2020 Review of CCH Axcess Tax

From the 2020 reviews of professional tax preparation systems.

CCH Axcess Tax from Wolters Kluwer is best suited for small to mid-sized accounting firms, but is also suitable for use in corporate tax departments. CCH Axcess Tax is designed for more complex tax returns, and offers complete cloud accessibility, with a mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices. For those who prefer on-premise deployment, CCH recommends CCH ProSystem fx Tax.

What’s New

The majority of this year’s updates in CCH Axcess Tax revolve around electronic filing updates for specific states. In addition, the batch extension program can now process multiple extensions using the Batch Manager function. New federal and state forms have been added including Form 461, Form 965, Form 8991, Form 8992, Form 8993, Form 8994, and Form 8995

Electronic filing capability has also been added for additional states for both individual and business returns. The Tax Projector feature is also offered in the 2019 release, and users can now roll prior year earned income forward from previous years.

Multi-factor authentication has been added to the application, and the diagnostics feature has added some enhancements.

Product Features

CCH Axcess Tax includes an easily navigated user interface, using a ribbon style tool bar that will be familiar to Microsoft Office users. The Quick Access toolbar can be customized to suit the needs of any firm, and the dashboard offers quick access to all related projects, tasks, and related client documents. In addition, the enhanced Return Manager allows users to easily customize the on-screen display to only show needed features. Users will also receive instant notifications when a return needs attention.

CCH Axcess Tax users can create organizers for current and new clients, making it easy to collect all the necessary tax information. Users can print and mail or email the tax organizers to clients, or upload them to the client portal, where they can be accessed by the clients at their convenience. In addition, clients can upload all requested tax documents to the CCH Axcess Portal.

CCH Axcess offers five different return types: Individual, Corporation, Partnership, Fiduciary, Employee Plans and Non-Profit, and uses color-coded data entry to make it easy to identify each particular return type. CCH Axcess also supports multiple screens, so tax preparers can easily view multiple screens simultaneously when preparing a return.  

CCH Axcess Tax offers complete e-filing capability for all supported forms, including federal, state, and local returns. Users can easily check the status of all e-filed returns, viewing alerts and rejections.

CCH Axcess Tax uses autoflow technology which provides automatic identification and import of all client files directly into the tax return being prepared. Digital tax workflow is also available in CCH Axcess Tax, automating the entire tax preparation process by eliminating unnecessary data entry.

CCH Axcess and CCH ProSystem fx are similar applications, with CCH Axcess providing cloud access, while CCH ProSystem fx is offered as an on-premise solution. However, both applications are designed for easy integration with other CCH applications including CCH Axcess Document, which offers complete document management capability, such as a centralized document management and storage capability; CCH eSign which allows clients to easily sign documents electronically, CCH Axcess Workstream, an automated workflow solution that includes both project management and due date tracking capability; CCH Axcess Practice, which offers complete time and billing capability; and CCH Axcess Portal. CCH Axcess Tax also integrates with CCH IntelliConnect, a web-based application from Wolters Kluwer that offers complete tax research capability without the need to leave CCH Axcess Tax, and CCH ProSystem fx applications including CCH ProSystem fx Scan, CCH ProSystem fx Practice Management, and CCH ProSystem fx Document. In addition, CCH Axcess Tax offers complete integration with Microsoft Word, allowing users to customize client correspondence directly in the application.

CCH Axcess offers numerous help and support options. A searchable knowledgebase is available, and users can easily download product enhancements or updates from the website. In addition, CCH Axcess offers product guides, user videos and a community user forum. All registered users have access to telephone support, with email and chat support options available as well.

CCH Axcess Tax is a good fit for small to mid-sized accounting firms that are looking for a cloud-based application that also includes excellent integration with both CCH Axcess and CCH ProSystem fx applications. CCH Axcess is available via subscription, with pricing based on number of users, returns, and applications purchased. Contact Wolters Kluwer directly for a demo or quote.

2020 Rating: 5 Stars

Strengths:

• Excellent integration with other CCH applications
• Streamlined data entry available
• Easy system navigation
• Extensive tax research tools available within the application

Potential Limitations:

• Many features only available by purchasing add-on modules