CFS Tax Research is a research program that provides primary tax-related documents, including code, government publications, regulations, rulings and procedures, a stand-alone California tax research program, and linked access to the tax authorities for other states. The system costs $149 for a single-user license ($139 for renewals), which includes four quarterly updates. CFS also now offers its tax research product in an online version at the same cost per year. A network upgrade for the CD version costs $50; additional users of the online version cost $20 each. (The company noted that it now has online versions of its Tax Research, California Research and Audit & Collections software. The online versions are similar to the CD versions but offer some different features.)
EASE OF USE – 5 Stars
The product’s interface provides
task icons, toolbars, pull-down
menus and a search field across
the top of the screen, with the
primary workspace below offering
a tabbed window that shows all available
research libraries. Movement between
libraries, the main library menu
and other sections of the program
is very simple, with browser-like
forward and back arrows accompanying
the tabbed windows to ease navigation.
These tabbed fields include Document,
Browse, Search, HitList, Contents
and All, and generally provide different
methods for viewing a particular
retrieved document, whether through
a variety of menu and contents-based
structures, by returned search hits
presented in the HitList, or if
performing a search of that document.
Recently performed queries are saved
in the query pull-down list that
resembles a web browser address
bar.
Retrieved documents are opened within
the main screen and, when viewing
through the Contents or Browse tabs,
provide a table of contents list
in a pane to the left, allowing
jumping to specific document sections.
Screen presentation can also be
adjusted using various window-tiling
options. The materials are opened
in whole on a single screen, allowing
users to scroll down through the
entire document (or collection of
documents). As an example, when
opening the Internal Revenue Code
library, the entire Revenue Code
opens in a very long, albeit scrollable
document. The program allows searching
multiple libraries simultaneously,
as well as tagging specific areas
of documents and copying and pasting
of materials. Individual research
document collections provide varying
search techniques, allowing users
to perform simple searches or to
search by publication number, chapter,
court, case number or keywords.
Tax Research’s built-in Help
utility provides good assistance
with general navigation, customization
and functions, and the system includes
a tutorial. Phone and web-based
technical support are included at
no additional cost.
CONTENT – 4 Stars
CFS Tax Research includes primary,
government-produced materials, including
the Internal Revenue Code, IRS and
SSA publications, U.S. Tax Treaties,
Regulations, Revenue Rulings and
Procedures, Circular 230, Letter
Rulings and Technical Advice Memos,
the IRS Penalty Handbook, new legislation
and tax laws, and court opinions.
The system does not provide analysis
of tax law, nor does it provide
state tax materials, with the exception
of a separate California research
program. However, it does offer
a built-in linked directory to the
web sites and contact information
of state taxing authorities. In
addition to the program’s
updates, an Online Supplement link
provides web-based access to recent
publications or changes in the research
materials.
INTEGRATION – 3 Stars
CFS Tax Research allows exporting
of documents into generic text,
Microsoft Word or WordPerfect formatted
documents, as well as copying and
pasting of selections into other
documents or Windows programs. However,
it does not directly integrate with
tax preparation or other programs.
CUSTOMIZATION – 3.5 Stars
The program automatically saves
queries into a search list that
can be reused and allows tagging
of records for later retrieval of
the information. Tax Research also
allows customization of the various
toolbars and windows, as well as
how the HitList and other components
are displayed. The program eases
searching and saving of searches,
but since the program is only periodically
updated, it does not enable automatic
recurring searches or tailoring
of content to meet specific practice
specialties.
UPDATES – 4 Stars
CFS Tax Research, CD version, offers
quarterly updates. The research
libraries in the online version
of the system are maintained and
updated by CFS on a weekly basis.
RELATIVE VALUE – 4.5 Stars
I am pleased to see that CFS is
embracing more web-based content
for its Tax Research program. With
the volatility of tax law and the
growing number of update CDs on
the shelves of many professionals,
this is certainly welcome. At $149
for new subscribers, the system
is a great bargain, offering a friendly
interface and a strong collection
of primary federal tax and related
governmental resources. But professionals
need to weigh whether they are in
need of expert analysis or state
tax research capabilities since
this product does not offer such.
2005 OVERALL RATING: 4 Stars
The products were reviewed based
on the following criteria:
-
Ease of Use. This section explores navigation features, including accessibility of primary search tools and functions. As
well, the ability to save common
searches or specific results,
or copy and paste contents of
documents, adds to ease of use.
Higher scores in this area reflect
a comfortable, easy-to-use interface
that provides intuitive access
to key functions. - Content. This section points out the research libraries available, including federal and state sources. It also identifies what type of content is available: primary sources such as code and rulings, as well as expert analysis and insight. A higher score here is earned by products with a comprehensive array of federal resources, including the availability of state research products. Research analysis is also considered, although not all professionals will seek such guidance.
- Integration. This section observes the ability of the software to work with tax preparation or write-up programs to automatically find areas of potential relevancy within the research, as well as
the ability to attach or link
saved research results to appropriate
client files. Programs receiving
better marks in this category
make working between tax preparation,
write-up and the research program
more efficient. - Customization. This section covers the ability of the programs to organize specific areas or subscribe to only specific areas, which allows practitioners to narrow down research content to only those areas relevant to their practice. A mountain of research is available; products scoring well in this section provide good sorting and personalization methods that enable users to tailor the program to meet their needs.
- Updates. With constantly changing tax law, the currency of information can be crucial. This section looks at how often research libraries are updated and by what method: CD, online automatic. Few practitioners enjoy performing software updates. As such, this section identifies
the frequency and ease with which
product updates are performed,
with automatic, schedulable and
online update capabilities receiving
better marks. - Relative Value. This section offers the reviewer’s subjective opinion of the “bang for the buck.”
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