Lacerte and ProSeries by Intuit are some of the most preferred tax software. According to the latest reports by the Journal of Accountancy, the overall market share of ProSeries and Lacerte is 10.5% and 14.8%, respectively.
However, choosing which is suitable for your tax firm can be confusing. Both software caters to different users while offering robust features to file more tax returns quickly and accurately.
According to the Journal of Accountancy, Lacerte is more favorable for individuals and small tax firms. On the other hand, ProSeries has become more popular among mid to large businesses.
Intuit has developed both Lacerte tax and ProSeries tax software to address your taxation needs. These solutions have comprehensive features that have emerged as a boon for tax preparers. Using tax software has reduced paper consumption and saved time for tax professionals.
In this blog, we will compare Lacerte vs. Proseries so that you can choose the right tax filing solution for your tax firm. We will compare them based on features, different form supports, ability to handle complex taxation requirements, and other criteria.
Understanding Lacerte Tax Software by Intuit
Lacerte offers comprehensive tax preparation and filing solutions for tax professionals. It is best for its robust features, advanced tax calculations, 1000+ forms support, and seamless e-filing options.
Moreover, Lacerte tax software caters to a wide range of tax filing scenarios, making it suitable for tax firms dealing with large businesses and high-net-worth individuals.
Key Features
- Specifications: Lacerte provides a vast library of 5,700+ forms catering to diverse client needs. Incorporating 25,000+ error-detection diagnostics boosts efficiency by integrating 32 time-saving features.
- Advanced Tax Calculations: Lacerte excels in handling intricate tax calculations, making it suitable for complex tax scenarios.
- Extensive Forms Support: The software supports a vast array of tax forms, accommodating diverse client needs.
- E-filing Capabilities: Lacerte streamlines the e-filing process, allowing tax professionals to submit returns electronically for added convenience.
- Client Data Management: Lacerte offers robust client data management tools, facilitating efficient organization and retrieval of essential information.
Check out other notable features of Lacerte.
System Requirements for Lacerte
To get optimal performance while working on taxes, your system should meet these minimum requirements:
| Item | Minimum Specification |
|---|---|
| Processor | 2.4 GHz dual-core processor |
| RAM | 8 GB DDR4 (Minimum) 16 GB DDR4 (Recommended) |
| Storage | 10 GB |
| Screen Size | 19 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Printer Type | Laser |
| Printing Speed | 17 ppm and a minimum of 32 MB RAM |
| Internet Speed | 50 Mbps or more |
| Add-on | Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 or 11 (version 1607 or later) |
| File Server OS | Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022 |
If your system doesn’t meet these requirements, then you might encounter several issues, such as data loss, downtime, increased cost per return, and, most importantly, hampering your team’s productivity.
You can consider Lacerte hosting solutions to bypass these limitations. With Lacerte hosting, you get remote access, bank-level security, business continuity, real-time collaboration, and other benefits.
ProSeries Tax Software Overview
ProSeries is another leading tax preparation software well known for its user-friendly interface and flexibility. Thus, it can be ideal for practitioners handling a varied client base.
It offers comprehensive tax features and ease of use, making it suitable for small and large tax firms.
Key Features
- Specifications: Simplify data input through a forms-based interface. It provides over 27 integrated time-saving tools. Utilize 1,000+ diagnostics to enhance accuracy and ensure correct returns on the first attempt.
- Comprehensive Tax Support: The software covers various tax scenarios, offering comprehensive support for various tax forms and situations.
- Client Collaboration Tools: ProSeries facilitates collaboration between tax professionals and clients, streamlining tax preparation.
- Flexibility: ProSeries is recognized for its flexibility, making it suitable for small and large tax practices with diverse client needs.
System Requirements for ProSeries
| Item | Minimum Specification | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 2.0 GHz | Intel i5 or later (2.5+ GHz) |
| RAM | 8 GB or more | 16 GB or more |
| Storage | SSD | 4 GB or more free Hard drive space |
| Printer Type | PCL 5E or higher | PCL 5E or higher |
| Internet Speed | 50 Mbps or more | 50 Mbps or more |
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) Windows 11 | Windows 10 (64-bit) Windows 11 |
| File Server OS | 2.0 GHz dedicated CPU or faster | 2.0 GHz or more dedicated CPU |
You must meet these minimum system requirements:
- Should have over 1000 client files
- Prepare large and complex returns
Failing to meet these minimum system requirements may result in several issues, such as downtime, slow performance, data loss, and many others.
