One leading vendor, Intuit Inc., has rolled out several enhancements to its ProSeries and Lacerte professional tax software lines just in time for the next filing season. Intuit serves some 100,000 accounting firms through its professional product channel, which includes ProSeries, Lacerte, and the QuickBooks Advisor program, according to Rich Walker, director of Intuit's professional accountants channel.

Both the ProSeries and Lacerte professional product lines are focusing this year on making electronic filing faster and easier, according to Eric Rosado, group marketing manager for Intuit's professional products group. This season, Lacerte is eliminating the software charge for e-filing. In addition, Lacerte has introduced 24 new business state modules.

The ProSeries line has added fully integrated bank products, including refund anticipation loans and refund transfers, which means professionals no longer have to go through a third party for those offerings, Rosado added.

In an effort to cut down on paper shuffling between client and preparer, Intuit has added a Web-based client organizer to its ProSeries product. Rather than printing out forms for clients to fill out, practitioners can set up an online organizer site that enables clients to enter wage information and other data on the Web, and notifies the tax professional that the data has been entered so they can download it directly into ProSeries.

Since the online organizer eliminates re-keying the data, there are fewer chances to make data entry mistakes, which account for most errors, Rosado explained. The firm has also rolled out IntuitAdvisor.com, a free vertical portal that houses news and information about Intuit products for tax professionals. The portal also integrates with the ProSeries Web organizer.

One component of IntuitAdvisor is WorkSpace Pro, a subscription-based service that includes an online document management system that allows professionals anytime, anywhere access to files. WorkSpace Pro also includes Private Client Sites, which allow both the professional and the client to access documents, so both can make annotations and post questions in the online documents. The private client sites can be linked to the ProSeries Web organizer. Another component is Site Solutions, a subscription-based service that enables accounting and tax professionals to create a customized Web site. For pricing and availability information, go to www.intuit.com.

Another new service, Intuit's Tax Advisors Network, will pair up TurboTax users with tax professionals who use ProSeries or Lacerte products. The idea behind the network is to match Intuit individuals and small business customers who need tax help with advisors who use Intuit's professional products.

Professionals who use Lacerte or ProSeries can opt to participate in an online network where TurboTax users can ask tax questions and get advice via email, telephone, or instant messaging, depending on the professional's preference.

Professionals set their own per-minute rates for advice. Intuit keeps 30 percent of the fee, while the tax professional garners 70 percent. Fee collection is done via credit card on the advisor site.

-- By Melissa Klein

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