Access Accountants Tax vs CCH iFirm Tax

If you are reading this article, it is safe to assume that your current tax preparation software is not adequately solving key challenges in your practice during tax season. 

Perhaps your tax preparation software is outdated, adding complexity to frequent compliance updates, or software limitations do not fully accommodate the nuance of specific tax scenarios. Perhaps manual data entry is still required, increasing the risk of errors or you have issues integrating with accounting software, leading to inefficiencies. 

If you’re experiencing any of these challenges, your current tax preparation software might not be best equipped to help your practice thrive and grow. You need a solution that is best suited to your needs and is designed to solve the challenges of modern-day accounting practices in Australia. 

It is with this in mind that we have condensed our expertise into a comparison of two leading tax preparation solutions – Access Accountants Tax and CCH iFirm Tax. Read on to discover how these two solutions compare in terms of features, benefits, price and much more. 

Access Accountants Tax is part of the larger suite of software, known as Access Accountants Evo, which includes tools for practice management, ledger compliance, AI and more.  

Access Accountants Tax is an all-in-one cloud tax and client management solution designed for Australian tax agents and accountants who need a consistent approach to manage their client data and tax returns in one place. Integrated ledger and practice management capabilities are available via Access Accountant Compliance and Access Accountants Pro Suite. 

CCH iFirm Tax is a cloud tax software solution by Wolters Kluwer that forms part of the CCH iFirm suite, containing a number of integrated cloud tools for accountants. 

CCH iFirm Tax helps with automating and streamlining compliance workflows for the creation, tracking and lodgment of tax returns. 

Before we delve into the key features offered by Access Accountants Tax and CCH iFirm Tax, we must mention that both are leading tax preparation solutions, capable of delivering significant cost and time savings across your operations. 

But what are the key differences between the two? In our Access Accountants Tax and CCH iFirm Tax comparison, we’ll look at vital elements, such as key features, and implementation and support to answer that question. 

Access Accountants Tax 

Access Accountants Tax offers integrated client and workflow management, eSignatures, through to tax lodgment without needing to rekey data.  

It now includes Access Evo: an AI-driven software experience, enabling you to ask questions of your client and tax data with advanced, secure AI capabilities. In addition, you can ask questions of the ATO websites and receive answers in seconds. 

Additionally, it has smart automation capabilities which simplify tax processes and saves time on cross-fill and pre-fill capabilities. 

Fully integrated tax, ledger and practice management is also available as part of Access Accountants. 

CCH iFirm Tax 

CCH iFirm Tax helps practices streamline efficient end-to-end workflow from creating a job, preparing, lodging, sending, and signing a tax return through to invoicing and billing. 

It also includes automation capabilities, helping accountants to input data with ease and save time with ATO prefill and automatic rollover to speed up the process of tax preparation. 

Access Accountants Tax Implementation and Support 

Access Accountants Tax customers can ensure smooth implementation with the help of FlightPaths – a remote-first service offering three support tiers. Prices depend on the level of support chosen and your implementation's complexity and unique requirements. 

Our experienced experts will work with you to clarify your expectations and establish key milestones to track progress towards a successful launch. FlightPaths ensures a low-risk implementation journey, no matter how your firm is structured or where your employees are located. 

Customers can choose from three tiers of technical support – Essential, Standard, and Premier – with our Customer Success Plans. All three options provide problem-solving support from our experts, plus access to articles, webinars, and an online user community via our Customer Success Portal. 

CCH iFirm Tax: Implementation and Support 

Wolters Kluwer will first assess your firm and identify what data needs to be migrated before tailoring settings and integrating with other CCH iFirm modules (such as practice manager). 

Practices with CCH iFirm Tax can get support for any product related enquiries through the customer support team in their region, either through email or phone. 

While you now should have a good handle on the benefits and features that are key to Access Accountants Tax and CCH iFirm Tax this article is just the starting point. Take your time and research these solutions thoroughly so that you’re making an informed decision for your practice. 

A good place to start is our Access Accountants page. 

Whether you end up choosing Access Accountants Tax or another solution, our team of experts are always here to guide you. Feel free to download our factsheet or call us today to discuss what you are looking for in a tax preparation solution, and how we can help.