Electronic Filing Arizona Business Returns

[WMJCPA79]

I read in some other literature that Arizona was now allowing electronic filing of business returns.  I was wondering why this has not yet been incorporated into the Pro-Series software.  This has bee a big problem for many years and I was always told it was due to the state.  Well now if the state is allowing it, when will we have the ability through this software to e-file these returns.  This would save a great deal of hassle and additional paperwork, not to mention the time savings for a return completed right at a deadline.  It appears that most other states are now allowing e-filing of business returns, so how about it, when do we join the 21st century?

[RollTide68]

This is the approved vendor list for 2019 e-file business returns  ProSeries is not approved

Company Name	Product Name	Date Approved	120	120A	120 EXT	120S	165	300
CCH Incorporated	CCH ProSystem fx	2/7/2020	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Corptax, Inc.	CSC Corptax	1/31/2020	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
CS Professional Suite	Ultra Tax	2/7/2020	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Drake Software LLC	Drake Tax	2/7/2020	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
GoSystem/ONESOURCE	GoSystem/ONESOURCE	1/14/2020	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
GoSystem/ONESOURCE	GoSystem/ONESOURCE	2/7/2020	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
HRB Development, LLC	BlockWorks (BW)	1/14/2020	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intuit Inc.	Lacerte	12/23/2019	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Intuit Inc.	ProConnect Tax Online	12/26/2019	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
TaxSlayer	TaxSlayer Pro	12/31/2019	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No

[gary1861]

Good question.  If Intuit was aware and got approval for Lacerte and the Online version, why haven't they done anything for the ProSeries program.  I called support a few weeks ago and was told it would happen by the day the IRS opened for business.  I didn't think that the rep I was talking to knew what she was talking about, so I had to keep explaining that I wasn't talking about individual returns, etc.  Next year e-filing business returns won't be optional in AZ, it will be mandatory.  I thought we would have e-filing this year and be able to get used to it.  I get the feeling that ProSeries is now the ugly step child in the tax software world of Intuit.

[WMJCPA79]

Hi RollTide68

I thank you for your reply to my inquiry.  I suspected this case, but what I would like to know is when Pro Series might become approved for these electronic filings.  I see that Intuit took it upon themselves to get the privileged child, Lacerte approved and here we are stuck in the dark ages like a **bleep** at the family reunion.  I'm just wondering if we might see this yet this tax season or do we have to suffer through another year without this resource.  The ultimate question is why Pro-Series is not an approved source.  This software has been around for many years, I've been using it for at least 25 years, so why have we become second class citizens?  If someone could answer this question and whether or not we might see this yet this season, that will answer the question.

[WMJCPA79]

Thank you Gary1861,

I have suspected this for some time.  Ever since Intuit acquired Lacerte, Pro Series users have seen a decline in the utility of this software.  It still does the job but the user friendliness that it once had was quickly disappearing.   I actually believe there is a darker purpose at foot here.  I have been suspecting for some time as well that a day would come when Pro Series would be dropped as a platform entirely and we would either have to move to the more expensive Lacerte or find another software vendor.  When I see Drake on the approved list, it really makes me believe this.  Drake is a relatively new player in the tax software arena, but I know some people that swear by it, not at it.

Anyway, we can only hope they may yet get this through before these returns start coming due.

Thanks again.

[gary1861]

My biggest complaint is that 80% of the time I stick on the phone long enough to talk to technical support, the rep knows less about the law, the software, etc. than I do.  It is so frustrating to NOT be able to get any help.  Plus to have to wait an hour or more to talk to someone is ridiculous.

I think what Intuit is trying to do is go with online only products.  I see that with Turbo Tax (yes they sale the desktop version, but they can't really service those clients like they can with the online versions).  They also keep trying to move QuickBooks users to QBO, rather than desktop.  I am guessing the fairly new Pro Connect Online is where they want all of the ProSeries users to go.

I am surprised that Drake has finally been approved, based on the wailing I heard from Drake users.  I also noted that CCH was very slow to get approvals as well.  Yesterday I was e-filing a return with a NM state.  NM is also not listed on the ProSeries list of available states.  Yet as I went to e-file, I had a notice that I hadn't marked the NM return for e-filing.  Maybe that is a clue that NM will be added soon.  I don't get those messages for AZ.