Thank you for the recommendations for TaxCalc - register on our website for a 28 day trial to see for yourselves.
I would like to highlight out that TaxCalc is a scalable solution for practices of all sizes from the sole practitioner to the multi partner firm. We are seeing large numbers of accountancy practices, from those that are starting out with a handful of clients, to those that have been established for a number of years, switching to TaxCalc for both accounts and tax return production.
If you would like to find out more about TaxCalc and its suitability for you practice please contact me or one of the team for a chat.
I have just sent you a PM, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this it is best to contact the TaxCalc Support team to discuss any specific scenarios and how to achieve the desired outcome within the software.
Please contact me if you require any further assistance.
Great to see TaxCalc mentioned in this thread, especially from marks who utilises the integration between TaxCalc Accounts Production and the tax returns. TaxCalc is built on one single database now, so all client data is stored on the Client Hub, which filters into both the TaxCalc Accounts Production and Tax Return Production making it quicker to produce the required documents and submit them to Companies House and HMRC.
As the Product Manager at TaxCalc, I watch threads like this to gauge the current hot topics for accountants and have noticed a theme recently around Practice Management tools for smaller practices. As a few of you mention Excel and Outlook can work but does require some time setting up and administering.
Some of you may be aware that when we launched TaxCalc in April built around the Client Hub we also introduced (for free) some Practice Management features that would utilise the same data. The one I would like to bring to your attention is Tasks. This works in a similar fashion to tasks within Outlook, except you can associate the tasks to clients from your database and if there are 2 or more of you in the Practice you can assign tasks to other team members and also view other colleagues tasks. In addition you can run reports to see the practices outstanding workload based on the tasks setup.
I am really keen to understand what else TaxCalc Practices would like to see in the Practice Management area, and how they are using tasks and any enhancements they would find useful. Contact me with any ideas or suggestions you have - we really appreciate the feedback as it helps us decide what to do in the future releases.
If you would like to discuss how to create and manage tasks within TaxCalc, please let me know and I can arrange for someone in Support to work through it with you.
I am aware our Support team are now in contact with you regarding migrating data from IRIS to TaxCalc and hopefully you will have all your clients in TaxCalc shortly.
For others reading this post, it is possible to import client data from other software (not just IRIS) into TaxCalc. I would advise discussing the options with our Support team, who can guide you through the process depending on the software you are importing from.
Please get in contact with us if you would like any further information.
As mentioned in my other posts, please contact me by sending me a PM and I will give you a call to discuss the various options. I am sure that we can find a suitable solution to work in the way you require.
As mentioned in my response to the AccountingWeb community last week, we have taken a lot of feedback from firms. On the whole the reception to the software has been positive but we appreciate that some of the changes have not been to everybody's tastes and so are working on small updates to address these.
Firstly, for those firms that do not want to use the login window, we will make it entirely optional on standalone systems.
Secondly, those firms that would like the to see more "at a glance" information about their tax returns, rather than using the Reports feature, we will be introducing this into Client Hub, so it behaves more like the older software.
Thirdly, those firms that want to manage their tax returns outside of the database will be able to create them directly on their desktop.
Theses updates are currently being tested and will be made available within the next couple of weeks.
If anyone has any queries or would like a small guided tour through the new TaxCalc, please PM me your contact details or email our Support team, [email protected]
I am sorry to hear you are having such issues with the new version of TaxCalc, I can assure you these are not common. In fact most people say the new version of TaxCalc runs faster.
Please PM me your details and I will contact you at a suitable time, where we can discuss your particular setup and try to establish what is happening to your PC.
Please PM me your contact details and I can give you a call to go through Mail Merge and the Client Questionnaire and hopefully find a way to get the documents you require from TaxCalc.
It would be great to discuss your requirements and if there is anything we cannot yet achieve we can consider it for a future release.
At TaxCalc we remain committed to offering cost effective software, whatever the size of your practice – hence our recent introduction of the TaxCalc Pro Micro Practice product, which is perfect for start-ups or those winding down. We have alsokept the price for the Unlimited Pro products the same since 2009. Now we have a central place to store client details, we will be able to add other optional and cost effective modules that can draw from the same database – therefore, please let us know what else you would like to see in TaxCalc!
The new Practice Management features of Mail Merge, Tasks & Reminders and Reporting have been included in the Hub for free… and we will keep those features free in the future and will not charge for them. Provided you continue to keep the data in your Client Hub up to date, you can continue to use those features – even if your licence for TaxCalc expires. In future years, if you do let your TaxCalc licence lapse you will of course still be able to view and print your client tax returns as necessary.
