Software
2017 Reviews of Professional Tax Preparation Software
Tax compliance systems are a necessity for the busy tax professional that annually has to sift through the latest laws, what may become law, or what is no longer relevant in order to accurately prepare tax forms for their clients.
Aug. 18, 2017
Tax compliance systems are a necessity for the busy tax professional that annually has to sift through the latest laws, what may become law, or what is no longer relevant in order to accurately prepare tax forms for their clients.
For instance, the IRS just decreased the standard mileage reimbursement rate from 54 cents down to 53.5 cents. A minor change, but one that tax professionals need to be aware of. The current administration has also proposed a number of tax changes for 2017, some quite dramatic, including the reduction of federal tax brackets from the current total of seven, down to three; a cap on itemized deductions, and a doubling of the standard deduction for filers. While no one knows if any of these proposed changes will actually go into effect, having the tools in place to handle those changes is paramount.
These are just a few things that can change in the course of a year’s time, and the tax professional is tasked with having the tools necessary to know these potential changes, as well as the hundreds of others that can change.
That’s where tax compliance software comes in. Tax compliance software provides accountants with an arsenal of tools that are designed to help professional accountants stay on top of any changes that may occur. Along with simplifying the form preparation process, these products frequently offer resources such as line-by-line help when preparing a form, portals that are designed to enable tax professionals to easily share completed returns and other documents with clients., and research capabilities that work to simplify the process of preparing hundreds of tax returns for clients.
Similar to last year, we divided the products reviewed in this issue into two categories: Advanced Workflow and Traditional Workflow. While traditional workflow systems are sufficient for smaller firms with less complex workflow issues, the advanced workflow systems work to support multiple tax specialists, multiple locations, and complex business relationships.
We’ve also included a handy chart that offers a quick glance at features that are available in each product, making it easy to pinpoint the ones that may work best with your needs, the needs of your firm, and the needs of your clients.
The products reviewed in this issue are:
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Advanced Workflow Systems |
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Thomson Reuters – GoSystem Tax RS |
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Traditional Workflow Systems |
Specialty Tax Systems
BNA Estate & Gift Tax – 706 and 709 Preparer
Sometimes even the most talented can struggle without the right tools to do the job properly. These tax compliance systems are designed to assist you with doing your job and doing it well; keeping your clients happy in the process.