To avoid these hurdles, you can opt for ProSeries hosting services. By partnering with a 3rd party cloud hosting provider, you can install ProSeries on fast and dedicated servers for maximum performance. The best part is that you can seamlessly scale your resources with zero downtime.
The best part is that you get several other benefits after migrating ProSeries to the cloud, such as remote access anywhere, anytime, enterprise-grade security, and many others.
Lacerte vs ProSeries: A Comprehensive Comparison
Let’s delve deeper into comparing ProSeries vs Lacerte across various factors:
Tax Firm Size
ProSeries and Lacerte are both desktop-based tax software. However, both cater to different audiences.
While Lacerte is more favorable for early stage and small tax firms, ProSeries offers advanced taxation capabilities for mid to large-scale businesses.
See the table below for a more detailed comparison.
| Product | Number of users | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 to 5 | 6 to 20 | 21 to 100 | 101 to 500 | 501 or more | |
| Lacerte | 14.50% | 20.00% | 17.60% | 10.70% | 10.90% | 11.10% |
| ProSeries | 19.80% | 10.40% | 3.50% | 6.80% | 10.90% | 4.60% |
Source: Journal of Accountancy
Notably, Lacerte is particularly popular among firms with 2 to 5 users (20.00%) and 6 to 20 users (17.60%).
ProSeries, on the other hand, has a higher percentage of usage in the 1-user category (19.80%) and declines as the firm size increases.
User Ratings
The survey asked tax professionals and firms to rate various tax software on critical factors, using a rating scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating.
- Ease of use
- Onboarding process
- Performance during the tax season
- Ability to handle data within returns
- Integrate with third-party accounting and other software
- Data import capabilities
- And lastly, would you recommend the tax software to others
Source: Journal of Accountancy
From the data above, Lacerte and ProSeries fare very well against each other in terms of these factors:
- Update/Installation process
- Easy to use
- Ability to handle updates during tax season
- Capability to handle data within tax returns
- Process of E-filing
- Software’s conversion package
- Data importing features
- Recommending the software to other users
The only differentiating factor is that 87.1% of ProSeries users would recommend it to others, which is 2.8% more than Lacerte.
Training and Support
Source: Journal of Accountancy
Whether you choose Lacerte, ProSeries, or any other tax software for your firm, you might need technical support sooner or later.
Getting the proper support at the right time can be critical for your business. From the above data, we can compare the type and quality of technical support you get from Intuit for Lacerte and ProSeries.
You can also use the above data to compare technical support mediums and the quality of other tax preparation software.
The above data shows Lacerte users needed more technical support than ProSeries. However, users also gave more satisfactory ratings for the technical support they received from Lacerte than ProSeries.
If you choose a tax software hosting provider either for Lacerte or ProSeries, ensure that they provide round-the-clock tech support.
You can also refer to these questions to ask the cloud hosting solution provider before partnering.
ProSeries vs Lacerte: Comparative Analysis
Here is a detailed insight into both applications:
Complexity and Specialization:
- Lacerte: Suited for complex tax scenarios and businesses with intricate financial structures.
- ProSeries: Strikes a balance between comprehensive features and accessibility, making it suitable for many clients.
User Interface and Learning Curve:
- Lacerte: It may have a steeper learning curve due to its advanced features.
- ProSeries: Known for its user-friendly interface, offering a smoother learning experience.
Pricing:
- Lacerte: Generally priced at a premium due to its advanced capabilities.
- ProSeries: Offers competitive pricing with flexibility to cater to both small and large tax practices.
| Features | Lacerte Tax Software | ProSeries Tax Software |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Forms | 5,700 | 3,700 |
| Number of Error Check Diagnostics | 25,000 | 1,000 |
| Integrated E-filing | Yes | No |
| Interface | Worksheet-based | Form-based |
| Integration with Office Tools | Yes | No |
| Schedule D Excel Import | Yes | No |
| Customizable Client Reports | Yes | No |
| Client Paper Organizer | Yes | As an add-on service |
| Billing Clock | No | Yes |
| Pricing Package | Lacerte 200 (Pay-as-you-go) | Lacerte Unlimited Modules (Pay-as-you-go) |
| Lacerte REP (From $426) | ProSeries Basic (From $450) | ProSeries Professional (From $340) |
| Customer Review (G2.com) | 4.2/5 (36 Reviews) | 4.2/5 (82 Reviews) |
Similarities Between Lacerte and ProSeries
In addition to these differences, being Intuit’s products, both Lacerte and ProSeries have some similarities:
- Tax software applications have data input assistance that includes on-screen help, line-sensitive help, and more.
