Lacerte Support Sucks

[bobbyeyes]

I am a 30 year Lacerte client and this year is the worst ever for customer reps who are NOT up on the laws and cannot provide accurate information. I just spoke with 4 Reps all told me they are new...I asked about the Cares Act on a client taking a $100,000 IRA Distribution. I know on form 8915 the gross can be rated over 3 years...However the program makes you take entire federal withholding only to the first year 2020..I asked why the tax cant be rated over 3 years. After 4 reps and 3 hours of my time they admit they know nothing about it. WTF....Also a few reps didnt know that the Unemployment exclusion of $10,200 does not apply to incomes above $150,000... When you call Lacerte they say they are connecting you with an expert..LMAO....

[TaxGuyBill]

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@bobbyeyes wrote:

.However the program makes you take entire federal withholding only to the first year 2020..I asked why the tax cant be rated over 3 years.

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The law had a provision for spreading out the distribution over 3 years, but the law did NOT have a provision to spread out the withholding.  So the law says it is all used in the year of the withholding.

The customer service reps are not meant to teach us the tax laws, so it is perfectly understandable they would not know how to do something that is not allowed (such as spreading out the withholding).

[George4Tacks]

You may notice that all the support references send you here first. They know the other users that volunteer here know the answers, assuming the question is posed properly. They also know we cost nothing. 

In short trust them and come here first. I admit that I know more than many of the Reps. I am a 40 year user, but like  you I don't know everything yet. 

I would agree with the reps about withholding on the IRA. That is 2020 withholding, regardless of whether the $100K is taxed now, or over the next whatever years. Just like a rollover - Unless the withholding is replaced the full $X is reported and only $X - withholding has been rolled over, yielding a taxable IRA equal to the withholding. 

I think you have to admire their ability to admit ignorance. 

Hopefully you are finding the latest update does know about the UI limitations.

[sjrcpa]

While I agree support sucks, their job is to help with the program. The tax professional is supposed to know the tax law. Support is not supposed to help with tax law questions.

The federal withholding on the 1099-R is all reported on 2020. You can always apply an overpayment to 2021.

We could have saved you 4 Reps and 3 hrs.

[bobbyeyes]

Thank You

[bobbyeyes]

Thank You 

[sjrcpa]

You're welcome.

Come here first next time.

[orcg]

Every year it gets worse, I never come for answers in the community because many are wrong. Then you try calling and you are on hold for over an hour, sure we got that kinda time!!! Not!!!! WE are looking around for a different program, lacerte has just gotten untenable at this point! We pay 10's of thousands a year for this program and so far since 0101/2023 to today 02/18/2023 we have been on hold or talking to IT for 92 hours I would love to bill them my $250 an hour!