English? Spanish? TaxWise allows you to choose

Posted by AccountingWEB on Oct 28 2009 5830 printer friendly

¿Tiene su programa de impuestos hablar español? If you use TaxWise, the answer to “Does your tax software speak Spanish?” is a resounding ¡Sí!, or Yes! This CCH Small Firm Services offering gives you bilingual capabilities from the moment that you launch the software—all at no extra charge. Even if your Spanish vocabulary is limited to the words taco and burrito, you can immediately help Spanish-speaking clients by providing Spanish-language copies of letters, worksheets, and forms that you’ve originated in English.

As shown in Figure 1, TaxWise’s Spanish-language features are just a mouse-click away. Figure 2 shows the Spanish version of TaxWise’s Main Information Sheet, while Figure 3 shows a Spanish version of the venerable Form 1040. Keep in mind that the IRS won’t accept a Spanish 1040, but it can help your Spanish-speaking clients understand the English version of the form that they’re filing.

Figure 1: TaxWise’s Spanish-language features are just a mouse-click away.

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Figure 2: The TaxWise Main Information Sheet presented in Spanish.

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Figure 3: A Spanish-language Form 1040 helps English-as-a-second language clients understand their taxes.

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The Spanish language forms and instructions in TaxWise aren’t simply computer-based translations, but rather actual rewrites using the latest terminology being used at the IRS and by tax professionals. These documents are updated from here to year to reflect shifts in the language, such as formulario instead of forma for the word “form.” The online help also toggles between English and Spanish with just a mouse click. Finally, all IRS-sanctioned Spanish-language forms are available within TaxWise, such as Forms 8878 [4], 8879 [5], and W-7 [6]. As TaxWise Product Manager Eriana Rivera-Rozo puts it, “We give you the option to be successful no matter what language you speak.”

Other bilingual features in TaxWise include:

Over 50 Federal forms, schedules, and worksheets that can be displayed and/or printed in Spanish.
Over 50 forms, schedules, and worksheets from the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury for individual and business returns, including e-filing. For the past two years TaxWise is the only tax preparation program certified for electronic filing by both the Internal Revenue Service and the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury.
Spanish help files for all Spanish forms, as well as Spanish line-by-line directions for all Federal forms.
Bilingual orientation and training sessions online and in person, as well as English/Spanish customer and technical support by telephone or e-mail.
A customizable Spanish-language client organizer, as well as Spanish client letters for all tax modules.

However, it’s not just bilingual features that set TaxWise apart from the competition:

Press Shift-F1 on any tax form screen within the software to instantly retrieve the official IRS instructions in PDF format, as shown in Figure 4. This eliminates the need to sift through the IRS Web site, and keeps the official answers at your fingertips at all times. You can embed the taxpayer Web sites for states that you file with into TaxWise, so there’s no need to switch to your Web browser when you need to research a state tax issue.
A Social Security Number (SSN) diagnostic feature uses an algorithm to determine if the SSN provided by your client matches the expected state and year of issue. Simply transposing two digits in a SSN can lead to hours of work, as well as unnecessary confusion for your client. Further, this feature also helps you minimize your exposure to filing returns with fraudulent Social Security Numbers.
TaxWise streamlines the process of applying for Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN), which are required for taxpayers not eligible for a Social Security Number.
An innovative query tool allows you to instantly retrieve another client’s information onscreen without requiring you to close the return you’re currently working on. This enables you to quickly field phone calls from clients without derailing yourself.

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In short, TaxWise provides a seamless English to Spanish interface. This allows your staff to work in their native language, or simply support clients for which English may be a second language. Even if you don’t have a single Spanish-speaking client, you’ll find TaxWise worthy of consideration for your practice.