| All I Want for Christmas Is...…A Tax Software Wish List
Dear Santa,
It’s me again. I had a very productive season using your software program last year
and look forward to another great season. Here is a list of items I would like for
Christmas this year:
Tax Planner
I need a tax planning tool that allows me to help my clients plan, forecast, and
optimize their tax situation, whether it’s for this year or for the next few years.
Document Manager
It would be great to get a document manager that will help me transition to a
paperless office environment. I would like to store my customer-related documents
on my computer to save time, money, and space. This includes paper documents that
I will need to scan in to the program. I would also like the flexibility of either
tightly integrating this document system into the tax program, or allowing me a more
flexible structure where I can determine how I want to manage the documents. If
possible, add an email function that allows us to easily send copies of these documents
to clients if necessary. You know how they have a tendency to misplace things.
Client Status Manager
My office needs a tool that is designed to help my preparers manage their day-to-day
workflow, tracking the status of their returns and ensuring that all work is completed
timely and efficiently. In addition, this tool should help me run reports on their
progress and keep them on track.
More Windows-Oriented Look and Feel
Please provide more Windows functions in data entry, specifically combo boxes, check
boxes, hyperlinks, resizing options, and intelligent scrolling. I believe you can add
these features and still maintain the speed in data entry we have grown to expect from
your software program.
Printers
When I load the software this year, please have the program automatically identify my
printer and set it up. I don't mind to set it up myself in your program, but that would
save me some time in December.
K1 Data Transfer
I do some returns for pass-through entities with your software, and it would be great
if you could include a way for me to transfer the K1 data from the entity to the individual
return.
More Space for Contact Information
Can you add some items to the 1040 demographics screen? You know, like additional phone
number fields for taxpayer and spouse and a way for me to log the best time to call my client.
I don't know why we need eight different ways to contact someone, but we do.
Organizer/Interview Sheet Flexibility
I like to send organizers to some of my clients. Can you give me additional flexibility
when choosing what organizer forms print for each client? You already provide most of the
options I need, but I would love to be able to choose on a form-by-form basis.
Increased E-File Capabilities
You are always ahead of the curve when it comes to e-filing, so I’m going to assume that
you will once again deliver ALL federal and state e-file packages by late December, or very
early January at the latest. And I imagine you will add some of the new options such as
e-file for 1041 returns and state business returns for those states that participate. Since
you will most likely add these anyway, they shouldn’t even really count as items on my list.
Tell the software elves we appreciate the features that were added last year, and look
forward to what they send this year. And oh yeah, please continue to deliver timely as you
have done in the past.
Sincerely,
Anxious Allen
P.S. We tried to transmit some cookies and milk to you but were unable to do so. Didn't you
say we could attach things to email? Maybe you can add that feature to your program as well.
Dear Anxious,
I received your list, and all of this looks doable. We plan to deliver everything listed
here and much more to you in a timely fashion, just as we always do. In addition, our software
elves have thrown in a number of other new features I’m sure you will like. I’m not sure we can
figure out a way to attach cookies and milk to an email, but we will certainly look into it.
I hope you have a prosperous tax season.
Sincerely,
James Stork, aka Santa
VP of Tax Development
Drake Software
From December 2005
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