ITP CONFERENCE 2009
FULL ONLINE TAX RETURN ACTIVITY
TRA
Prior to tax season we had discussions re an online JV
with Tax Returns Australia
www.tra.com.au
Franchises could not reach a consensus agreement to
proceed.
HR BLOCK stepped in and JV'd with TRA
www.hrblock.com.au
HR BLOCK advertised heavily using Adwords. Estimate
$7,000 per week.
HR BLOCK not happy with customer service from TRA and
terminated after tax season.
Comment - good software, lousy service.
TAX ASSISTANT ONLINE
Some ITP franchises trialed TAX ASSISTANT " online"
software. You need to be a TAX ASSISTANT user.
Around $1,400 annual licence fee, no charge per return,
free referrals from TAX ASSISTANT
Demonstration of postcode search referral
http://www.taxassistant.com.au/
TAX ASSISTANT spent $70,000 on Adwords promoting its
service - Its licencees received $28,000 in business!
Comment - competing onlie through Adwords is expensive.
Demonstration of ITP branded portal
www.itpcentralcoast.com
Results - Around 80 registrations, but only 21 successful
completions - clients say it's too difficult.
TA Approach is for client fill out tax form like a tax
consultant.
From: "Alex Rowe"
Date: 5 October 2009 10:42:45 PM
To:
Subject: FW: Enquiry results
Hi Terry,
Through my dealings with Tax Assist Online this year, I
have received the following input from those clients who
decided to proceed:
*** Software was very complicated, and not user-friendly
*** Once the return is “signed” it cannot be edited –
which means that when I “check” the return, any
alterations have to be made on my lodging software, and
the client cannot see the changes that have been made.
All of the clients that were in this situation were not
happy with this outcome.
*** Clients said that they would not use it again, as it
was all too hard.
From my perspective, I found the checking system
problematic, the payment system a little slow, the status
(in progress, signed, checked, lodged etc) overly
complicated and inefficient, and it was irritating to
have to check the status of clients throughout the day to
ensure that those clients with a signed status were then
checked and lodged – perhaps an email could come through
saying the status had changed to signed.
Regards,
Alex
Other TAX ASSISTANT ONLINE users comments?
Comment - software needs much improvement, but good
service.
ASSISTED ONLINE TAX RETURN ACTIVITY
HR BLOCK invented this
www.hrblock.com.au
ITP has trialed assisted online for second year
Demonstration of our ITP process
www.itp.com.au
We had less business in year 2. Probably because ITP Head
office website had less web presence.
HR BLOCK owned the income tax web-space this year
Also, more ITP franchises had their own web presence and
did not divert business to HO site.
RESULTS.
Registrations received this year July 1 to Oct 31st 829
Registrations received last year July 1 to Oct 31st 1003
Statistics for online tax return referral system
October 2009
We received 128 enquiries in October, with the following
being forwarded to other franchises:
ACT – 7 new (option C – prepared by ITP CC)
Adelaide City - nil
Bathurst – nil
Burbank – 4 new / 2 existing
Brisbane & North Queensland – 17 new / 4 existing
Coffs Harbour – nil
Cowra – nil
Dubbo – nil
Eastern Suburbs – 1 new
Glebe – 3 new
Hills – 2 new – 3 existing
Liverpool & Wollongong – 2 new – 1 existing
Mildura – nil
Newcastle – 8 new
North Shore – nil
Northern Beaches – 2 new (option C – prepared by ITP CC)
Nuriootpa – nil (option C – prepared by ITP CC)
Orange – nil
Parramatta – nil
Peninsula – nil
Perth Northern – 1 new (option C – prepared by ITP CC)
Perth South Metro – 4 new / 2 existing
Perth Southwest – nil
Southern – 2 existing
Sydney City – 1 new / 1 existing
Taree – 1 existing
Tasmania North – nil
Tasmania South – 1 new
WA Regional – 2 new
Wagga – 2 existing (option C – prepared by ITP CC)
Western Qld – nil
The Central Coast franchise received 11 enquiries about
our own area, and we have retained 44 (9 existing / 35
new) due to those franchises who chose not to join the
online system.
For the Central Coast franchise, I have replied to 55
enquiries. Out of the 55 enquiries, we have prepared 15
returns and 40 have not forwarded their information.
We received 1 enquiry for the tax mail envelopes, and the
remaining 113 for the full online enquiry process.
Of the option C franchises, ITP Central Coast prepared
the following:
ACT 7 enquiries with 3 prepared by ITP CC (3 paid and
lodged)
Northern Beaches 2 enquiries with 1 prepared by ITP CC
(paid and lodged)
Perth Northern 1 enquiry prepared by ITP CC (paid and
lodged)
Wagga 2 enquiries
Online Statistics
Email-1Download July to Sept detailed report
SECURE ONLINE FORMS INNOVATION
www.email-tax.com