Lacerte Tax
By Intuit
Assign a Primary Administrator to manage user access and software permissions.
Set up strong passwords and other security measures via the Intuit Account Manager.
For cloud-hosted users (via Right Networks): Follow email instructions to access the hosted environment—no installation required.
Verify your EFIN with Intuit to activate e-filing capabilities.
This helps pre-populate client information and reduces manual entry.
Topics include entering tax data, using diagnostics, and e-filing.
Lacerte Tax software offers a high degree of customization to accommodate the specific workflows and preferences of tax professionals and firms. Here are the key customization features:
Client Status Tracking: Up to 15 custom client statuses can be created to reflect your firm’s workflow stages (e.g., “Awaiting Signature,” “Ready for Review”) for better project management.
Custom Reports: Reports can be branded and formatted to meet client expectations and firm standards.
Lacerte Tax pricing is modular and varies by usage, but here are the most common cost components:
Lacerte Unlimited: Unlimited returns and users; starts at $636/year, but actual cost depends on firm size and needs.
Document Management System (DMS): Included in higher-tier plans like Lacerte Plus and Advanced.
Maintenance & Updates: Included in subscription; however, frequent updates can disrupt workflows.
Lacerte provides a comprehensive onboarding and training ecosystem designed to help new users get up to speed quickly and confidently:
YouTube Training Playlist: Offers visual walkthroughs for common tasks and advanced features.
Dedicated Support Team: Available via phone or chat for technical and product-related issues.
Lacerte Tax software employs enterprise-grade security protocols, especially when hosted in the cloud. Here are the key measures:
Role-based access control: Limits user access to only the data and tools they need.
Secure cloud storage: Hosted environments (e.g., Right Networks) use encrypted servers with strict access policies.
Regular software updates: Ensures the latest security patches are applied automatically.
Lacerte Tax releases frequent updates throughout the year, especially during tax season. Here's how the update process works:
Updates include form changes, bug fixes, performance improvements, and compliance updates.
Update Scheduler: For Lacerte 2023 and earlier, let users schedule specific days and times for updates.
Intuit may access data only for support, analytics, or legal compliance, and always under strict privacy controls.
You can export tax return data, client information, and reports for use in other systems.
No public API is available for custom data integrations, limiting automation for advanced users.
Lacerte Tax offers flexible licensing and product tiers that allow firms to scale up or down based on their needs:
Add-ons like eSignature, cloud hosting, and Intuit Tax Advisor can be added as your firm grows.
Once the renewal is processed, downgrades are not permitted unless within the refund window.
Lacerte’s renewal and cancellation policies are clearly defined:
Early renewal customers can cancel for a full refund before the first software release (typically around November 1st).
Paper check: 2–4 weeks
Lacerte Tax is designed to meet strict regulatory and industry standards for data security and compliance:
HIPAA (indirectly): While not a healthcare product, its encryption and access controls align with HIPAA-grade security.
