Audit Assist

[mlthomas26]

My company bought the Audit Assist this year.  It was working correctly until this morning when ProSeries stopped giving me the documentation that each of my clients must sign.

Any idea's on what happened?

[Chief109]

The same thing has happened to me this morning.  Customer service is closed today. Even when I open a previously prepared return that contained the documents, they are now gone. 

[IRonMaN]

You are probably going to need to call support on that one.  But while we are talking, I'm curious as to why you purchased the product.  To me, purchasing the product is like asking someone living in the Mojave Desert to purchase igloo insurance. So like I said, I was just curios

[Chief109]

It also includes an identity theft service which I think gives my clients a little bit of security.

[IRonMaN]

But with Intuit, you have to always read the fine print to see if you really are getting what you thought you were getting.  It's just like reading the fine print in your software agreement.  If the software has a complete meltdown and every return that you create is completely bogus ------------------ it isn't their fault since you signed an agreement to that effect.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Your cyber insurance should already provide ID theft protection should you have a breach of client information.

[itonewbie]

To me, a client's audit protection should be the accountant who prepared the return and not some third party who know zilch about the client's return, background, finances, and technical reasons for any position taken.

I have to ask how some stranger can step in at this rate (yes, I know it works like insurance on a pooled risk basis so the value is higher than the premium you pay) and respond to IRS notices, etc.  And am I even comfortable that these strangers are competent enough to represent my clients and, if they are, whether they have sufficient facts and understanding of the return I prepare to represent my client (and not misrepresent me along the way)?

Identity theft protection service?  I'm not so sure if that's the reason accountants decide to have their clients buy that.  From what I gathered, accountants are hoping that "audit protection" would take a load off their shoulders and that their clients can have their notices taken care of without additional charge (which they would otherwise bill for).  Identity theft protection service is just an after thought, if at all.  To me, clients who are really conscious about identity theft would already have this coverage from their credit cards, banks, internet security software, etc.

As I said, there seems to be plenty of accountants who find "audit assistance" valuable.  Personally, I just have my doubts from a professional practice standpoint.