Tax Prep in Intuit Accountant Suites

Feature overview

The Tax Prep feature in the Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS) integrates ProConnect Tax Online (PTO) into a unified, single platform. This integration, also referred to as Tax prep, is designed to eliminate context-switching and data silos by allowing firms to manage tax engagements from start-to-finish in one place.

• Single Platform: Firms can prepare, track progress, and e-file tax returns for all clients within one platform (IAS), eliminating the need to switch between paid third-party workflow management tools and their ProConnect software.
• Workflow Management: Enables firms to use advanced practice management capabilities in IAS for tax services, including tracking tasks, assigning team members, and setting due dates.
• Customization: Provides customizable workflow templates to fit the firm’s specific processes.
• Access controls: Admins can control who can have access to this feature within Intuit Accountant Suite

 Access and Permissions (RBAC)

Access to Tax Prep in IAS is controlled through two main areas in Unified User Management (UUM) in IAS: Firm Roles and specific permissions. If users lack the correct permissions, they will see an error screen directing them to contact their firm admin to get right access.

Required Firm Roles:

Tax Prep requires a user to have one of the following roles: 

• Primary admin
• Company admin
• Standard all access
• Standard limited customers and vendors
• Standard limited customers only
• No firm access (account management only)
• Standard limited vendors only
• Standard all access (no money movement)
• Advanced tax and books admin
• Advanced tax and books access
• Advanced tax access limited customers only

Template Settings Permission: 

A separate permission, Settings, is required to access/customize templates, manage multiple Assignee labels, and custom statuses. This permission is added to the UUM grid section titled "Standard tax permissions (ProConnect Tax only)".

Start-to-finish workflow steps

The Tax Prep workflow allows a firm to manage a tax engagement through a project dashboard and integrated tools.

Step 1: Create a Tax Engagement

• Navigate to the Tax Prep Overview dashboard from the left navigation menu item.
• Select the Create tax engagement.
• Fill out the required information:
  • Client Name
  • Return Type
  • Engagement Name
  • Project Template
  • Due Date (for the tax engagement)
  • Preparer
  • Reviewer
  • Approver

Step 2: Utilize Workflow Templates and Tasks

• Standard Templates: The system launches with four workflow templates:
  • Business return (include books mapping)
  • Business return
  • Individual return (include books mapping)
  • Individual return
• Template Customization: Users with Settings permission can create new copies of the standard templates and save them for use in new tax engagements.

Step 3: Prepare the Tax Return

• Tax preparation tasks are executed within IAS using integrated PTO widgets.
• Prepare the tax return directly in the workflow using embedded ProConnect Tax, using a "companion mode" that reduces the PTO user interface (UI) to only the elements relevant to the current task.
• User Context: A permanent badge will be displayed for ‘in tax return’ whenever PTO is opened within IAS.
• All the actions in some tax tasks in blue color will open ProConnect Tax within IAS.

Step 4: Tracking and e-filing

The Projects Dashboard provides a single view to see the status of all tax engagements. 

Status Display: The dashboard shows the Federal e-file status for the return.