Client Write-Up

Summary of the Major Client Write-Up Solutions:

The market for client write-up software packages is a rather small market and most of the products within that market are fairly weak solutions. The problem with the client write-up market as a whole is that this product only appeals to CPA firms, and there are not many CPA firms in the United States to begin with. According to the Magal & Albrecht Partnership in Bowling Green, Ohio, there are a total of 3,670 CPA firms with a total of 5,808 offices in the United States, and 3,967 CPA firms with 6,444 offices world wide. Given such a small market to start with, companies who produce client write-up solutions can expect to gain only a few hundred customers as a best case scenario. The result is a small customer base that does not generate adequate revenue to warrant significant continued investments in developing the product. Even larger companies such as Peachtree Software have tried to provide a solution in this space only to later determine that such a goal was fruitless. For this reason, the choices are relatively few, and even then most of them are woefully inadequate. I apologize for being so negative, but I am just calling it like I see it. As of May 2004, here is a complete list of all of the known noteworthy client write solutions and their web site addresses:

Product Name	Web Address
ABS Systems	http://www.mrasystems.com/
Accountants Relief J	http://www.accountantsoffice.com/AODefault.aspx?AOItemId=10&adv=taxsites&link=10
Certiflex Dimension	http://www.clientwrite-up.com/
Client Ledger System	http://www.clientledgersystem.com/
CPASoftware J	http://www.cpasoftware.com/
Creative Solutions	http://www.creativesolutions.com/
CYMA Client Write-up	http://www.cyma.com/products/cwu.asp
enSynergy	http://www.ensynergy.com/
Franklen	http://www.franklencomputer.com/
Howell Software	http://www.howellsoftware.com/
Intacct Client Write-up	http://www.intacct.com/press_releases_Q402_101702.html
Micronetics Intl. – Xpert Client Write-up	http://www.axpert.com/
OK Accounting Systems	http://thunder.prohosting.com/~oasys/
PBCS	http://www.pbcsi.com/
PC Software Accounting	http://www.pcsai.com/
ProAcc	http://www.proacc.co.uk/
ProSystems	http://www.prosystems.com/writeup.htm
Quick Bridge	http://www.quickbridge.com/
TVG	http://www.tvginc.com/
UBCC	http://www.ubcc.com/
UniLink J	http://www.unilink-inc.com/
ViewPoint	http://www.goviewpoint.com/

These are the only solutions that CPAs consistently report positive comments on in my lectures across the country. While Creative Solutions used to be the top dog, I have fielded a large number of complaints about this solution since the product was ported to the Windows environment and the product changed hands (several times). I am sure that some of the other solutions not listed above are excellent solutions, but I just have not heard this sort of feedback that would allow me to make this claim. If you are in the market for a client write-up solution, you should investigate these other solutions for yourself. For an idea as to the type of questions you should ask – keep reading.

Using Accounting Software for Client Write-Up

I am well aware that many CPA firms use regular accounting software packages for client write-up purposes. Peachtree Complete Accounting in particular is widely used for this purpose. While I am a big fan of the Peachtree product, I think it is always a mistake to use accounting software for client write-up purposes. I believe that CPA firms who use this approach are needlessly costing themselves a great deal of time and effort. True client write-up systems offer the CPA many capabilities that allows them to produce professional looking reports complete with the title pages, opinion letters, reports, and notes to the financial statements produced automatically using the same font. Read the following section to see a list of client write-up features not typically found in popular accounting software packages.

Evaluating Client Write-Up Solutions

When evaluating client write-up solutions, you should always find out how many customers use the client write-up system and you should always call references. Carlton’s general rule is that if you can find three CPA firms who truthfully say that they use the client write-up system and they are happy with that system, then that is good enough for me. Of course you should also investigate and evaluate the product’s technology and feature set. Here are a few key items to check:

1. The product should be Windows-based, not DOS based.
2. The product should run on a popular database with a wide open architecture – not a proprietary database that is unreliable, poor performing, and having a closed architecture.
3. The system should allow you to insert footnotes at the bottom of each page of the report such as “See Accountants’ Compilation Report”.
4. The product should produce a notes section containing common notes such as “related party disclosures”. These notes should be fully editable.
5. The system should print a title page and opinion letters, all with the same font that is used in the reports and notes.
6. The system should recalculate payroll taxes and withholdings, and compare those calculations to actual to ensure that the numbers are accurate. If not accurate, the system should provide an automatic correcting entry.
7. The system should have a relaxed audit trail to allow the CPA to edit all prior data entered into the system without forcing reversing and correcting entries. This will produce a cleaner set of records and reports.
8. The system should provide a trail balance report with columns for AJEs, RJEs, and PJEs.
9. The system should provide an after-the-fact payroll capability (if not, the system may force the user to produce periodic payroll checks in order to process the payroll data; otherwise this can be a lengthy and costly process.)
10. The product should interface to a popular tax preparation system, so data does not need to be re-entered twice. This not only takes more preparation and review time, but increases the likelihood of errors.
11. The system should allow multi-user access to client files and records, via a local area network.
     

