Main functions are navigated via the dashboard, from which you can get to the tax returns, the e-filing area, text and email messaging, and the digital reports.
TaxWise offers both standard tax form entry and interview mode. The interview mode provides guide questions for a new user or new tax preparer working to complete a tax form.
It assists one in filling out the tax information correctly without skipping anything of importance. The diagnostics tool adds an extra layer of accuracy checking to prevent errors that may result in rejected e-filings. A number of help and support options are packaged into your TaxWise subscription. It lets users access the U. Master Tax Guide and primary sources.
All kinds of tutorial and training videos can be explored to expand users' understanding of the software and the tax preparation process. Customer support is available via a Solution Center on the Wolters Kluwer web site.
You can also chat with a virtual representative or call the customer support desk. As for Spanish language support: TaxWise provides over 60 forms and schedules in Spanish. Bilingual customer support is available.
Summary: CrossLink software is pitched at high-volume retail tax preparation businesses. Its flagship product is CrossLink Desktop. An online software version is available, but its web documentation is limited—you will need to try the demo to learn its features.
CrossLink markets itself as a professional software solution for high-volume tax return preparation. It is available on desktop and online platforms. The flagship desktop version, CrossLink , is designed for processing individual income tax returns. If you want to prepare business returns, you have several options. You can try contacting CrossLink directly to see if there has been any update.
The chart includes price adjustments made to reflect the true costs of each package. The prices shown on the CrossLink web site will differ because the various costs are listed separately.
So the price on the chart above reflects the price of the desktop software in addition to the business tax software. CrossLink features an attractive interface that should appeal to the tech inclined. The desktop program needs to be installed on a computer with a Windows 8 or Windows 10 operating system.
It provides the usual set of digital tools for tax preparation. The software aims to increase the efficiency of tax return processing while maintaining a high degree of accuracy. It conveniently leads you straight to data entry errors to ensure you won't end up with an unacceptable return. If you have an EFIN, you can use the program for e-filing. You will be able to view IRS acknowledgements and rejections soon after they take place. CrossLink supports automatic tax calculators that can handle all states, all city tax returns and home-based business filing for Schedules A, C, E, F, and K-1, plus Forms and CrossLink Business is available in a joint package with the desktop software.
This professional tax solution works to streamline the process of calculating tax forms for your corporate clients. It is meant to be used by tax offices that handle high volumes of returns. One nifty feature is the project management dashboard for accessing multi-office tax preparation tasks. You can set up sub-sites that can all be supervised from a single location. You can view all returns processed to help your tax preparation business maintain quality assurance.
The software supports data entry via electronic signature pads and handheld scanners. You can scan tax documents and associate them with a specific client's tax return. This can make it easier for you to run a paper-light or paperless office.
CrossLink emphasizes the scalability of its online software. It promises to support a tax business as it grows from a single office to a multi-office company. CrossLink Online can be used on various devices that have broadband Internet access. You can use the software on desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile devices.
The CrossLink web site does not provide too many details about the online software's features. You should check out the CrossLink Online demo to learn more about what the product can do. The demo is available on the product page on the vendor's site. If you subscribe to a CrossLink package, you get free access to a couple of mobile apps for iPhones or Android phones.
One is a Taxpayer mobile app that is meant to be used by your clients. One is an ERO app that you can use for tax office management. The company provides technical support through phone, fax and email. The official website provides various product and training videos these are hosted on YouTube.
Summary: ProSeries Basic is restricted to s only, which feels too limiting given the product's price point. ProSeries Professional supports individual and business returns.
Cloud hosting is available as an add-on to ProSeries Professional for an additional fee. Intuit is a well-known company in the accounting world. It is best known for its QuickBooks software, a widely-used application among accounting offices.
Intuit ProSeries includes a data transfer feature for QuickBooks offices. The question remains: does this feature set ProSeries apart from other professional tax software options? Simply put, a tax pro will be able to transfer data directly from the QuickBooks desktop program to the ProSeries desktop version. In both cases, a data verification process remains necessary—and that verification process can take a fair amount of time.
By itself, the data transfer feature is not enough to place ProSeries ahead of other tax software options. A cloud hosting service is available to ProSeries Professional subscribers for an additional fee. The service is not offered to ProSeries Basic users. ProSeries Basic is quite limited as detailed below. Tax preparers will get more out of ProSeries Professional, which offers QuickBooks data transfers, support for multi-user access and a Schedule K-1 import feature.
ProSeries Basic only provides Form filing. Most tax preparers will find this inadequate for servicing the needs of a diverse clientele. As many as survey respondents said that they switched from ProSeries to a different taxes software for professional purposes—with the majority going to UltraTax or Drake.
One key deciding factor for any purchaser is value for price. ProSeries Basic 20 lets you file up to 20 returns only. Basic 50 lets you file up to ProConnect Tax Online is a cloud-based tax preparation platform. Users pay per e-filed return, with the price varying depending on the volume of returns. If you plan to e-file over forms in a single tax year, you may be eligible for special pricing—call Intuit customer service to discuss it. ProSeries Professional is a tax preparation solution that includes support for 3, tax forms and schedules.