- K-1 data is automatically transferred to individual returns.
- The missing client data feature helps to track down missing fields and data in the form.
- Approvals and agreements can be collected digitally through E-Signature by DocuSign.
- Tax Analysis and planning tools offer tax advice and customizable plans to serve clients better.
- Both applications integrate with Intuit Link, a client portal solution for sharing files securely over the Internet.
- Accounting data can be imported easily from QuickBooks into the tax application for filing returns.
You can host Lacerte and ProSeries software on the cloud servers of a third-party hosting provider for added functionality, such as remote access, multi-user collaboration, scalability of resources, regular backups, and more.
Which One to Choose – Lacerte or ProSeries?
Now that you have a clear understanding of Lacerte and ProSeries. Let’s see which solution is the right one for your tax firm.
If you are a small tax firm, ProSeries can work well, as it offers an easy-to-use interface and robust features to file taxes efficiently in simple scenarios. On the other hand, Lacerte offers advanced taxation capabilities where multi-state and complex returns are involved.
The best approach is to compare overall features, supported tax forms, third-party add-on support, and minimum system requirements against your business requirements.
Also, check out online reviews on trusted software platforms like SoftwareSuggest, Gartner, G2, etc., to get an overview of what other tax professionals think about Lacerte and ProSeries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lacerte the same as ProSeries?
No, Lacerte and ProSeries are different tax preparation and filing software. Lacerte is more suitable for large tax firms with complex returns scenarios. On the other hand, ProSeries works well for individuals and small size tax firms.
Is Lacerte a good tax software?
Yes, Lacerte from Intuit is a comprehensive tax software for tax professionals and firms. It offers several features that enable tax professionals to file a greater number of returns accurately and quickly.
What are the main differences between ProSeries and Lacerte?
The main differences lie in the use case scenarios of Lacerte and ProSeries. If you are working on multi-state and complex tax returns, then Lacerte is a good choice. ProSeries is an efficient solution for simple tax returns and a small number of users.
Is ProSeries better than Lacerte?
ProSeries and Lacerte are both desktop-based tax software by Intuit for tax professionals. In this blog, we have compared both of them thoroughly so that you can make the right choice for your tax firm.
What is the cost of Lacerte?
You can buy a pay-per-return license for Lacerte starting at $479 on the Intuit website.
Wrapping Up!
Both Lacerte and ProSeries have helped ease tax filing tasks for tax preparers. It is crucial to analyze the choices to make an informed decision. One can go through the points mentioned above to find a perfect fit for their requirements.
Still confused between Lacerte and ProSeries? Contact our Solutions Consultant at +1-(855) 879-5481 to know more.
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Comments (6)
We’re a small tax prep firm with ~450 clients, the majority of those being 1040 returns, also plus some partnerships and fiduciary returns (around 30 of those total). We’re exploring moving away from Lacerte due to pricing. Has anyone recently switched from Lacerte to Drake, UltraTax, or another product? What were the pros, cons, and challenges of the transition, including client data conversion?
Switching from Lacerte to Drake, UltraTax, or another product depends on your needs. Drake is affordable and great for 1040 returns, but its interface is less modern. UltraTax offers advanced features for complex returns but comes at a higher price. Other options like ProSeries are budget-friendly for smaller firms. Focus on ease of use, pricing, and data migration capabilities when making your choice.
Does ProSeries provide the same level of tax law diagnostics and error-checking as Lacerte?
ProSeries offers solid error-checking for basic returns, but Lacerte excels with deeper analysis and better handling of complex and multi-state filings. For straightforward 1040s, ProSeries is sufficient, but Lacerte is better for intricate returns and advanced diagnostics.
I’ve used ProSeries Pro for 10 years and find it easy and flexible for 1040, 1065, and 1120 returns. For those who’ve used both ProSeries Pro and other tax software, have you noticed recurring delays with Schedule A forms in recent years?
Users have reported occasional delays with Schedule A forms in ProSeries Pro, especially in recent years. If timing is critical, checking IRS release schedules or exploring alternatives like Lacerte or UltraTax may help.