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Intuit ProSeries is desktop tax preparation software built for professional tax preparers and accounting firms. It supports individual and business tax returns, e-filing, diagnostics, data imports, and other tools used during tax preparation.
ProSeries still runs as desktop software. Without hosting, firms generally depend on supported Windows computers or a local network to use it. This can become harder to manage when preparers work remotely, firms add seasonal staff, or several users need access to shared tax data.
ProSeries cloud hosting takes a licensed copy of ProSeries and runs it on a remote server. Authorized users connect to that hosted desktop through the internet and work with the same ProSeries software.
Hosting does not replace ProSeries or change its tax features. It changes where the application and its data are hosted and how users access them. Here are six key benefits of hosting ProSeries in the cloud.
Move ProSeries to the cloud for secure remote access, centralized files, and 24×7 hosting support.
1. Access ProSeries from Anywhere
With a traditional local setup, access to ProSeries can depend on the computer or office network where the software and client files are stored.
A hosted setup removes much of that dependency. Tax professionals can connect to their cloud desktop from supported laptops or desktops with an internet connection and authorized login credentials.
This can be especially useful for firms with remote employees, multiple offices, or preparers who divide their time between home and the office. It also gives users another way to reach their work if their primary office computer is unavailable.
Intuit itself now offers ProSeries hosting through secure remote desktop access, showing how remote access has become part of modern ProSeries workflows.
2. Give Teams Centralized Access to Tax Files
Tax preparation often involves more than one person. A preparer may enter information, another employee may review it, and a senior tax professional may complete the final checks.
Keeping files on separate computers can make that workflow harder to manage. With hosted ProSeries, authorized users can access the application and tax data from a central environment instead of keeping separate local copies.
ProSeries Professional supports multi-user network access, while ProSeries Basic is designed for single-user access. Firms also need the appropriate ProSeries licenses for the number of users accessing a hosted environment.
Hosting should also not be confused with several people editing the same client return at once. ProSeries can lock a client file when it is already being used on another workstation. The main advantage is that the team works from centralized application and data storage, reducing the need to move tax files between individual computers.
3. Reduce the Work of Managing Local Servers
Running ProSeries for several employees on an office network can require more than installing the software. The firm may need to manage server hardware, storage, network connections, operating systems, backups, security controls, and hardware replacements.
Intuit also continues to update the system requirements for ProSeries. For example, current ProSeries guidance lists 12 GB of RAM as the minimum, with 16 GB recommended, and ProSeries follows Microsoft’s supported Windows operating systems.
This means older workstations and servers may eventually need upgrades. With cloud hosting, the hosting provider manages the underlying server infrastructure. Firms can spend less time maintaining physical servers or planning hardware replacements.
The tax firm still remains responsible for its ProSeries licensing, application use, client data practices, user access, and other business responsibilities. Hosting mainly shifts management of the underlying hosting infrastructure to the provider.
This can make IT management easier, particularly for firms that do not want to maintain an in-house server.
4. Scale Users and Computing Resources During Tax Season
Tax firms rarely have the same workload throughout the year. During tax season, a firm may bring in temporary preparers, extend working hours, or process far more returns than it does during slower months. A local server purchased for peak season may remain underused for much of the year.
Cloud infrastructure provides more flexibility. Depending on the hosting plan, firms can increase resources such as CPU, RAM, storage, or hosted user capacity as their requirements change. User access can also be adjusted as employees join or leave the firm.
Any additional ProSeries users must still comply with Intuit’s licensing requirements. This approach lets firms plan their infrastructure around changing workloads instead of buying new physical hardware each time their computing needs increase.
5. Keep ProSeries and Other Tax Tools in One Environment
Tax preparation rarely happens inside one application. A firm may use ProSeries alongside accounting software, document management tools, Microsoft Office applications, payment tools, and other business applications.
ProSeries itself supports data exchange with compatible QuickBooks Desktop products. Intuit documents the ability to import compatible QuickBooks data into ProSeries, subject to product and tax-year compatibility requirements.
Hosting supported applications in the same cloud environment can reduce the need to move between different computers or maintain several separate installations. For example, firms can host ProSeries and QuickBooks on the same cloud desktop when their application versions and licenses support the required workflow.
Ace Cloud Hosting also supports a range of ProSeries integrations, including TaxDome, QuickBooks, ProSeries QuickCollect, ProSeries Link, and more.
This replaces the older claim that ProSeries hosting can integrate with “any number of add-ons.” Compatibility depends on the application, license, ProSeries version, hosting environment, and technical requirements. Firms should confirm support before moving an application into the hosted setup.
6. Improve Data Availability and Business Continuity
Tax firms handle sensitive financial and taxpayer information. Losing access to that data during filing season can disrupt work at a critical time.
Local hardware can fail. A workstation can become unavailable. Files can also be deleted accidentally or affected by other technical problems.
A properly managed hosted environment can add backup, security, and business continuity measures beyond a single office computer.
Ace Cloud Hosting currently provides 45-day rolling backups for hosted Intuit applications, along with a 99.99% SLA-backed uptime commitment. Its ProSeries hosting environment also includes controls such as encryption, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and access controls.
If an individual workstation fails, users can connect to the hosted environment from another supported device instead of waiting for the original computer to be repaired.
This does not remove the firm’s own security responsibilities.
The IRS requires tax professionals to maintain a Written Information Security Plan (WISP). Cloud hosting can form part of a firm’s security and business continuity approach, but it does not by itself make a tax practice compliant. Firms still need appropriate policies, access management, employee training, and other safeguards.
What Should You Check Before Choosing ProSeries Hosting?
Before moving ProSeries to a hosted environment, check:
- Whether you use ProSeries Basic or Professional and how many licensed users need access.
- Which ProSeries years and other applications need to be hosted.
- Whether your QuickBooks, Microsoft 365, document management, and other tools are compatible.
- How backups work and how long backup copies are retained.
- What uptime commitment the provider offers.
- Whether multi-factor authentication and access controls are available.
- What technical support is included.
- How easily resources and users can be changed during tax season.
It is also worth testing your actual workflow rather than evaluating hosting only from a feature list. Open your client files, test the applications your staff uses, check printing and scanning workflows, and confirm performance before moving your full tax practice.
Test your ProSeries workflow with 99.99% uptime, 45-day rolling backups, and 24×7 hosting support.
Is ProSeries Cloud Hosting Right for Your Firm?
ProSeries already provides the tax preparation features needed by many professional firms. Hosting mainly addresses the infrastructure around the application.
It can make sense for firms that need remote access, centralized tax data, flexible user capacity, managed server infrastructure, backups, and access to several tax and accounting applications from one environment.
Firms with one preparer working from a single office computer may have fewer reasons to move. The value becomes greater when a practice has several preparers, remote employees, seasonal staffing needs, or an office server that requires regular maintenance.
Ace Cloud Hosting provides ProSeries hosting with 24×7 hosting support, 45-day rolling backups, a 99.99% uptime SLA, and a 7-day free trial.
Ready to see how your existing ProSeries setup performs in the cloud? Start Your 7-Day ProSeries Hosting Trial today.
