1099 Express — 1099 Express & W-2 Express

Although both programs have a spreadsheet-like
grid and the look and feel of Excel,
they are stand-alone programs, and
do not require Excel or any other
programs.

The programs open to a spreadsheet
list of payees for a specific client,
which can be chosen using the Open
Folder icon on the toolbar. The
spreadsheet shows sortable columns
for each of the lines on the related
tax form (1099, W-2), which fills
the screen somewhat awkwardly but
provides instant viewing of all
data without having to actually
open the form for a payee. Columns
can be re-sized to view user-specific
data more easily.

Client/payer information is entered
through a tabbed window accessed
through the Company button, where
users can access and edit existing
clients, open a different one, or
add new clients. When a company
database is selected, its payees
appear in the spreadsheet list,
where double-clicking on an entry
will open the form for that recipient.
Data entry is performed directly
on replicas of the actual form,
which helps with the comfort level
for users. A simple checkbox on
the form during data entry enables
a feature that automatically calculates
W-2 FICA amounts.

Both programs
provide good features, including
an audit report, search tools, the
ability to print test pages on plain
or form paper, and the ability to
copy and paste data directly from
external spreadsheets. The toolbar
icons include mouse- over information
that helps new or infrequent users
find appropriate functions.

Reporting
& Import/Export Capabilities-
5 Stars

Both 1099 Express and W-2 Express
can import data from Excel, and
users can copy and paste spreadsheet
data as well. This support enables
drawing data from delimited and
fixed text files, as well as *.CSV,
dBase, Lotus, Quattro and Works
formats. It also allows you to retrieve
data from QuickBooks, Access, Peachtree
and any other programs that can
save to Excel format. The programs
include sample Excel and Access
files to help demonstrate the import
process. 1099 Express and W-2 Express
report import data errors and allow
edits, which are performed directly
on the form replicas.
The programs support all Windows-compatible
printers and can be used to print
on pre-printed forms or can print
approved laser-generated forms on
blank paper.

Support
for Paperless Transmission – 4 Stars

The 1099 Express and W-2 Express
programs can be used to file these
forms magnetically or electronically
with the SSA and IRS. The programs
guide users through the process
of entering data and saving it to
disk or uploading the files. The
company also offers a service bureau
through which it files 1099 records
electronically for $75 (for the
first client file) and only $50
for subsequent files, regardless
of the number of payees for each
client.

Help/Training
– 3.5 Stars

1099 Express and W-2 Express host
decent table of contents-style help
utilities, as well as production-focused
help capabilities such as mouse
over information and right-click
menus for cutting and pasting. The
company does not offer training,
but sample data files help explain
many of the processes. Free support
is included with the software license.

Relative
Value – 4 Stars

Both of these programs are available
for download from the company’s
web site, as well as demonstration
versions, which are complete working
programs with limited printing capabilities.
The fully operational demonstration
versions allow users to test importing,
printing, data entry, data validation
and reporting before their purchase.
If a user likes Excel, this software
will instantly feel like home. The
programs are best suited to smaller
professional practices but are inexpensive
and easy enough for use in-house
by small businesses.

2004 OVERALL RATING: 4

For this review section, we scored
the reviewed products on the following:

Usability/Navigation, which covers ease-of-use; number of clients and form recipients; primary navigation tools; and general operation of the program, including data entry.

Reporting & Import/Export Capabilities focuses on managerial tasks, printing functions and data transfer between the program
and spreadsheets and other applications
such as payroll and AP modules.

Support for Paperless Transmission. With increasing state and federal requirements for magnetic or electronic transmission of W-2s and 1099s, as well as the cost and timesaving benefits of minimizing printing, we considered the capabilities of these programs to perform paperless transmission of year-end returns.

Help/Training looks at built-in help utilities such as right-click menus and tutorials,
external help tools such as online
support centers and functionality,
as well as productivity tools and
training options.

Relative Value provides the reviewer’s subjective opinion of what the user gets for the price. There is some variance in the pricing of the programs in this review, but it is not very wide. Value, of course, is not exclusively related to cost. However, sometimes the best deal is not the cheapest, and sometimes the most expensive option does not provide the best function.

The Overall Rating represents a comprehensive view of how a product scored in the above
categories, and is the average of
those scores rounded to the nearest
half-star.