Issues with VERY little support during COVID-19

[lpresslercpa]

I have had so many issues with Lacerte this year (2019 TY).  Has anyone experienced unacceptable issues this year.  I have experienced everything from long holds to calculation errors that i was told I have to override to make work.  (Since when???).    I have been told twice that a supervisor would call me back.  Neither time did i get a call.    

I was unable to find anyone to lodge a complaint with so i called sales who also said they would speak to their supervisor and promised a call back. NOTHING.  

I think they had no emergency preparedness plan.  Has anyone else experienced these types of issues and how did you handle it?  I would appreciate any feedback.

Thank you,

[TaxGuyBill]

It seems like you have had better-than-average success for the last few years.  These problems have been around for several years.  They are not new to this year.

[cynginger]

UGLY UGLY UGLY service in general from LCT this year.  i still cannot locate any articles in the 'New Community.'  how is that possible?

[qbteachmt]

Lacerte articles can be accessed from the main community page, then you select which program. Here:

https://proconnect.intuit.com/community/support?product=Lacerte%20Tax

Some older articles have dead links, though.

[lpresslercpa]

Thanks for your feedback.

[lpresslercpa]

Thanks for your feedback.  This is the absolute worst year.  I have been with lacerte for 8 years and i know i have to hold at times but telling me to override a calculation error on their part was the draw that broke the camels back.  Unbelievable.  Are you staying with Lacerte for 2020?

[Karl]

Admittedly, a very fair analysis.  It's been a bit of a letdown. I've evaluated the cost-benefit of switching to another provider, and thus far, the bird in my hand wins over the two in the bush.

However, I'm more inclined to give Lacerte some grace because of the crappy job Congress has done making timely changes to our tax code.  The TCJA was passed late December 2017, and the SECURE Act was being discussed in late Spring 2019, but didn't get passed until mid-December (again) 2019.  Good software development for the countless "if-thens" in our tax code calculations takes a LOT of time and testing to get right.

This letter/article from a Twitter friend gave me some insights: https://www.taxbuzz.com/blog/open-letter-to-congress-from-taxmama

Please don't take this as dismissing your complaints about Lacerte.  They are legitimate, valued, and I echo them.  I only wanted to add more scope to the problem.

Karl

[TaxGuyBill]

While I agree that the last-minute law changes makes it more difficult for the software providers, if Intuit had already updated their software in accordance pre-existing laws and changes, they could deal with the new law changes more easily.

One example that drives me crazy is HSAs.  The IRS announces the maximum contributions about a year and a half before the software is released for that tax year.  Just last week the IRS announced the numbers for 2021 (tax returns filed early in 2022).  But EVERY year when ProSeries is released, they have the previous year's HSA numbers, and don't update it until late December or early January.  So they had a YEAR AND A HALF to update the release-software, but they don't.

That is just ONE example.  There are many more. 

If Intuit would actually have the software semi-ready when they release it (as much as they can), they would be able to handle these last-minute law changes much better.  But as it is, because they procrastinate the 'regular' stuff, they have too much to do when the law changes.

[lpresslercpa]

You are correct and the issues with Lacerte this year have been much more intense than in other years.  If it was only waiting on hold, I could handle it, but calculation errors that are brought to Lacerte's attention should be corrected.  We should not have to override due to Lacerte's errors.  Once they are made aware of it, they need to fix the error.

[TaxGuyBill]

Out of curiosity, what was the calculation error?

[lpresslercpa]

On 1120S NJ Sched C line 1 is to equal the net income per books Per fed K1 Sched M1.  It does not equal that amount.  

My earlier prepared NJ 1120S worked.  But it stopped working  in Apr

[User FIDO 61]

Broken Beautiful Tax Code snafus aside, what grinds my gears is all the Windows 10 specific issues/performance complaints I've needed to remedy in Lacerte 2019. Talk about advance notice. Windows 10 has been around for nearly five years likely even longer than that, to Devs used by Intuit.

Sales, they're right on top of you. Support ...they are severely lacking. For Intuit (QuickBooks) as a whole, and Lacerte specifically.