Navigating Firm Merger: Transitioning from Thomas Reuters to CCH Axcess & Caseware

I went through this exact transition about 2 years ago. The learning curve is steep but manageable if you approach it systematically. For multi-state business returns, the biggest difference is in how the programs handle state apportionment and nexus. CCH Axcess is actually more intuitive once you get used to it - the dashboard gives you a better overview of all jurisdictions at once. For resources, check the CCH Learning Center portal first - your firm should have access. There are specific training modules for multi-state business returns. Also, Caseware has excellent documentation in their Knowledge Base, especially for working papers integration. Don't try to learn everything at once - focus on the modules you'll use most frequently.

I've been using CCH Axcess for a few years now and discovered this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that helped me transition between tax software systems. It basically analyzes your documents and tax forms from the previous system and helps you understand where everything maps to in the new system. Saved me countless hours when I was learning Axcess. It has this special feature where you can upload last year's completed returns from UltraTax and it will create a mapping guide specific to your situation. Really helpful for figuring out where all the multi-state inputs go in the new software.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that was mentioned earlier. I tried it out yesterday and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded a few of our more complex returns from last year and it gave me this detailed breakdown of where everything maps in CCH Axcess. The multi-state business returns feature was exactly what I needed - it showed me exactly how the apportionment factors translate between systems. I'm feeling way more confident about managing our partnership returns now. Definitely recommend it for anyone switching between tax systems.

If you're struggling with getting support from CCH directly (their wait times are ridiculous), I've had great success using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to their technical support team. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was on hold for 2+ hours trying to get help with multi-state configurations in Axcess, gave up, then tried Claimyr. They got me connected to a CCH specialist in about 15 minutes who walked me through the entire setup process. Turned what would have been days of frustration into a single productive afternoon.

I have to eat my words about Claimyr. After my skeptical comment earlier, I decided to give it a try yesterday when I couldn't get through to CCH support about an issue with our multi-state K-1s in Axcess. Honestly, I'm shocked it actually worked. I got connected to a senior CCH support specialist in about 20 minutes instead of the 1.5+ hours I usually waste on hold. The rep even commented that they were surprised I got through so quickly given their current call volume. The specialist helped me fix our state allocation issues and showed me some shortcuts for handling multi-state returns that weren't in any of the training materials. Time well spent.

Don't underestimate the value of CCH's peer communities either. There's a user forum where accountants share tips, workarounds, and custom templates. The multi-state business section is particularly active. I learned more there than from the official documentation sometimes. Just search for "CCH Axcess User Community" and request access. You'll need your firm's customer number. There are tons of threads specifically about transitioning from UltraTax to Axcess with practical advice and file conversion tips.

Has anyone figured out how to efficiently import historical data from UltraTax to CCH Axcess? We've got about 200 business clients and manually reentering prior year data seems incredibly inefficient.

Going through a similar transition myself right now! One thing that really helped me was creating a comparison spreadsheet mapping the key functions between UltraTax and CCH Axcess. For multi-state returns, I found that CCH's state selection interface is actually more streamlined once you get used to it - instead of having separate screens for each state like in UltraTax, everything flows through the main return with state-specific worksheets. A couple of practical tips: First, spend time in the CCH Axcess demo environment before working on live client files. Second, for Caseware integration, make sure you understand how the trial balance imports work - it's quite different from the Thomson Reuters flow. The working papers sync much better once you get the mapping right. Also, don't hesitate to use CCH's screen sharing support sessions. They're more helpful than the generic training modules for learning the nuances of complex returns. Good luck with the transition!