Thomson Reuters — UltraTax CS

CS.ThomsonReuters.com

 

Product delivery methods:

__x___ On-Premises

_____ SaaS

__x___ Hosted by Vendor

 

BEST FIRM FIT:

Small to mid-sized firms that need advanced workflow functionality. Excellent fit for most full-service tax and accounting firms.

STRENGTHS:

• Integration with other Thomson Reuters CS Suite products, as well as the CheckPoint research suite & many write-up applications
• Hosted & leased versions available as part of Virtual Office CS
• Barcode scanning imports information from W-2s & K-1s for lower complexity returns while supporting complex features requiring manual entry like K-1s with special allocations at the same time
• New for 2010, UltraTax can automatically e-mail clients when returns are accepted for e-filing with tax authorities
• Highest electronic filing acceptance rates for 2008 & 2009 tax years of all products reviewed

POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:

• Scan & organize tools in the Thomson Reuters suite require users to also license FileCabinet CS or GoFileRoom
• Limited support for multi-office firms without using Virtual Office or Citrix/Terminal Services.

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY & PRICING:

UltraTax CS is a good fit for tax practices of all sizes and volumes. Several software delivery options are available to users. Users may elect to receive a traditional disc to load on a PC or server, may download the software directly from Thomson Reuters or, as previously noted, select a hosted solution. Pricing for the traditional CD/download-based option starts at $2,375 for unlimited federal 1040 returns. Other federal and state modules are available on a per-return or unlimited basis. The hosted solutions are available through purchase or lease and are available at a set monthly fee. 

 

4.75 – CORE PRODUCT FUNCTIONS/FEATURES

• ·         Product depth/multi-state
• ·         Navigation/ease of use
• ·         Support for special situations
• ·         Analytical review
• ·         Electronic filing

4.75 – INTEGRATION 

• ·         w/in publisher’s own suite
• ·         w/tax research tools & guidance
• ·         w/other or external programs
• ·         w/practice management
• ·         w/external services

4.5 – PAPERLESS WORKFLOW

• ·         paperless creation
• ·         paperless open items
• ·         paperless review
• ·         access control for limiting access into returns
• ·         digital document storage/mgmt.
• ·         data import/output

4.75 – REMOTE CAPABILITIES

• portal
• remotes access
• 1099 depot
• Outsourced document prep