www.taxmama.com
What it's good for: A joyful and occasionally informative romp through the tax world for inexperienced businesspeople. This site's "personal commentary and humor make it unintimidating," said one CEO. Another recommended it only for tax filers with rudimentary questions.
Don't waste your time if: You're looking for a highly professional format or need more than a casual presentation of everyday tax issues.
What our CEOs had to say: This is a site "more geared toward the consumer than toward businesses," said one CEO. Another echoed the assessment, saying, "It just doesn't have the kind of information I need" as a business owner. However, a third CEO said that this is a "great site with good information."
What you ought to know: The site's founder, Eva Rosenberg, holds the Enrolled Agent credential, which the U.S. Treasury Department issues to qualified accountants. Rosenberg claims to respond to every E-mail query she receives.
www.taxprophet.com
What it's good for: Basic facts. The site's a good do-it-yourself reference for those who are just starting a business and can't afford an accountant. "If you know what you're looking for," one CEO said, "you can do full-text searches of a large tax-law database," which will give you a heap of hits to sift through. You just need to have the time to do it.
Don't waste your time if: You want quick answers to your questions.
What our CEOs had to say: It's better to leave to an accountant the kind of time-consuming tax research that's available on the site. "I don't have the time to just browse," one CEO said, and "it's cheaper for me to call my accountant for a quick answer." But for those with the stomach for truly in-depth tax research or an education in tax law, the site may be useful, according to another reviewer.
What you ought to know: In the spirit of fulfilling Robert Sommers's mission of educating its users about everything to do with taxes, the site posts advisories about tax scams on an online bulletin board.
The bottom line
For overall tax advice that's accessible and relevant to small businesses, our CEOs favored the IRS site, Dtonline .com, and Bankrate.com. The reviewers singled out Bankrate.com for its supe- rior ease of navigation, and they appreciated TaxProphet.com's extensive tax- research database. They lauded Smbiz.com for links to other tax-related sites. The panelists scorned TaxMama.com in many respects yet couldn't help liking it for its sheer fun.
Sara Trainor Callard is a freelance writer based in Quincy, Mass.
The savvy entrepreneur's guide to online tax advice
Comments
|
Would CEOs go back? |
What are the site's pluses? |
CEOs' quick take |
| www.bankrate.com |
Yes. |
"The news section, which seems to be updated often." |
"This is a worthwhile site to visit." |
| www.dtonline.com |
Maybe. |
"Clear and concise language." |
"Very informative." |
www.irs.ustreas.gov/
bus_info/sm_bus |
Maybe. |
"Quick and easy to explore." |
"Would recommend for tax issues relating to start-ups and small businesses." |
| www.smbiz.com |
Probably not. |
"The links." |
"Could use a redesign." |
| www.taxcast.com |
No. |
"A comprehensive listing of links." |
"It was loaded with information but was a little overwhelming for the tax novice." |
| www.taxmama.com |
No. |
"Good basic information that's well categorized." |
The site can give you the basics for "general tax queries." |
| www.taxprophet.com |
Maybe. |
"Searches of a large tax-law database." |
For extensive tax research without a CPA's services, this is a "good reference." |
Grades
|
Ease of navigation |
Variety |
User-
friendliness |
Technical reliability |
Average grade |
| www.bankrate.com |
A- |
A- |
B |
B |
B+ |
| www.dtonline.com |
B |
B |
B- |
A |
B |
www.irs.ustreas.gov/
bus_info/sm_bus |
A- |
B |
B |
A- |
B+ |
| www.smbiz.com |
B- |
B |
C- |
A- |
B- |
| www.taxcast.com |
B- |
C |
B |
B |
B- |
| www.taxmama.com |
C |
C |
B |
C |
C |
| www.taxprophet.com |
B- |
C |
B- |
A |
B- |
Our panelists
John Auger, cofounder, Operations Associates
Gary Barras, CEO, Integral Systems
Henry L. Foster, CEO, Call Henry
Dr. Jim Goodnight, CEO, SAS
Kevin J. Goslin, CEO and cofounder, Construction Technology Group
Tim Handley, CEO, Advantage Credit International
Duncan Harrison, CEO, Alaskan Automotive Distributing
Dean Hunt, president, Certified Associates
James Matuszewski, CEO, FeelGood for Life
George G. Mueller, CEO, Color Kinetics
Victor Tsao, CEO, Linksys
Ross Youngs, CEO, Univenture
Please e-mail your comments to editors@inc.com.