Visual Client Write-up 

Best Software’s Visual Client Write-up solution is the most widely used client write-up solution today and is widely respected. The product is priced relatively low, starting at less than $1,000. The system is built upon the latest technologies and includes many of the features you should look for in a client write-up system. As a general rule, I believe that it is always a good idea to include Visual Client Write-up on your short list of prospective products, at least for comparison purposes.

Summary of Key Visual Client Write-up Features:

• Drill-down on an account balance all the way to the source journal entry when creating or reviewing financial statements on-screen.
• Multiple print queues can be created and maintained for each client. For example, a monthly, quarterly and annual print queue can be set up one time, for each client, defining their required reports and statements.
• Data import capability is available from Quicken and QuickBooks and other products.
• Full after-the-fact payroll processing including complete tip reporting.
• User-defined accounting periods.
• Detailed date-driven audit trail for the entire year.
• Prior period can remain open while processing new year.
• Payroll and non-payroll checks in one pass.
• Partnership percentage allocations.
• FASB95 Cash Flow Statement.
• Analytical Ratios for use with compilation and review clients.
• Check-in/Check-out clients.
• Budgetary & Departmentalized Financial Statements.
• Automatic expense allocation.
• Third-party sick pay.
• Ability to copy chart of accounts or roll-in a department for new client setup.
• Easily customize the layout of Trial Balance and Detail General Ledger reports.
• Interface ability with CPASoftware Visual Practice Management, Accounts Payable, Payroll and Depreciation packages.
   

Check Entry

Visual Client Write-up offers two check register displays as follows:

• A single check entry with a visual check on screen, or
• A register check entry (with your choice of a one-line display or a two-line display with a check memo reference field).

The check entry screen provides a familiar feel of a manual check register. Lookups are provided directly in the name and account fields with “smart fill” technology that allows you to simply start typing the first few letters, and the system finds the name or account match. Payroll and non-payroll checks may be entered in the same data entry session. Check entry also offers memorized and auto-repeat check information. The register type screen is shown below:

Adjusting & Recurring Journal Entries

The adjusting journal entry screen is used for entering one-time journal entries. You can create reversing journal entries. The Recurring Journal Entries screen allows you to setup the necessary account information one time, and thereafter balances are entered as they are required. Additionally, a balance that remains the same for each period can be entered one time and automatically repeated for each remaining period. The Recurring Journal Entries screen is shown below:

Financial Statements & Reports

Visual Client Write-up offers numerous financial statements templates so statements can be printed immediately. However, it is also easy to build a custom financial statement by visually designing the rows and columns and viewing the account balances. Budgetary and departmental financial statements are also available as well as a Cash Flow Statement. Additionally, you can easily customize the layout of the Trial Balance and Detail General Ledger reports, as shown in the screen below.

After-the-Fact Payroll

Visual Client Write-up provides the capability for tracking and reporting all payroll information including full restaurant and tip information. The system tracks pretax deductions, such as 401K and Section 125 plans. VCW offers third party sick pay and additionally available is a federal and state wage package that includes W2, W3, 1096, 1099, 940, 941, 940EZ, 943 and magnetic media.                                                       

Tax Interface Options

Visual Client Write-up offers interface capabilities to the CPASoftware Visual Tax products as well as other 3^rd party tax software products including Lacerte, ProSystem FX and ProSeries where tax line assignments can be dragged and dropped into the correct general ledger account.

Working Trial Balance

With Visual Client Write-up, there is no need for a 3^rd party package such as Accountants Trial Balance (ATB), because an on-screen working trial balance is built in. With this module you can easily process monthly or quarterly clients and use Visual Client Write-up’s financial statement reporting and Letters & Notes. Balances can be:

• Pulled directly from the Visual Client Write-up Journal and Check Entry modules;
• Can be entered using the Trial Balance Pickup module;
• Can be imported from other packages such as Quicken or QuickBooks and others.

Once imported, adjusting journal entries can be viewed in summary or detail and you can drill-down on any balance to see the source journal entry. As shown in the screen below, adjustments can be made on-screen and then balances will flow into Visual Client Write-up’s financial statement reporting automatically.                                                                                                                

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