I work with a small Accounting firm that is looking to switch from Lacerte to Thompson Reuters SaaS, or CCH Access Tax. I would appreciate feedback from firms that are using one of these programs. Cloud based is our choice but not sure if SaaS is the right fit. Input please!?!
USA Cloud Based Tax Programs vs. Software Programs
- Thread starter MonicaH
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Hi! It really depends on the features you are looking for in the tax software. However, if you want to work on the same software and get all the benefits of the cloud, go for Lacerte tax software hosted on the cloud.
Some people are insane, lack knowledge, or cannot read too well. I finally made the switch from Lacerte and have been blown away as to why I did not leave sooner. Since I handle many different returns, and many complex returns, I thought Lacerte was my only choice. But I grew so tired of Intuit that I took the plunge. I moved to Drake. I was concerned about Drake because I tried them at least ten years ago, and they could not handle the many complex returns that I process. I was also concerned about the sticker price compared to Lacerte. I even called Drake to find out what I was getting myself into considering how inexpensive Drake is compared to Lacerte. But wow was I super surprised. Drake has fleshed out its software since I last tried it. I found Drake to be much more technically accurate than Lacerte. It handled 99% of my complex returns with ease. Their customer service was absolutely wonderful. The phone gets answered usually within a few rings by a person, not a computer. That person is also the person that will generally help you, and they usually do so within minutes. Compared to Lacerte the phone gets answered by a computer, then a person only to transfer you to yet another person that might have an inkling of how to help. Even though it was my first year using Drake, I rarely had to spend hours trying to figure out an issue like I did with Lacerte even though I used Lacerte for more than a decade. Drake does not have all the extra reports and information that Lacerte has, but generally those extra reports and pages for me were usually an annoyance. There are some things about Drake that could be improved, but overall, and especially compared to Lacerte, I would never think of returning to Lacerte. And now that FreshBooks is on the market, QuickBooks is being pushed aside as well. I have received nothing but positive feedback about FreshBooks and nothing but complaints about QuickBooks. Intuit is going to eventually feel the pain of its lack of concern for its customers.