The Lacerte REP Fees are getting out of hand. Why are they raising the prices so drastically? It is making it impossible to have a tax return that is profitable.

[sjrcpa · Accepted solution]

As your costs go up, so should your fees. Or look for a cheaper solution. ProConnect Tax Online has Lacerte "under the hood" and may work for you.

[abctax55]

PTO may have Lacerte "under the hood", but it's a 4 cylinder version.

[sjrcpa]

True

[itonewbie]

They say the 4-cylinder engine is designed to be light on resources but delivers the horsepower you have come to expect from the 6-cylinder version with much better MPG, sans the wood trimmings, heated leather seats, climate control system, and top-of-the-line customizable digital dashboard.

What you end up with is a slightly boxy vehicle that drives like the LX edition but without all the bells and whistles.  Take the car out for a spin with your existing Intuit account; you can test drive it up the hill or across the country like you do with the LX edition without charge (so long as you don't efile or print the return).

[George4Tacks]

FYI - Try PTO free here https://ito.intuit.com/login/#/signin  You can do everything except print or e-file for no charge.

[IRonMaN]

"but delivers the horsepower you have come to expect from the 6-cylinder version:

But for the price you pay, I was under the impression that Lacerte came standard with a V-8.

[itonewbie]

Like the one in the unicorn Mustang? :thought_balloon:

[IRonMaN]

Of course.

[abctax55]

"...They say the 4-cylinder engine is designed to be light on resources but delivers the horsepower you have come to expect "
Maybe, maybe not.  
The car salesman who sold me my Hyundai Sante Fe said it handled as well as a BMW.  His face fell when I told him that, no, it didn't.....given that I have a BMW.  Don't get me wrong, I *love* the Sante Fe.  BUT it is not as much fun to drive as the BMW.    They both serve their respective purposes, as do PTO & Lacerte.

[itonewbie]

LOL, there's no comparison between the ultimate driving machine and a Hyundai.  You get what you pay for.  :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

[abctax55]

"You get what you pay for" ..  and the corresponding speeding tickets too :car:

[George4Tacks]

Top speed of a Yugo was 110. There may have been a cliff and an anvil involved.

[IRonMaN]

I think you mean a trunk full of anvils for it to hit that cliff speed.

[itonewbie]

May actually break 110 if you have Super Dave drive that with a trunk full of anvils down one of those slopes in SF.

[IRonMaN]

Super Dave?  I haven't heard that name mentioned in centuries :smile:

[PattyRae]

None of this discussion answers the original question, why do they keep raising their fees every year... Saying that our tax return fees should be increasing is not an answer to the question... I'm guessing that all of the replies came from users, that Intuit did not step in with their answer... business as usual?

I have used PTO.  At the time I used it, they did not offer the organizer and my clients LOVE the organizer. So after two years, a time consuming conversion, factoring in my rural internet, it was a no brainer for me to move back to LaCerte.

I finally added a separate line item to my fee schedule for the cost of LaCerte. In years when I do not raise my fees, I still pass along the software increase. My clients have gotten over the shock and I did not lose any.

[Lindseydx]

I resent using Lacerte every year.  The costs are ridiculous.  You glibly state that my fees should increase with costs...nice, only clients are not so happy to support your costs!

[sjrcpa]

I wasn't being glib. All of my costs go up every year-rent, wages, software, insurance, etc. So do my fees.