December 2011 - CPA Practice Advisor

Skip to main content

In this issue

redmoon_10452540

Red Moon Solutions LLC – Fixed Assets Manager

800-224-1260 www.redmoonsolutions.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit In-house by organizations with extensive asset management needs, including multi-location and multi-departmental entities, or by accounting firms providing services to such clients. Strengths Exceptional reporting Integration with ERPs & with Vertex for corporate compliance Broad customization options Multi-entity consolidation functions Extensive calculations Installed & hosted options […]

wasp_10452537

Wasp Barcode Technologies – MobileAsset

214-547-4100 www.waspbarcode.com 2011 Overall Rating 4 Best Fit Businesses needing to track mobile assets, such as tools, equipment and vehicles, including scheduling and check-in/out features. Strengths Excellent location tracking capabilities Built-in barcode scanning support Intuitive interface Potential Limitations Limited to a single book per asset No compliance reporting for FASB 109, Sec. 179, IRS […]

proware_10452501

Pro-Ware, LLC — Asset Keeper

402-861-8800 www.ProWare-CPA.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Asset Keeper is best geared toward public practices managing medium to large dynamic asset bases for multiple clients with multi-tiered organizational structures, and who have need for mass asset edit/acquisition/disposal capabilities. Strengths Designed specifically for public accountants Excellent reporting & output options Strong asset life features, […]

istock_000016734838large_10452382

Taxes

Today’s Tax Research Vendors Embrace Mobility

Today’s tax, accounting and legal professionals are under a constant stream of knowledge exchanges. Clients call, email and text their respective professionals with a variety of scenarios and demand quick answers. The professionals are then left to work out the details and are often left scratching their heads on where to turn next.

intuit_blue_10446803

Intuit — TaxAlmanac

www.taxalmanac.org TaxAlmanac is a free online tax research resource designed for tax professionals. It is a wiki site and largely depends on tax professionals creating and sharing knowledge. A wiki site is simply a collection of web pages developed and maintained through volunteer collaboration, the most popular of which is Wikipedia. TaxAlmanac is simple in […]

intuit_10452380

Intuit —Tax Research for Lacerte and ProSeries

800-200-7599 lacerte.intuit.com/products/tax-research proseries.intuit.com/products/tax-research 2011 Overall Rating 4.5 BEST FIT Tax practices currently utilizing the Lacerte or ProSeries tax solutions. STRENGTHS Powered by Google Enterprise Search Engine helps to find the answer quickly All-inclusive pricing with no additional fees for network use or multiple users No separate product to load or login to Strong […]

cch_10452381

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business — IntelliConnect

888-224-7377 CCHGroup.com 2011 Overall Rating 5 BEST FIT Tax, accounting and legal professionals who need a wide range of research options. STRENGTHS New categorized view groups data in easy-to-use chunks Up to 8 simultaneous searches on one screen Multiple ways of getting the same answer POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS Integration only achieved with solutions in the […]

tr_10452379

Thomson Reuters Checkpoint

800-950-1216 YourCheckpoint.ThomsonReuters.com 2011 Overall Rating 5 BEST FIT Tax and accounting professionals that prefer a uniform platform for tax and accounting research STRENGTHS High level of user-specific customization Single platform for multiple primary, proprietary & third-party research content providers Strong search capabilities POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS Based on subscription level, users may experience content overload […]

bna_10452378

BNA, Inc. — BNA Tax and Accounting Center

800-372-1033 www.bna.com 2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Tax, accounting and legal professionals who want the practitioner view as well an an editorial view of tax law. Strengths Research portfolios authored by respected practitioners & educators Clean, easy-to-use interface High level of program & newsletter customization Potential Limitations No native integration with third-party tax […]

intuit_proseriesfam_10452498

Intuit — ProSeries Fixed Asset Manager

800-934-1040 http://proseries.intuit.com/products/fam 2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Professionals using the ProSeries tax compliance system, whose clients have increasing asset bases and moderately complex depreciation strategies and needs. The program can also be used as a stand-alone with the tax package. Strengths Direct integration with the ProSeries compliance system Intuitive interface & navigation […]