You have to call an number and speak with a sales representative about the pricing of these options. For your information, ProSeries Choice is offered only to new customers.
Getting it will update your ProSeries subscription to the network version. This will enable file sharing and synchronization for all users of your ProSeries subscription. Essentially, the Network Sharing feature enables multi-user access to your ProSeries application.
As previously noted, a cloud hosting service can be added to your ProSeries Professional account. If you get this add-on, you will have to pay a monthly subscription to use it. Once you purchase it, you will automatically be charged the subscription fee every month unless you call customer service to cancel it. The actual subscription price of the cloud service is not stated on the Intuit website.
You need to call Intuit customer service or request an online consultation to initiate a discussion on the subscription pricing. Intuit provides a cloud-based professional tax preparer software option. ProConnect Tax Online is accessible via any standard web browser.
According to customer reviews on TrustRadius, ProConnect demonstrates accuracy and ease of use, but the software has a clunky interface and it is not a good fit for processing a high volume of returns. ProConnect lets you use the software and pay per return e-filed. You have a choice of several pay-per-return packages, which charge variably depending on volume of returns. ProConnect offers packages for individual returns and for business returns. ProSeries subscribers enjoy access to Intuit's reliable help and support resources.
The official Intuit website hosts a Customer Help Center. You can check it out to find useful information about ProSeries. You can also request help from a live community of ProSeries users. Telephone, email and chat support options are also available, with customer support costs bundled into the ProSeries software pricing.
For a more comprehensive corporate tax solution, you want to get TaxSlayer Pro Premium for desktop or the Corporate add-on for Web.
The packages and prices are still the same. The professional tax software is available in three versions: Classic, Premium and Web. All three versions include free unlimited e-filing for tax preparers with an EFIN. TaxSlayer Pro Web alone works better for individual tax return filing.
Getting the Corporate add-on will provide you with corporate tax return preparation software. Pricing is not stated. TaxSlayer Pro Classic is software for the tax preparer who files a lot of individual tax forms. It includes support for unlimited Form processing and free unlimited e-filing. All State returns are included. Classic also supports the following forms: , , , , , , S, Other features of TaxSlayer Pro Classic include online bank integration, cloud-based reporting, multiple user access, a client retention database and an IRS refund estimation tool.
TaxSlayer Pro Premium offers the same features as Classic, and also includes corporate tax software. Basically, this package is for the tax preparer who needs more advanced software tools that can help you deal with the special needs of corporate tax returns. Premium adds paperless office solutions. You can scan and save documents as digital files. You can export and save tax returns in the PDF file format.
Clients can use the mobile app or the client portal to securely send electronic documents to your tax practice. Premium also provides an adpack with printable media you can brand with your company name—promotional handouts, direct mail templates and promotional e-mail templates. TaxSlayer Pro Web is a cloud-based application that has the same features as Premium, except it does not include corporate tax software.
This version is ideal for tax pros who work remotely, or who require more mobility. TaxSlayer Pro Web works in your browser. You can access it anywhere as long as you have a broadband internet connection. The TaxSlayer Pro website hosts a searchable information base with solutions to problems related to their desktop and cloud-based software.
Customers can also check out instructional videos and help articles, or access complimentary email and live phone support. Summary: TaxAct Professional Edition provides desktop solutions that include a Bundle for filing individual federal returns. To file business returns, you can purchase the Complete Bundle. It does not offer an online software version. TaxAct used to emphasize its scalable pricing coupled with its low-cost Pay-Per-Return version of its Professional Edition. It appears to highlight its TaxAct Professional bundles.
It looks like TaxAct is adjusting its product offerings, or at least making changes to its marketing strategy. If you want to go with the PPR version, you will have to call a TaxAct sales agent to find out what they can offer.
You can also purchase Professional Federal Editions. This will add support for an unlimited number of Federal tax forms. Available forms include , , , , S and State returns are not included with the Professional Federal Editions and must be purchased separately. Available State Editions include , , , and S. If you have used TaxAct Professional Edition before, the current iteration will be very familiar. It offers the usual e-filing, tax planning tools, professional report tools and a client manager.
Software Assistants make it easy to figure out what to do. The Assistants guide the user through the tax return data entry process. You can get help from a topics assistant and a stock assistant. An import wizard provides a tool to quickly transfer data from a different software application. The TaxAct Bundle gives you unlimited Federal return e-filing. The bundle also includes all State s.
The base Bundle limits you to a single user license, but you can purchase a Enterprise Bundle that adds multi-user networking, online data backup and an optional cloud storage service for your files. Both Bundles are geared toward tax pros who file a high volume of returns. The tax preparer who needs to file other types of tax returns will have two options. One option is to purchase Professional Federal Editions as they are needed.
Purchasing a Federal Edition adds support to your choice of the following forms: , , , , S, Another option is to purchase the Complete Bundle.