Since TaxCalc Accounts Production was released 18 months ago we have continued to enhance it (along with the Client Hub), adding a large number of features based on user feedback. This is by no means the end – we aim to continue implementing suggested improvements. Features such as custom fields in the Client Hub are certainly worth investigating.
We aim to release updates to TaxCalc introducing optional logins, more information about your clients tax returns at your fingertips, along with other features over the coming weeks and we will continue to monitor feedback we receive to shape the future of TaxCalc for further updates over the next few months and into the future. So, please let us know of any ideas you have! Our Support team are available as always or alternatively you can address any concerns directly with me via PM and I'll be happy to get in contact.
All your clients and their 2012 tax returns are imported into the new software and can be viewed (and even filed if necessary) without opening TaxCalc 2012. This also populates the Client Hub with their static data, for example, names and addresses. This means you can use this data with our new Practice Management features – such as within the Mail Merge facility and when completing other HMRC forms for those clients – all without re-entering their basic details.
To move forward and create a 2013 tax return, open Tax Return Production and select the relevant client, then opt for New Return. You will automatically be offered to import from 2012. This is done on a client by client basis, allowing you to start the client’s tax return when you are ready – the status is correctly allocated as Not Started until you create the 2013 tax return. This also means that you only start 2013 tax returns for active clients (and not just everyone on your Client Hub).
At present you must log in to use TaxCalc. This was included for security – to ensure that should someone gain access to your computer, they would not be able to gain access to your client data without challenge. Based on feedback, we are exploring an option to turn this security feature off.
Along with the new central place to store clients, each client now also requires a unique client code. This is an alphanumeric code and can be in your chosen format.This is useful for searching clients and matching clients to their physical files. The automatic client codes created on import can be altered if you would prefer an alternative format. Again, we are investigating a process to simplify this for those who would not regularly need to use client codes.
You may have been familiar with the previous TaxCalc home screen, where you could view the current status of all your clients. While not apparent now, this is something we are currently building into the software via Report Manager. This will generate a customisable report (or multiple reports) capable of displaying multiple clients tax return statuses. We are also designing a way to view this information quickly from the Client Hub.
My answers
TaxCalc & Practice Size
Thank you for the recommendations for TaxCalc - register on our website for a 28 day trial to see for yourselves.
I would like to highlight out that TaxCalc is a scalable solution for practices of all sizes from the sole practitioner to the multi partner firm. We are seeing large numbers of accountancy practices, from those that are starting out with a handful of clients, to those that have been established for a number of years, switching to TaxCalc for both accounts and tax return production.
If you would like to find out more about TaxCalc and its suitability for you practice please contact me or one of the team for a chat.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
TaxCalc and Property Companies
Hi tonyh,
I have just sent you a PM, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this it is best to contact the TaxCalc Support team to discuss any specific scenarios and how to achieve the desired outcome within the software.
Please contact me if you require any further assistance.
Kind Regards
Alex John
[email protected]
[email protected]
TaxCalc
Hello,
Great to see TaxCalc mentioned in this thread, especially from marks who utilises the integration between TaxCalc Accounts Production and the tax returns. TaxCalc is built on one single database now, so all client data is stored on the Client Hub, which filters into both the TaxCalc Accounts Production and Tax Return Production making it quicker to produce the required documents and submit them to Companies House and HMRC.
As the Product Manager at TaxCalc, I watch threads like this to gauge the current hot topics for accountants and have noticed a theme recently around Practice Management tools for smaller practices. As a few of you mention Excel and Outlook can work but does require some time setting up and administering.
Some of you may be aware that when we launched TaxCalc in April built around the Client Hub we also introduced (for free) some Practice Management features that would utilise the same data. The one I would like to bring to your attention is Tasks. This works in a similar fashion to tasks within Outlook, except you can associate the tasks to clients from your database and if there are 2 or more of you in the Practice you can assign tasks to other team members and also view other colleagues tasks. In addition you can run reports to see the practices outstanding workload based on the tasks setup.
I am really keen to understand what else TaxCalc Practices would like to see in the Practice Management area, and how they are using tasks and any enhancements they would find useful. Contact me with any ideas or suggestions you have - we really appreciate the feedback as it helps us decide what to do in the future releases.
If you would like to discuss how to create and manage tasks within TaxCalc, please let me know and I can arrange for someone in Support to work through it with you.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
[email protected]
Client data import into TaxCalc
Hello jim7788,
I am aware our Support team are now in contact with you regarding migrating data from IRIS to TaxCalc and hopefully you will have all your clients in TaxCalc shortly.
For others reading this post, it is possible to import client data from other software (not just IRIS) into TaxCalc. I would advise discussing the options with our Support team, who can guide you through the process depending on the software you are importing from.
