Why is ProSeries Fast Path forcing people to authorize / pay for a return before you can PRINT a DRAFT?

[rofamax]

The idea to pay for a software license is to be able to use the software without limitation under the license agreement. If you need to print a DRAFT to have a discussion with your client before finalizing a return, the software forces and/or twist your arm to authorize / pay for a return proactively. NOT COOL! A DRAFT is a draft, NOT a final return. I could not believe it at first until I spent a good half hour on the phone with customer support to confirm it for me. Although this is not a critical issue preventing one from using the main functionalities of the software, it needs to be addressed to resolve the current limitation.

[AshleyatIntuit · Accepted solution]

Here is the most thorough answer I can provide in addition to what is mentioned above.

ProSeries offers a pay-per-return (PPR) option, which requires a Fast Path license fee. When preparing tax returns on a pay-per-return basis, you authorize payment for printing or converting a tax return for efiling for each return processed. You may then print or convert for electronic filing that particular return an unlimited number of times with no additional pay-per-return fee charge.

This option uses a pay-per-return (PPR) account in the ProSeries professional tax return software program. When you authorize a return, you authorize payment for the return(s) you are processing.  Payment for pay-per-return can be made via credit or debit card.  ProSeries accepts VISA, Discover, MasterCard and American Express. 

Please Note:  For Debit Card Orders, a hold is placed for the amount of the order in the Card's bank account for 5 to 7 business days, but the funds are not withdrawn from the account until the order is processed.

For instructions on how to increase your pay per return account balance view How To Increase Pay Per Return (PPR) Balance

When increasing your Pay Per Return (PPR) balance keep in mind:

• PPR fees are incurred in addition to the license fee.
• PPR increases reside in the ProSeries program  tax year where added. 
• Once a return has been authorized the ProSeries program will not ask to authorize the return again.

NOTE: If the Social Security Number (SSN) on a personal return or the Employer Identification Number (EIN) on a business return has been changed, the program will request another authorization for payment.

• In a network environment the PPR funds added are available to all workstations on the network.
• Sales tax on PPR increases where applicable.

Audit Report

• The Audit Report provides detailed transaction information for each year.
• The transactions in the audit report are retained in the program as long as the program is not uninstalled.
• Before uninstalling the program print off the audit report to have the funds transferred to the new computer.
• To generate an audit report, see the following link .

Pay Per Return account balances are non refundable, non transferable and may not be carried forward to another tax year. For more information refer to the  ProSeries License Agreement. (Section 6 - Pay-Per-Return Licensing).  

For additional assistance, contact ProSeries Customer Service at 800-434-6818

Related Pay-Per-Return Articles (Select the title to view additional information😞

• Avoiding Duplicate Pay-Per-Return (PPR) Charges
• Reviewing Pay-Per-Return Activity within ProSeries
• View/Print the Pay-Per-Return Audit Report
• Sales Tax on PPR (Pay-Per-Return) Charges

[IRonMaN]

The software isn't smart enough to know when you are printing a final copy of the return or a draft.  If you are printing a return, you have prepared a return.  It's kind of like the old days of pay phones.  You had to pay up front.  The phone company didn't care if you got to talk to the person you were calling or if you just ended up with an answering machine.

[AshleyatIntuit]

I echo @IRMN there is no way to tell what is draft vs final.  That being said, as long as you don't change any of the critical information like client file #, type of return, etc.  the program will not prompt for payment AGAIN once it is final.  You are paying for the "authorization" of the return to print/efile not for the final or draft version.  Hope that clarifies

[TaxGuyBill]

Some software requires the authorization when you START the tax return, so in my opinion, ProSeries is pretty lenient in this regard.

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Can you Print Preview and see the actual return ON the screen before paying?  I cant remember.

[rofamax]

Interesting answers, none really answered my question but pivot around what I am asking. Well, thanks for trying though.

