Intuit — Lacerte Tax Planner

Other calculations included with Lacerte include alternative capital gains,
tax phase-outs, farm income averaging, AMT, self-employment and lump-sum taxes,
contribution limits, and new tax laws for the current year. Lacerte Tax Planner
can be accessed from the Lacerte Tax preparation software, as well as independently,
depending on your circumstances. For those using other Lacerte products, you
can easily access current clients from within the system, or just enter new
client data directly into Lacerte Tax Planner.

The main user interface of Lacerte Tax Planner features a drop-down menu bar
at the top of the screen, with a toolbar directly below which provides access
to system functions. A series of tabs provide access to specific spreadsheet
categories such as Main, Income Adjustments, Tax, Credits, Deductions/Exemptions,
and Other Tax and Payments. Entering data into the main spreadsheet will update
all related sub-worksheets immediately.

Lacerte Tax Planner allows users to choose from four types of tax plans which
include Year/Case Analysis, MFS/MFJ Comparison, Difference Analysis, and Adjustment
Analysis. An inflation estimation tool allows you to present multiple tax year
scenarios, taking present and estimated future inflation rates into the equation.
Excellent drill-down capability allows you to review originating entries for
a complete review. Lacerte Tax Planner currently allows you to create up to
10 multiple case tax scenarios for up to 10 years. Excellent customization capability
allows you to copy column data, add notes specific to each client into their
file, and even create custom worksheets for clients. Finally, the diagnostics
tool will alert you to any potential red flags regarding erroneous data entered
into the system.

REPORTING –
Lacerte Tax Planner offers excellent reporting capabilities, with several plan
report variations available. Report templates offer solid customization options,
including just accessing the new report option, and choosing report filters
from the list of items available. Reports are professional in appearance, and
you can easily change fonts and background colors for more personalized options.
Reports can also be previewed on screen prior to printing, and all reports produced
by Lacerte Tax Planner can be saved as PDF files as well.

IMPORT/EXPORT CAPABILITIES –
Lacerte Tax Planner easily integrates with Lacerte Tax Preparation products,
the Lacerte Document Management System, and all other QuickBooks products, making
it especially valuable for current QuickBooks users.

HELP/SUPPORT/TRAINING –
Like all Intuit products, Lacerte Tax Planner contains a solid Help system with
the Tax Planner. Toll-free telephone support is available during regular business
hours, and access to the knowledgebase is available at any time. You can also
access online support via email, as well as join the Lacerte Tax community,
where information is freely shared among users. Training classes are also available
via Intuit Academy.

RELATIVE VALUE –
Lacerte Tax Planner is currently available for $655, which includes an annual
maintenance fee. In subsequent years, users will only pay the maintenance fee,
which is 25 percent of the product cost.

While Lacerte Tax Planner can be effectively used as a standalone product,
it becomes invaluable when coupled with Lacerte Tax Preparation or other Intuit
products. An intuitive user interface and solid integration with QuickBooks
products make Lacerte Tax Planner a necessity.

2009 Overall Rating: