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September 2016 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 13 INCOME TAX PLANNING SYSTEMS Reviews BEST FIT CCH ProSystem fx Planning is well-suited for larger firms that require more complicated tax planning capability. As part of the CCH ProSystem fx Suite, those using other Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting products will gain the most benefit from the product. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Product offers excellent integra- tion with other Wolters K luwer applications including CCH ProSystem fx Suite and CCH A xcess Tax • Users can create up to 30 dif- ferent tax scenarios for up to 10 years • Vendor offers a variety of train- ing and support tools • Product uses a series of grids that offer drill-down capability and excellent plan summarizing capability POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • ose not using Wolters K luwer applications will not experience as many benefits SUMMARY & PRICING An excellent fit for mid-sized firms that require a more comprehen- sive tax planning solution, CCH ProSystem fx Planning offers solid integration with other Wolters Kluwer products including both CCH ProSystem fx Suite and CCH Axcess applications. Pricing for CCH ProSystem fx Planning begins at $875 per year, which includes all federal and state tax data, and product support. www.cchgroup.com/ prosystemplanning BEST FIT Drake Tax Planner is part of Drake Tax Soware, making it an ideal solution for those using or planning to use Drake Tax Soware in their firm. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Product is part of the Drake Tax Soware product, so integration is built-in • Product is offers an easy-to-use interface • Product is available in desktop, hosted and online versions • Product offers good help and support options POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Only offers basic ta x planning that is limited to two years of projections SUMMARY & PRICING Drake Tax Soware, which includes Drake Tax Planner is available with three deployment options, Desktop, Hosted, and Online. Included in the price of Drake Tax Soware, Drake Tax Planner offers users solid tax planning capability. Along with the tax planning option, Drake Tax Soware also offers complete tax preparation, practice management, document management, and e-filing capability. Drake Tax Soware is available for $1,295 per year and includes Drake Tax Planner, as well as free online training and technical support. www.drakesoftware.com BEST FIT Lacerte Tax Planner offers a lower price point than many other tax planning products, making it a good fit for small to mid-sized firms with limited budgets. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • User friendly interface • Of fers easy integration w ith Lacerte Tax • Product comes bundled w ith Lacerte Tax A nalyzer • Offers yearly wage estimation capability POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Does not offer preconfigured tax calculations for all states SUMMARY & PRICING ose using Lacerte Tax products will reap the most benefit from using Lacerte Tax Planner, includ- ing seamless integration with client tax returns. Billed as an add-on, Lac- erte Planner is currently bundled with Lacerte Tax Analyzer at a cost of $218 per year for the same users as the tax package. Both products are free when users purchase the Lacerte Unlimited Package. Lacerte also offers new users a demo of their tax product to try out prior to purchase. http://accountants.intuit. com/tax/lacerte/ BEST FIT Firms of any size that are currently or planning to use CS Professional Suite of applications with gain the most benefit using Planner CS. PRODUCT STRENGTHS • Product offers excellent integra- tion with other CS Professional Suite of applications • Excellent report customization and built-in word processing capability • Numerous deployment options are available for users to choose from • Product offers an easily nav i- gated interface POTENTIAL LIMITATIONS • Limited exporting capabilities outside of Thomson Reuters products SUMMARY & PRICING While suitable for accounting firms of any size, mid-sized to larger firms will certainly reap the most benefits from Planner CS. Planner CS provides firm with the ability to add an additional revenue stream by offering tax planning capability to both current and new clients. e product also offers excellent integration with other omson Reuters tax applications, creating an efficient, all-in-one system that can be of benefit to both firms and clients. Pricing for Planner CS var- ies on the method of deployment chosen, and is available directly from omson Reuters. https:// cs.thomsonreuters.com/ planner CCH ProSystem fx Planning Drake Tax Planner Intuit Lacerte Tax Planner Thomson Reuters Planner CS Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12250126 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12250125 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12248925 Read the full review and see expanded ratings for this product online at: www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com/12250124 4.75 4.5 4.5 5 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING 2016 OVERALL RATING