Intuit — ProSeries

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From the April/May 2008 Review of Tax Compliance Suites

Intuit offers two distinct lines of its ProSeries tax compliance system — Basic Edition for entry-level practices and ProSeries Professional (the focus of this review) for small to medium-sized tax-focused practices with diverse client bases. Unlimited and Pay-Per-Return packages are also available. Intuit has invested significant time and labor over the past few years to determine the workflow needs of its professional users in order to help evolve their professional tax systems to not only provide compliance support, but also to better meet real workflow processes. For ProSeries Professional, this has meant adding features that help retain existing clients and attract new ones using automated online marketing tools, as well as giving users more tangible ways to communicate the value of their services to their clients, such as through tax planning and additional related services.

ProSeries Professional is offered by module and in bundles, and it includes compliance systems for individual, corporation, partnership, fiduciary, exempt, estate, gift and trust returns, as well as support for all corresponding state returns. The full “PowerTax Library” suite, which includes all entities and all states, costs $4,099, and also includes a research library, fixed asset management system and other options. Perhaps a more cost-effective bundle, “PowerTax Lite” includes all entities plus four individual and business states, along with the research library and fixed asset manager. These prices allow for any number of preparers in a single office at no additional cost. For some reason, Intuit does not include e-filing in its pricing; unlimited individual and business e-filing costs an additional $150 each.

General Operations/ Ease-of-Use -- 5 Stars
ProSeries sports an exceptional interface that perfectly balances productivity and efficiency needs with ease-of-use. The system is centered around the Home Base screen, which provides a spreadsheet list of all clients and includes status, entity type, contact info, preparer, due date and other data, and allows sorting and filtering by multiple methods. The program also provides traditional icons and pull-down menus, along with a plain language How Do I search field and a Help box that provides information on the task in progress. The system’s Message Center provides additional alerts regarding program updates, acknowledgements and other items.

Within client returns, ProSeries automatically bundles form sets based upon the type of entity return being prepared. Data can be entered directly onto forms and worksheets in the main area of the screen or using a QuickEntry mode. As data is entered, it automatically flows to all associated forms and related returns. A left-hand navigation menu provides quick access to forms, worksheets and schedules in use with the current return, as well as other available forms and data-entry areas, which are grouped intuitively by subject, such as Income, Adjustments, Deductions, Credits, Taxes, and electronic filing and banking information. Reports are also available from this menu, including summaries, two-year comparisons, Sec. 179, depreciation and capital loss carryovers. While entering data, the Help toolbar at the top of the screen automatically displays line-specific guidance, and a Where Do I Enter button can help guide novice users.

The system also has Home Base dashboards for key areas of the program, such as the E-Filing Home Base view, which shows a status and return type spreadsheet with the ability to narrow the view using tabs for Pending and Accepted returns. In all, the system is very easy to use, and the features designed to help newbies do not get in the way of more experienced users.

Workflow & Productivity Tools -- 5 Stars
ProSeries offers good customization options and general usability features but also provides strong review and client communication tools. The program’s built-in review system helps ensure that processing meets guidelines, while users also have the ability to utilize checkmarks or attach notes to client returns. The program also has diagnostics tools that allow for quick drilldown to potential problem areas. Additionally, a Missing Data Utility allows users to mark specific lines that may be missing information (such as additional K-1s or 1099s), and the system automatically compiles all of the missing information for a client’s return and prepares a customizable reminder e-mail that can be quickly sent to the client through the tax system.

The program automatically performs all calculations and pushes K-1 data to partner returns as necessary, as well as allowing data transfer between parent/child returns. The addition of several additional impressive features over the past few years has helped ProSeries maintain its loyal user base. Key among new additions to the system are the Client Presentation and Client Advisor features, which can greatly add to a client’s perceived value. The Presentation system lets the professional develop client deliverable reports that include graphs, charts and tables and can be used to help communicate a client’s tax situation more effectively. The Advisor system generates a personalized printed report that provides clients with basic tax ideas to help the client in the next year, allowing professional firms to move into a planning role with their clients.