CPA Practice Advisor - 11

PRO TAX PREPARATION SYSTEMS: REVIEW

https://taxna.wolterskluwer.com/professional-tax-software/axcess
CCH Axcess Tax from Wolters Kluwer
is well-suited for accounting firms
of all sizes, as well as corporate tax
departments that prepare complex tax
returns. CCH Axcess Tax is completely
cloud-based and offers mobile apps for
both iOS and Android smartphones and
tablets.
The system offers easy navigation,
with the screen resembling Microsoft
Office, and users able to customize
the Quick Access Toolbar to suit their
needs. The dashboard allows users to

track all related projects and tasks, and
provides quick access to client documents and tax return notes, which can
be assigned to a specific staff member.
CCH Axcess Tax supports all U.S.
tax returns including common forms
such as 1040 Individual, 1065 Partnership, 1120 Corporation, 1120S Corporation, 1041 Fiduciary, 706 and 709
Estate and Gift Tax, and 990 Exempt
Organizations. Prior year returns can
also be prepared if necessary, and users
can easily roll forward prior year totals

in order to prepare current year forms.
The system integrates with CCH
Axcess Portal, allowing users and clients to send and receive source documents and other correspondence in a
confidential manner. Users can provide
portal access to clients, who in turn
will need to create their own username
and password in order to access the
portal. The product also integrates
with CCH eSign, which allows clients
to sign documents electronically. It also
links to CCH AnswerConnect, allowing

2019
OVERALL
RATING

users to easily research a variety of
topics without leaving the application.
CCH Axcess is available via
subscription, with pricing dependent
on the user needs and applications
purchased. Those interested in CCH
Axcess Tax should call 1-800-739-9998,
option 1 followed by option 2 for a
personalized quote.

Read the full review
for this product online at:
www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/
21081482

Building the Firm of Tomorrow with CCH Axcess

hris Salisbury knows tech, and as a CPA,
he knows accounting and taxes. But what
really sets his firm apart is how he has
combined the best tech with best practices to
realize better client service and higher profits.
After working for more than a decade at large
regional firms in North Carolina, Chris and his
partner Will Smith grew frustrated with the outdated and inflexible workflow model that most
traditional firms still clung to, so they started Smith
& Salisbury PLLC CPA (www.sands-cpa.com) in
Charlotte in 2002. The full-service firm offers estate
and wealth management planning, personal and
business financial consulting, business startup
services, QuickBooks support, tax compliance
and IRS representation services.
From their firm's earliest days, when it was just the partners and
one administrative assistant, and about $200,000 in billings, Chris
says he kept on the lookout for ways to be more productive, while
improving client service as well. The firm turned to the professional
accounting firm suite, CCH ProSystem fx, from Wolters Kluwer
early on, and started moving to CCH Axcess, the cloud-based
solution from Wolters Kluwer around 2010. Chris says this has
been a critical element of their ability to grow the practice and
increase profitability, while decreasing overhead and improving

client service. Since then, Smith & Salisbury has grown to a staff
of eight, serving nearly 800 clients across all entity types, with
most clients having multiple filing requirements. For 2018, the
firm realized revenues of about $1.7 million and filed more than
1,200 returns and extensions during the 2019 tax season.
"We initially hosted the tax and accounting system, CCH
ProSystem fx, on our own server, so that we would have greater
remote capabilities while still having the professional suite of solutions from CCH," Chris said. "We then made the move to CCH
Axcess, the completely cloud-based system, and use almost the
entire suite of modules that are available on that platform." CCH
Axcess includes modules for tax, document management, client
portals, practice management, workflow management, financials,
data analysis, and predictive analytics. Smith & Salisbury also uses
CCH ProSystem fx Scan and Autoflow, which along with automated scheduling, and the other modules from Wolters Kluwer has
greatly streamlined their tax season. "Firms need to be fairly quick
to adapt new technologies in order to stay
competitive, and CCH Axcess gives us the
ability to serve clients more efficiently."
In October 2018, the firm continued
its evolution by moving to a value-based
fixed price model. As part of this transition, all clients signed fixed pricing agreements for the services the firm would provide, and all clients are required to pay for
those services in advance. The result, he
says, is no more chasing down payments
or collections - imagine zero AR and no
time tracking. The project management

Chris Salisbury, CPA
Smith & Salisbury, PLLC
Location: Charlotte, NC
Website: www.sands-cpa.com

and workflow modules from CCH Axcess were essential to the
success of their transition.
The mobile capabilities of CCH Axcess, combined with the
fixed pricing model, are very popular with the staff and with clients,
Chris notes. The firm's eight staff are encouraged to work remotely
when they want or need to, and the firm provides home office
workstations in addition to office computers, both with multiple
monitor setups (usually four screens) to maximize their productivity. With all staff having this mobile flexibility, even working from
home some days during tax season, Chris says the firm is able to
attract and retain highly-skilled professionals at all levels who want the ability to
work when, and where, they want.
"CCH Axcess has given us the tools
to better serve our clients without being
tied to the office, and helps us reduce the
monotony and headaches of the tedious
aspects of paper shuffling."
Learn how CCH Axcess can help
your firm achieve greater productivity
and profitability at: https://EngageTax.
WoltersKluwer.com/Axcess

Read the 2019 review of CCH Axcess at www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/21081482

JUNE 2019 ■

www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

ADVANCED WORKFLOW SYSTEMS

CCH Axcess Tax from Wolters Kluwer

https://taxna.wolterskluwer.com/professional-tax-software/axcess http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/21081482 http://www.sands-cpa.com http://www.sands-cpa.com https://EngageTax.WoltersKluwer.com/Axcess https://EngageTax.WoltersKluwer.com/Axcess http://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/21081482 http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

CPA Practice Advisor

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