Zoho, better known for its CRM applications, has added an administrative panel to its applications with the launch of its suite, Zoho Financials Plus. The cloud suite, whose elements utilize a common database, is designed for use by individual free-lancers and for companies with about 200 employees.

The CEOs of two tax store chains gave different views this week about the growth of tax return filing during the current season. Liberty Tax Service CEO John Hewitt suggested there may be no growth in filing with the crackdown on immigration likely to be a factor. H&R Block CEO William Cobb saw no reason to change expectations that filings will be up 1 to 2 percent.

A slow start to the tax season, combined with the publicity regarding franchisees accused of fraud hurt results for Liberty Tax Service for its third quarter ended January 31. The number of returns dropped by 16.5 percent over the corresponding period in 2016 for the season through February 28.