Page 345 - JoFA_2022

TAX / TECHNOLOGY

Overall ratings

All products ATX CCH Axcess Tax CCH ProSystem fx Drake Tax Lacerte ProSeries UltraTax CS

Overall rating 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.2 4.6 4.3 4.2 4.2
How easy was the update/installation process? 4.6 4.6 4.0 4.3 4.8 4.5 4.8 4.4
How easy was the software to use? 4.2 4.4 3.7 3.9 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.1
How well did it handle updates during tax season? 4.3 4.5 3.9 3.9 4.8 4.2 4.3 4.2
How well did it handle transfers of data within returns? 4.2 4.1 3.7 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.4
How easy was electronic filing? 4.7 4.6 4.5 4.6 4.8 4.8 4.7 4.6
How well did it handle multistate business returns?* 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.2
How well did it integrate with your accounting and other
software? 3.4 2.9 3.6 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.5 3.6
Rate your software’s conversion package. † 4.1 4.2 3.3 3.7 4.4 4.1 4.5 4.0
How easy was it to import data? 3.5 3.1 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6
Would you recommend it to someone starting a tax
practice?** 80.7% 90.4% 61.7% 70.3% 97.0% 83.0% 88.1% 70.7%

Numeric ratings are the average for each product’s users on a 1–5 scale, with 5 being the best.
* Based on 999 respondents who filed multistate business returns and gave a rating.
† Based on 344 respondents who ran a conversion package and gave a rating.
** Percentage of each product’s users who answered “yes.”

prepared by users of both CCH Axcess Tax and firms tend to favor certain products over others.
CCH ProSystem fx. Business returns represented Nearly 94% of ATX users had made the decision
closer to the average of 10% of returns prepared by to use it, followed closely by ProSeries at 93% and
users of other products, with Drake and ProSeries Drake Tax at 92.7%. CCH Axcess Tax users were
at 5.3% and 4.8%, respectively. the most likely to have not been involved in the
Most respondents — 74% of the total number of decision at 28.8%.
users of the seven major products — were the sole
person responsible for choosing their tax software, GENERAL PERFORMANCE
with another 16.2% having some input into the Only Drake Tax users gave the product an average
decision. Naturally, the “deciders” were more overall rating significantly above the average for
concentrated in the smaller firms, and, again, small all major products (4.6, versus 4.3 for all major

IN BRIEF updates, and ease of e-filing but liked those products’ price, but price
low marks for integration with other was a pronounced dislike for users of
■ CPA tax preparers using seven return software. Lacerte also was highly rated CCH Axcess Tax, CCH ProSystem fx,
preparation software products in the for ease of e-filing. Lacerte, and UltraTax CS.
2022 tax season gave those products ■ CCH Axcess Tax and CCH ProSystem ■ A large majority of respondents said
an average rating of 4.3 out of 5. fx were well liked by their users for their tax software operated on their
Drake Tax, used predominantly by those products’ number of forms own hard drive or network, little
single-preparer and small firms, had and comprehensiveness, and CCH changed from two years ago. Most
high ratings for ease of updating ProSystem fx users liked its accuracy. respondents using technical support
and installation, how well it handled Users of Drake Tax, ATX, and ProSeries obtained it by telephone.

28 | Journal of Accountancy August 2022