tools for accounting, tax or document management. Strengths Uses combination of SaaS & hosted technologies to facilitate collaboration...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

888-400-1613 www.crestpayroll.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.75   Best Fit Companies and firms who want a sophisticated, web-based payroll product that integrates with their existing websites, as well as organizations that use Paramount’s other applications (eVault 365 DMS, Meridian MSP recruiting). Strengths Website integration feature, included employee portals & firm-specific branding makes even the smallest...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

877-954-7873 www.SurePayroll.com   2011 Overall Rating Best Fit Clients or firms who want a robust, web-based payroll solution with strong features such as a mobile application, employee self-service portals and integration with numerous accounting software applications. Strengths Interfaces provided for QuickBooks, Sage Peachtree, AccountEdge & Intacct (data transfer may require users to pay a fee)....…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

800-755-7846 www.chequemate.com   2011 Overall Rating   Best Fit Payroll processors with large numbers of payroll clients who need an application with an inexpensive entry point but do not need general ledger (GL) integration. Strengths Includes support for multiple payroll frequencies, job costing & direct deposit. Call Calendar helps staff manage multiple priorities & shows...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

  ATX: 888-455-0183; www.atxinc.com TaxWise: 888-455-0182; www.taxwise.com   2011 Overall Rating 4   Best Fit Accounting firms and small companies who need a live and after-the-fact payroll preparation tool designed to work with the ATX and CCH write up solutions, as well as firms who are using ProSystem fx Practice Management, or need check in/checkout...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

888-236-9501 www.accountant.intuit.com/payroll   2011 Overall Rating 4.25   Best Fit Small businesses and accounting professionals who want a web-based payroll application that provides the ability to collaborate with users at other sites. It’s also a good fit for QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks Online users who want a payroll tool that integrates directly with their...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 12, 2011 

Payroll is an important part of any business, and most payroll solutions currently available are capable of providing support for all business types and sizes. Although technology and automation have made compliance much easier, payroll continues to grow in complexity.

Steven M. Phelan

August 11, 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...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

August 11, 2011 

800-536-1099 www.1099-Etc.com   2011 Overall Rating Best Fit Accounting professionals and small businesses who need a value-priced program for after-the-fact payroll & employment tax compliance, as well as firms who prefer locally installed applications to web-based tools. Strengths Good tool for year-end reporting & interim after-the-fact payroll & tax compliance. Electronic wage detail filing is...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 11, 2011 

800-Call ADP (225-5237)  www.accountant.adp.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Firms who manage payroll and compliance needs for multiple client businesses, but who prefer most compliance work to be outsourced. It’s also a good fit for professionals who want to provide human resource tools and workers’ compensation premium payment solutions. Strengths Available in full-service...…

Steven M. Phelan

August 11, 2011 

800-424-9392 www.sageabra.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.5     Best Fit Companies who want a solid on-premises or third-party hosted payroll system with full human resource management capabilities. Strengths Strong payroll capabilities, including support for both U.S. and Canadian payroll. Employee portal module (Sage Employee Self Service). Human resources management functionality is a leader in...…

Steven M. Phelan