CPA_Practice_Advisor_June_2020 - 13

TAX PREP SYSTEMS: REVIEW
Drake Tax

www.drakesoftware.com

Drake Tax from Drake Software is
best suited for small to mid-sized
accounting and CPA firms that are
looking for a complete tax solution.
A consistent winner of CPA Practice
Advisor's Reader's Choice Awards
since 2004, Drake Software offers
a variety of tax related solutions
including tax compliance, document management, tax organizers
and complete practice management capability. Drake Tax offers
an on-premise solution that can also be installed and
accessed as a hosted desktop application.

Intuit ProSeries Tax

WHAT'S NEW
For Tax Year 2019, Drake Tax offers numerous additions and enhancements to its already strong tax
application. One of the best additions is the setup
assistant. Anything that makes program navigation
easier for new users is a major bonus, and the setup
assistant does just that, make initial navigation easier,
while also making it easier for return users to update
settings from the prior year. Drake has also added a
new client communications tab for easier sharing of
client result letters. Another new feature is the ability
to print envelopes within Drake Software with the
firm's return address, as well as new customized
options for batch-printing labels, envelopes, and

https://proconnect.intuit.com/proseries/

STRENGTHS:
* Low price point is attractive
to very small to mid-sized
firms
* Offers on-premise and cloud
access
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
* Business returns only
available in more expensive
plan

ProSeries Tax from Intuit is best
suited for small to mid-sized
accounting firms that need to
prepare both personal and business forms for clients. ProSeries
Tax currently offers two plans:
Basic, for firms that only prepare
1040 forms, and Professional, for
firms that need to prepare both
personal and business returns.
ProSeries Basic plan does not currently offer cloud
accessibility, however the Professional plan can be

Dec. 2 & 3

accessed on the cloud for an additional fee.
WHAT'S NEW
New for the 2019 tax year, ProSeries Tax users will
be able to quickly undo or redo previous data entry.
The addition of this features provides users with the
ability to quickly create tax scenarios for clients and
quickly undo them when necessary. Users can now
lock prepared returns in order to eliminate unauthorized changes, with the application able to detect
changes in calculations. When a change is detected,
the e-filing process will be automatically stopped in
order to ensure changes are accurate, with users able

NFERENCE

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21140110

postcards.
The print dialog box has been enhanced, with
options to change font size and adjust print placement for more custom printing capability. In addition,
the client search windows have been enhanced, and
now offer the ability to search for clients by account
number, name, EIN, or Social Security number.

2020 OVERALL RATING

4.75

Read the full review for
this product online at:

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21140107

to then e-file the locked returns.
The eSignature feature has also been updated,
with real time notifications available so users can see
when clients sign documents. The eSignature feature
also includes a status dashboard to check the status
of any document that needs a signature.

TRADITIONAL WORKFLOW SYSTEMS

STRENGTHS:
* Complete practice management and tax preparation
offered
* Excellent help and support
resources.
* Short-cut keys automate
data entry
POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS:
* Limited third-party
integration
* Hosting is required for cloud
access
* No mobile app

2020 OVERALL RATING

http://www.drakesoftware.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21140110 https://proconnect.intuit.com/proseries/ http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21140107 http://www.ensuringsuccess.com

CPA_Practice_Advisor_June_2020

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