[TaxGuyBill]

As a direct answer:  Intuit requires you to pay when you print, create a PDF, or e-file.  It does not matter if the form is not final yet.  That is their rule.

[rofamax]

Thank you TaxGuyBill for your direct answer. In other words, you have to pay even if you need to just print a DRAFT. It doesn't matter what you do next. So, it's intentionally done that way by design.

[mojocpa]

In Lacerte you can't even view the PPR return (unless you set the SSN to all 9's) without paying the REP fee.

[abctax55]

@rofamax - ONCE they (Intuit) gives you permission to print, how would they control whether you are printing just a draft, or a complete return to give to the client to file?  Think about it from their perspective.

[Charlotte256]

Payment is required before you can print and/or e-file a tax return.

You can download any type of tax form, and practice using it all you want to, at no charge.

(It is sort of like buying shoes: you can try on as many as you want but only pay for the ones you take out of the store.)

[me112233]

This fast-path crap is, well, crap.  I paid for this program starting in 1988 (then called TurboTax), and every year since.  Starting in the late 1990's, the service has become progressively worse, to the point now that it is quite poor.  If I booted up my old computer from 1988, I could do a 1988 tax rerturn on it with no problem.  As I could with the 1998 and 2008.  Then, somewhere around 2016, "fast path" showed up on the scene.  Without offering any explanation of what was being done to me, I now have to log in to use a program loaded on my local hard drive.  Moreover, it locked me out of past year's programs this year when the year tripped over to 2021.  So, I cannot print out a copy of a client's 2019 tax return, unless I pay them a $399 fee.  But here's the worst part of it -- I actually paid the **bleep** fee, and intuit has still locked me out.  Why?  Because I didn't download the 2020 tax program.  Even in their nasty fine print where they grab you by the short-hairs and yank real hard, there is absolutely no requirement to buy or download the 2020 tax program in order to access tax returns for 2019 and earlier years.  I paid the $399 hostage fee over three weeks ago, yet they refuse to let me utilize the software.

And don't bother to call customer non-service.  After waiting about an hour for a call back, I get the call back from somewhere in Cambodia, where a heavily accented idiot in a cubicle reads from a script, and demands that I download the 2020 program.  I told her I didn't want to download it, and I explained that I had paid the $399 fee on December 11 (day it hit my credit card).  She told me that if I didn't download the 2020 program, that I couldn't access the 2019 tax program either (I purchased an unlimited returns package for 2019).  So, intuit isn't just demanding $399 to use the software that I already paid for, they are demanding that I buy and pay for 2020, too. 

People file late sometimes.  The IRS messes stuff up sometimes.  Amended returns need to be calculated sometimes.  And yes, even the preparer makes a mistake that needs fixing sometimes.  These are all reasons that access to  past year's software is important.  Intuit is thwarting all reasonable concepts of fair trade in what they are doing.  I think they have crossed the line into criminal behavior.  

[IRonMaN]

I assume you went into the prior years and clicked “tools” “license product”?

[Opfor77]

So, I can input data, pay the per return fee for the return, print out a copy, and go back in and make corrections after that if I want, without paying another per return fee?

[sjrcpa]

Correct.

[Opfor77]

Thanks so much for your quick reply.  I greatly appreciate it!

[me112233]

Not sure exactly what you mean.  I used the 2019 software throughout 2020 to prepare 2019 tax returns.

[JTM]

What I don’t understand is that I paid for Basic with 50 returns and 2 states,  but when I try to e file a file it asks for me to do pay per return, and I can’t get around that. 

[JTM]

Anybody now why it’s asking me to pay PPR when I already paid for 50 returns plus two states?

