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Time-savings tax-software features are fueling efficiency, accuracy and speed.
For tax season 2005, software vendors, like the automakers, are touting speed. Many new features are designed to shave time off the preparation of every individual and business tax return.
Time-saving tools include the ability to quickly move from one screen to the next, access to more state and federal tax forms and the ability to automatically populate data from a client's W-2 to their 1040.
For example, Drake Software has updated its data-entry module to conform to Microsoft Windows. The new module, available on all its tax packages including individual, corporation and partnership returns, will be natural for Windows users, says Tim Hubbs. president and CEO of the Franklin, N.C.-based company.
"We are bringing the software to be more in line with what's already in the market." notes Hubbs. "In my view, the old version can't be beat in terms of speed. The new one will be more intuitive for people accustomed to Windows functions."
For a lot of users, speed is important, but not just in operating the software. And here's where Drake's tech on the support line counts, says Sharon Falardeau, an Enrolled Agent in Woodburn, Ore., who switched to Drake from Orrtax last tax season. Falardeau, who prepares about 200 returns a season, calls Drake approximately once a week during tax season. "They're so quick," Falardeau says, "I call rather than spend the two or three minutes to look it up on the computer." She contrasted that with her previous supplier, Orrtax, who would put her on hold for 30 minutes during the 2004 tax season. Also, she continues, "Drake's software is user friendly and for the same $ 1,000, I receive extra features that I didn't have before," An Orrtax spokesperson says that glitches in both the Orrtax and Internal Revenue Service computers produced a high-volume of inquires last year and the problems have been eliminated.
Similarly, the goal of the enhanced features being offered by Intuit's Lacerte operation is to save the user one minute on each return rather than seconds on just a few. The company is making it possible to automatically populate data from a W-2 form into the electronic file, says Jorge Olavarrieta, senior product...