TRACY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 3, 2005--Petz Enterprises, Inc., (PEI) producers of the popular TaxBrain^® Online Tax Center, announces the opening of their online tax service, the first major provider to officially usher in the 2005 Tax Season. TaxBrain^® Online, the largest independent online tax service in the United States, forecasts that for the first time more income tax returns will be prepared and filed electronically rather than sent in via the mail.

Commenting on the launch, Leroy E. Petz, Sr., President and CEO of PEI, said, "Since the advent of electronic filing by only a few companies just five years ago, taxpayers now have a wide variety of choices to help prepare and file online. TaxBrain Online is the only service in which the taxpayer does 100 percent of the preparation and filing."

The IRS and most state tax authorities will begin accepting electronic returns on January 14th, and by January 23rd taxpayers will be able to prepare and file electronic returns for every state. In 2004, approximately 60% of the 132 million taxpayers e-filed.

"Our software is so easy to use, comprehensive and intuitive," he continued, "the taxpayer simply fills in the requisite forms, and TaxBrain Online does the rest. By filing electronically and requesting Direct Deposit, refunds arrive in the taxpayer's account in less than 10 days. Should the taxpayer need guidance or assistance, TaxBrain Online features 'instant chat' connecting live support personnel to help with any question that may arise," he said.

"From the simplest 1040EZ to a small business return, the taxpayer is in total control of the process," explained Mr. Petz. "Many companies advertising e-filing actually take the taxpayer's preliminary data and create the return off-line. In many cases, tax returns have been outsourced to India and other offshore sources. We feel that an American's tax return should be maintained to the highest standards of accounting professionalism, as well as absolute privacy - right here at home. Every TaxBrain Online return stays in the United States, and is maintained in the strictest confidence," he stated.

"Last year, TaxBrain Online attracted over one million visitors to its website including over 50,000 unique visitors on April 15th. Despite the volume of visitors, our customer-focused philosophy proved we designed a system able to cope admirably, without frustrating visitors," commented Petz. "TaxBrain's site performed with no downtime over the final 72 hours," he added.

"We have listened to our customers and this year will provide enhanced services including greater support for various federal and state forms, non-resident state returns, prior year past-due and amended returns, and year-to-year data transfer," concluded Mr. Petz. For a full list of extensive new services, please log-on to www.taxbrain.com.

With the cost for preparing and filing federal and state returns starting at around $30, online tax preparation is far less expensive than hiring a professional. As an added benefit, online preparation eliminates the time and complexity of buying, installing, updating and removing tax software - effort that doesn't add any value to the process.

Not just "Software on the Web"

As part of the drive to deliver outstanding customer satisfaction as a full-service provider, the TaxBrain Online Tax Center offers a variety of unique capabilities and services. Including:

More than 620 Federal and State Income Tax Forms: designed to cover more than 98% of taxpayer situations including first time filers, young families, small businesses, investors, and retirees.

Multi-State Return Preparation: fully integrated preparation of both resident and non-resident returns for each of the 44 states that have an income tax. Year-to-Year Retention of Tax Records: long-term online storage of tax returns and records so clients know their information is always available.

Free Chat Support: instant, and free access to professional support staff.

Services Beyond e-filing: long term storage, printed copies, and SmartCoverage to name just a few of the value added services provided only by TaxBrain Online.

About Petz Enterprises, Inc.
Petz Enterprises, Inc. (a closely-held California corporation) is a software development company and a leading provider of tax preparation and e-filing for the professional and consumer markets, helping to automate and simplify federal, state and local tax preparation. PEI's Crosslink® line of professional tax software products enable tax practitioners and service bureaus to accurately prepare and file large volumes of individual tax returns. Founded in 1974, Tracy, CA-based PEI is dedicated to serving the needs of the professional tax preparer and individual taxpayers worldwide. For more information, visit www.petzent.com.