bna_10452495

BNA Software – BNA Fixed Assets DesktopPro

800-424-2938 www.bnasoftware.com 2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Professional firms managing multiple clients with varying asset bases and depreciation needs. It’s also a good fit for large enterprises or government entities with complex asset management needs. Strengths Global/group/departmental edit capabilities Wizards for asset life management/mass actions Multi-entity consolidations Strong customization options Potential Limitations […]

cch_famtaxwiseatx_10452485

CCH Small Firm Services — Fixed Asset Manager for TaxWise & ATX

800-681-1750; www.taxwise.com 800-681-1752; www.atxinc.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.25 Best Fit Small to medium sized firms that are looking for an easy-to-use asset management system that provides flexible reporting for clients with evolving asset management needs, including multi-departmental and geographical locations. Strengths Easy to use Supports all common depreciation methods Customizable reporting, including output […]

sage_10452482

Sage Software — FAS 100

800-368-2405 www.sagefas.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Mid-sized or larger organizations, or professional firms managing the assets of such entities, who have increasingly complex asset depreciation needs and departmental management requirements. Strengths Excellent customization & assistive features Global edit capabilities Support for all asset types & disposal needs Strong reporting options & […]

moneysoft_10452477

MoneySoft — Fixed Asset Pro

800-966-7797 www.moneysoft.com Best Fit Fixed Asset Pro is best suited to medium to large organizations or firms managing their assets and who have asset management strategies of moderate complexity. Strengths Excellent data import & export capabilities Robust reporting & customization Ability to manage any number of entities & assets Potential Limitations No integrated RFID or […]

tr_fixedassetscs_10452475

Thomson Reuters — Fixed Assets CS

800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com 2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Firms serving multiple clients with moderate to complex asset bases and depreciation needs, particularly those firms using other programs in the CS Professional Suite. Strengths Mass edits across groups, departments & global User-friendly wizards for many tasks Simplified splits, disposals & consolidations Good user customization […]

cch_prosystemfx_10452469

CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business – ProSystem fx Fixed Assets

800-PFX-9998 www.tax.cchgroup.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit Firms with clients whose asset bases are large or complex, or potentially distributed across multiple geographical locations, particularly those using other components of the ProSystem fx Suite. Strengths Comprehensive capabilities for all depreciation methods & treatments Wizards for performing mass asset life events such as […]

depreciation_10452549

Technology

Effective Asset Management is More than Depreciation

If you’re reading this review, then you have more than a passing interest in fixed assets … if such a thing is possible. After all, in the glamorous world of tax and accounting, few things may inspire more eye rolls from clients than talking about effective depreciation strategies and methods such as MACRS, ACRS, straight-line, etc. Yet, as a professional, you understand that what they don’t know can indeed hurt them.

2011nov07_sleeter2011_042_10452376

Technology

Barcoding: It’s Not Just For Retail Anymore

Barcodes belong on a grocery store shelf. That’s the common attitude toward this 60-year-old technology. Consumers have long accepted barcodes as the preferred method for a quick checkout at the grocery or department store.

darren_root_022709_10432593

Technology

Strive to ‘Think Differently’ … Remembering Steve Jobs

Column: My Perspective

2011holidaygiftguidecover2_10454147

Technology

Gifts, Gadgets and Tech for the Holidays

From Geeky to Chic, A Gadget for Everyone on Your List!

george_inoffice_10431074

Technology

Giving Back to the Community

The Watkins team brings anti-bullying program, Operation Nice, to local schools. This month’s Great Practice profile is unlike any other. Our spotlighted firm was selected based not on innovation in technology, branding or website (though they certainly exhibit all this in spades), but rather for the firm’s commendable effort to give back to the community.

blumer_jason_column_teaching_2_10439060

How Motivation & Opportunity Disguise Themselves

Column: The Change Agent

kristyshort_bw_2011_10438934

Marketing at a Pace You Can Handle

Marketing is still a fairly new concept for firms. In the minds of most, marketing is a task of overwhelming proportions. However, it doesn’t have to be.