It supports unlimited e-filing of , , , S, and Federal returns along with all State returns. Again, the base bundle limits you to a single user license.
The Complete Enterprise Bundle will give you multi-user networking, online data backup and an optional cloud storage solution. Technical support is available through phone and email. Customers can also consult a tax pro knowledge base hosted on the TaxAct website. TaxAct Professional features bank product integration with the Republic Bank refund transfer program. Summary: Olt Pro started out as a cloud-based tax preparation solution, but now it also offers desktop software.
It could stand to be more user-friendly. Not ideal for high volumes of corporate returns. Olt Pro started out as a web-based tax preparation platform. It has also developed a desktop version with similar capabilities. If you have been using Olt Pro, you will find that it has not changed greatly compared to last year.
This goes for both the online and desktop applications. Olt Pro 25 Return is available as a web application only. This product is best suited for tax preparers who handle a low volume of returns. It will only allow you to register up to 25 e-filings with the IRS. Olt Pro 25 supports individual , NR, , S, , , , , and filing along with all state tax returns. E-filing is free. With this plan, you also get free customer support and a multi-user setup. Olt Pro 25 Return certainly has attractive features.
But the limit on returns is too restrictive for most tax practices, and makes it difficult to expand your client base.
It is up to you to decide whether this undercuts its value for your tax office. The flagship product appears to be Olt Pro Web. As the name suggests, it is a web-only application. You get the same functionality as Olt Pro 25 Return, with the addition of support for unlimited returns. You also get business and corporate tax forms under this plan. Olt Pro Web has a fast working interface with a clean, spare UI. While this minimalist interface is quick-loading, it appears to be lacking in guidance features.
During the data entry process in form mode, you can be presented with a large number of options. It can be confusing to a new tax preparer. If you are a seasoned tax pro, this might not be an issue. Overall, this web-based tax preparation software is fast and feature-heavy, but can be confusing and awkward to use.
Olt Pro Desktop is, of course, the desktop version of Olt Pro Web, though it does add several helpful features. These include corporate income tax filing, data backup to your computer , networking capability and a document manager.
It can only be installed on Windows computers. The desktop software gives users a choice of data entry modes. It offers the usual direct data entry mode. Users can also opt to use Olt Pro Desktop's interview mode.
This mode can assist tax pros with conducting client consultations. It can guide them on getting all the information they need. And afterwards, enter that info into the correct data fields on the client's tax return.
One question is, why does the web application lack so many of the features that come with the desktop software? It is possible that Olt Pro, which started out as a web-based solution, has a large number of Olt Pro Web users.
Perhaps the company needs to make its desktop product comparatively more appealing. Another question is, why does the data backup feature store the backup in your computer? It would be better to employ a cloud-based backup solution. This seems like an odd choice for a company that began as a web application provider. Customer service includes toll-free phone support, remote support online , and email support.
Olt Pro also provides access to a web-hosted knowledge base with answers to various tax questions. Olt Pro's website shows that all products include support for bank products. But the bank product providers are not specified. Summary: Tax professionals software that provides a large number of IRS forms and schedules including most business tax forms. It lacks an online application. Best suited for tax pros who require regular access to a wide variety of tax forms. Connect with a TurboTax specialist and get real-time help with how to use our tax software.
Hand off your taxes to a tax expert. Your expert will handle everything, start to finish Tax experts will prepare your return and make sure you get every deduction you qualify for. TurboTax Blog. Milo from Alberta So relieved "Taxes are no fun but necessary. Angelina from Toronto, ON Super helpful "The tax expert we spoke with seemed very knowledgeable and was super friendly. There can be quite a difference in price, though, as you'll see in comparing costs of the versions of the software or web app that you would need to use the T1 tax form for a sole proprietorship or partnership.
All prices are in Canadian dollars. TurboTax is a user-friendly Canadian tax software program that lets you prepare your income taxes easily and quickly. The EasyStep Interview leads you through the tax preparation process by asking questions in plain English, and tax planning is a snap because of the ability to run multiple tax scenarios, and features such as the capital gains analyzer and incorporation analyzer. Desktop editions:. Online editions:.
The online editions do not do incorporate T2 returns. Mobile editions:. Note that for sole proprietors all versions provide the basic T form statement of business activities for nonincorporated businesses. For those that need it, the more expensive editions provide "expert guidance" in the form of an extended interview format for self-employment income and expenses. Import options : TurboTax desktop will import data from QuickBooks.
TaxTron used to be GriffTax and is still the only fully functional user-friendly Canadian tax preparation software available in both individual T1 and corporate T2 versions for both the MacOS and Windows. All versions are quick, easy, and fully bilingual, using a step-by-step approach to guide you through the tax preparation and filing process. Editions :. Import options : None. This Canadian tax software has two things going for it. The first is that GenuTax is free—and that includes future annual updates.
The website asks that users pay by modest donation. The second is that you can prepare and file up to 20 tax returns for the current tax year and the past tax year. Some other tax preparation software programs designed for public use allow you to do fewer returns. As is common, you work through an interview process to complete your tax return. The downside?
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