Your tax business’ success relies on many factors; the most important of which is the software you use for preparing tax returns. Choosing the right tax software makes all the difference; whether you’re new to the tax industry, or you’ve been doing taxes for a number of years, it is important to compare professional tax software to be sure that your current software is the right choice. In this article, we’ll help you find the perfect software for your business needs.
1. Start by Listing Your Needs
First things first, you need to decide what your main needs are. This will help you put together a list of professional tax preparer software products that work solely for your needs. At first, identify your needs as generally as possible; this will save you time and help you make a quicker decision. For example, if you’re running a high-volume office that relies on paperless technologies such as signature pads and handheld scanners, any software product that doesn’t support your technology should not make your list. When choosing a tax software, tax preparers usually look for the following: e-filing limit, bank product support, third party gadget support, as well as communication means (mobile apps).
2. Read Customer Reviews
When you try a demo of a tax software, you can usually get a good feel of how it looks and works. However, some issues may start to appear after a while. This is why we recommend you read as many professional tax preparation software reviews as you can. This will help you identify the issues and advantages that previous and current users have faced.
3. Payment
The third step is deciding how you’d like to get paid for your services. Professional tax preparation software with bank products is the most common route these days. However, some tax professionals still prefer to get paid upfront. Using bank products comes with several benefits such as cash advances, various disbursement methods, start-up loans, and more. If you’d like to get paid via bank products, you should definitely rule-out software products that don’t support bank product integration.
4. Service Bureau vs Main Provider
In our professional tax return software reviews, we’ve identified the 2 most popular ways to get your tax software; these are via service bureaus or main software providers. While the software is more or less the exact same, the price may differ. Most service bureaus usually charge less for the software upfront, with higher bank product fees. However, there isn’t a standard. We suggest you compare all the offers you find or receive and pick the one that works for your needs.
If you need further help, our website ProfessionalTaxSoftwareReviews.com can help you find software reviews, download demos, compare bank products, and more.