Please get in contact with us if you would like any further information.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
Accessing data between computers
Hi anonymous82,
As mentioned in my other posts, please contact me by sending me a PM and I will give you a call to discuss the various options. I am sure that we can find a suitable solution to work in the way you require.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc
TaxCalc Response
As mentioned in my response to the AccountingWeb community last week, we have taken a lot of feedback from firms. On the whole the reception to the software has been positive but we appreciate that some of the changes have not been to everybody's tastes and so are working on small updates to address these.
Firstly, for those firms that do not want to use the login window, we will make it entirely optional on standalone systems.
Secondly, those firms that would like the to see more "at a glance" information about their tax returns, rather than using the Reports feature, we will be introducing this into Client Hub, so it behaves more like the older software.
Thirdly, those firms that want to manage their tax returns outside of the database will be able to create them directly on their desktop.
Theses updates are currently being tested and will be made available within the next couple of weeks.
If anyone has any queries or would like a small guided tour through the new TaxCalc, please PM me your contact details or email our Support team, [email protected]
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
TaxCalc Issues
Dear Ken,
I am sorry to hear you are having such issues with the new version of TaxCalc, I can assure you these are not common. In fact most people say the new version of TaxCalc runs faster.
Please PM me your details and I will contact you at a suitable time, where we can discuss your particular setup and try to establish what is happening to your PC.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
Dear Whinger,
Please PM me your contact details and I can give you a call to go through Mail Merge and the Client Questionnaire and hopefully find a way to get the documents you require from TaxCalc.
It would be great to discuss your requirements and if there is anything we cannot yet achieve we can consider it for a future release.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
New TaxCalc - Part 3, the Final
At TaxCalc we remain committed to offering cost effective software, whatever the size of your practice – hence our recent introduction of the TaxCalc Pro Micro Practice product, which is perfect for start-ups or those winding down. We have alsokept the price for the Unlimited Pro products the same since 2009. Now we have a central place to store client details, we will be able to add other optional and cost effective modules that can draw from the same database – therefore, please let us know what else you would like to see in TaxCalc!
The new Practice Management features of Mail Merge, Tasks & Reminders and Reporting have been included in the Hub for free… and we will keep those features free in the future and will not charge for them. Provided you continue to keep the data in your Client Hub up to date, you can continue to use those features – even if your licence for TaxCalc expires. In future years, if you do let your TaxCalc licence lapse you will of course still be able to view and print your client tax returns as necessary.
Since TaxCalc Accounts Production was released 18 months ago we have continued to enhance it (along with the Client Hub), adding a large number of features based on user feedback. This is by no means the end – we aim to continue implementing suggested improvements. Features such as custom fields in the Client Hub are certainly worth investigating.
We aim to release updates to TaxCalc introducing optional logins, more information about your clients tax returns at your fingertips, along with other features over the coming weeks and we will continue to monitor feedback we receive to shape the future of TaxCalc for further updates over the next few months and into the future. So, please let us know of any ideas you have! Our Support team are available as always or alternatively you can address any concerns directly with me via PM and I'll be happy to get in contact.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager
New TaxCalc - Part 2
Moving onto certain features mentioned above…
All your clients and their 2012 tax returns are imported into the new software and can be viewed (and even filed if necessary) without opening TaxCalc 2012. This also populates the Client Hub with their static data, for example, names and addresses. This means you can use this data with our new Practice Management features – such as within the Mail Merge facility and when completing other HMRC forms for those clients – all without re-entering their basic details.
To move forward and create a 2013 tax return, open Tax Return Production and select the relevant client, then opt for New Return. You will automatically be offered to import from 2012. This is done on a client by client basis, allowing you to start the client’s tax return when you are ready – the status is correctly allocated as Not Started until you create the 2013 tax return. This also means that you only start 2013 tax returns for active clients (and not just everyone on your Client Hub).
At present you must log in to use TaxCalc. This was included for security – to ensure that should someone gain access to your computer, they would not be able to gain access to your client data without challenge. Based on feedback, we are exploring an option to turn this security feature off.
Along with the new central place to store clients, each client now also requires a unique client code. This is an alphanumeric code and can be in your chosen format.This is useful for searching clients and matching clients to their physical files. The automatic client codes created on import can be altered if you would prefer an alternative format. Again, we are investigating a process to simplify this for those who would not regularly need to use client codes.
You may have been familiar with the previous TaxCalc home screen, where you could view the current status of all your clients. While not apparent now, this is something we are currently building into the software via Report Manager. This will generate a customisable report (or multiple reports) capable of displaying multiple clients tax return statuses. We are also designing a way to view this information quickly from the Client Hub.
Kind Regards
Alex John
TaxCalc Product Manager