[me112233]

Because, if you read the fine print, the limited return packages are only for the year calendar year.  During 2020, you get to do 50 returns, to be completed on or before 12/31/2020.  I know you surely thought that you would get 50 returns for the 2019 tax year, and had unlimited time in which to do them; but that's not how intuit rolls these days.  They have changed the way they do things to find creative ways to milk more cash out of people who choose the limited or lesser (basic) software packages.  Of course, the $399 "fast path" thing is a punitive measure for anyone that leaves them.  I don't do a lot of "business" returns (partnerships, corporations, trusts, estates, 990's, etc.), so I ordered a unlimited 1040 package, with limited business, but in a quantity that was more than in excess of what I might need.  Well, in comes a non-profit that I typically do for free every year; and BAM, I the pay-per-retunt notice pops up on the screen.  I call intuit.  They explain that the non-profits aren't actually a business, so it's not included in the business package.  Of course, an estate isn't a business, either . . . . but anyway.  The PPR for a 990 is $68 federal, plus another $43 if you need a state variant.   

[tonyg]

I see you had the same issue I am having this year.  I have a 2020 return that needs to be electronically filed. I am getting the fast patch license error.  Based on me112233's previous post I guess it means that I need to purchase 2021 program.   I have been using Proseries for a very long time I think they were influenced by another company that use to hold you hostage to get me to renew my bookkeeping software program or I could not use it the following year.    

I am still waiting for a response from proseries, I know I have an option to paper file, but I paid for electronic when I purchased the program.

This is not a business-friendly policy.  It might be time to move on

[TaxGuyBill]

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@tonyg wrote:

I know I have an option to paper file, but I paid for electronic when I purchased the program.

This is not a business-friendly policy.  It might be time to move on

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Actually, if this is a new return you can't even paper file.  It won't let you print unless you pay the Fast Path license fee.

It is a business-friendly policy (increased profits for Intuit), but not a customer-friendly policy.  In my opinion, it was time to move on several years ago.

[Accountant-Man]

So you want to prepare a draft return for free, in case you don't complete it, thereby using the software for free in case you or your client changes their mind?

[David-B]

I paid for ProSeries Basic 50 software.  This package allows me to prepare 50 tax returns. Why does the program ask me to pay before I print a form?

[TaxGuyBill]

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@David-B wrote:

I paid for ProSeries Basic 50 software.  This package allows me to prepare 50 tax returns. Why does the program ask me to pay before I print a form?

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Is this in the 2021 software?  Or a prior year?   If a prior year, have you also bought 2021?

On Homebase, go to the "Tools" menu and then License the software.

[Joan Denney]

I have the ProSeries Basic 20 and am having the same issue.  I did this and it didn't help.

[IRonMaN]

Did you try what Bill suggested?

[gracekenney]

I paid for umlimited returns in pro series basic doesn't this include pro series returns as well.

[me112233]

No.  ProSeries Basic is a 1040-only package.  It is effectively the regular ProSeries 1040 individual module with a slightly different interface, and some of the functionality disabled.   Examples of disabled functions are calculating a NOL carryforward, splitting a MFJ into two MFS returns,  and handling retroactive SS disability payments (i.e., lump sum awards of past years' benefits after a lengthy appeals process).  If you do the tax return in the regular ProSeries module, and then attempt to print or e-file, it will ask for pay per return.  Oddly, you can do the return to see what the outcome would be; for example you could input the return as MFJ, then use the split function to see if it would result in lower taxes that way, but you can't actually print or e-file the returns.  But once you know it would result in a lower tax bill, you can go ack to the Basic program and input the data for the spouses separately and then print/e-file.  Very time consuming.

[me112233]

Yes and no.  As long as you do so within the calendar year that you paid the fast path fee, you can change/print the same client's return all you want.  When the calendar flips to the next year, you will need to pay the fastpath fee again.

[YourTaxEdge]

Why are you trying to charge me for printing a Form 709? I have a full license for POWER TAX LITE and the Form 709 is included!!!! This is just BS on your part and I need it fixed NOW so I can properly service my client and collect my fees!!!! I have many other comments I would like to add about the ineptitude of the ProSeries programmers but as a professional, I am biting my tongue.

[YourTaxEdge]

Print screen works wonders and is the ONLY option!