ATX/Kleinrock – Total Kleinrock Office

From the January-March 2007 Review
of Tax Research Systems

ATX/Kleinrock provides tax preparation, accounting, engagement and tax research
solutions to more than 50,000 tax practitioners throughout the United States.
Recently acquired by CCH, ATX/Kleinrock continues in its prior form and operates
as a division of CCH. ATX and Kleinrock, which joined forces in 2002, were built
with goals of providing tax practitioners with affordable and comprehensive
tax preparation and research products to professionals in small to midsize firms,
as well as sole practitioners.

Total Kleinrock Office (TKO) is a bundle of tax research products designed
to integrate with ATX tax products. TKO is included in selected tax preparation
bundles that are available from ATX. TKO is delivered through CD, print and
online components to all subscribers. The online components are primarily reviewed
here, but the CD product has increased functionality, which is noted where appropriate.
The company also noted that its customers prefer the CD product. It includes
Federal TaxExpert, All States TaxExpert, Employment TaxExpert, Federal Archive
Library, State Archive Library, ZillionForms, Unlimited W-2/1099, CCH U.S. Master
Tax Guide: Kleinrock Edition, Quick Answers Library (including CCH 1040 Express
Answers), Business Quick Answers, All States Quick Answers, Complete Tax Online
Library (a collection of seven references in support of 1040, 1041, 1065, 1120,
1120S, 990 and Payroll returns), Kleinrock Tax Bulletins (including the Federal
Tax Bulletin and Employment Tax Briefing), and Kleinrock CPE (which provides
up to 60 hours of tax CPE). For only $660, Total Kleinrock Office delivers 18
separate products worth well over $2,000 if purchased separately.

EASE-OF-USE/SEARCH ROUTINE — 5 Stars
TKO is easy to navigate, and search/browse functions are learned quickly, enabling
users to gain fast access to the system’s many libraries and source materials.
Via its online website, TKO opens to users via the Windows browser. The main
interface screen is well designed and has an intuitive feel, displaying available
online research libraries, Quick Links to recent tax bulletins, template year-end
client letters and special interest topics. The very center of this displays
listings from the Federal Daily Tax Bulletin. At the top of this main (display)
is a toolbar with options for TaxExpert Research, Bulletins, Compliance materials
and other functions.

Although the online system does not provide a “quick search” function
on the opening screen, it does provide users with a variety of ways to access
system information. However, please note that the CD version does offer a quick
search feature. Most users performing routine tasks will likely access the applicable
portfolio from the menu of available research products. These include TaxExpert
products for Federal, State, Employment and Archive, as well as entity-specific
(or tax return-specific) titles, such as the 1120 and 1120S Libraries, Handbooks
and Reference materials. Search options vary depending upon the research product,
but all provide a simplified search utility with the ability to browse through
research documents. Advanced query options are also available, such as the ability
to search across multiple libraries or to utilize the employment of wildcards.

Upon performing a search, TKO returns a linked list of relevant documents.
Within these relevant documents, TKO provides links to cited materials (i.e.,
Internal Revenue Code, Income tax Regulations, etc.). TKO highlights the “searched
for” word, phrase or number within the returned document. When browsing
a library or resources (such as the Internal Revenue Code or Income Tax Regulations),
TKO includes access to the table of contents for the library or resource. Navigation
is fast and intuitive using the supplied buttons and links, including forward
and back.

CONTENT — 4.5 Stars
The primary component of Total Kleinrock Office is the Federal TaxExpert, which
provides 25 volumes of analysis covering codes, regulations, and more than 100,000
cases and rulings. As previously mentioned, TKO’s comprehensive coverage
includes many TaxExpert libraries, Zillion Forms, CCH U.S. Master Tax Guide:
Kleinrock Edition, the various Quick Answers libraries, Complete Tax Online
Library, Tax Bulletins and CPE. Supplementary offerings include current and
proposed Income Tax Regulations; court actions and rulings; the IRS Penalties
Handbooks; income tax treaties; and IRS publications, rulings and procedures.

CUSTOMIZATION — 5 Stars
The online version of TKO offers limited customization functions via the web
browser and includes some helpful amenities, such as the client letter templates.
TKO’s CD version maintains user search histories, while the web-based
version does not. Utilizing the search history, users can re-use the search
at a later date or with another client in mind. TKO does not support automatic
recurring searches.

INTEGRATION/OUTPUT — 5 Stars
TKO integrates with ATX tax products, providing one-click access from the tax
form line to the CCH Master Tax Guide: Kleinrock Edition and TaxExpert. TKO
also allows saving of documents and copying and pasting of documents.

HELP, SUPPORT & UPDATES — 4.5 Stars
TKO includes a comprehensive Help utility for both the CD-based and online versions
of the program. The Help system also provides tips on program operation and
how the user can perform a more effective search on the system. It should be
noted that since the TKO service is not available as an online-only system,
users are required to subscribe to either the monthly or quarterly updates.

2007 Overall Rating: 4.5 Stars