Smith said before Intuit embarked on the matchmaking 43 percent of its small business clients used accounting professionals. That has risen to 53 percent over the last year. Intuit says the statistics are important because small businesses that hire professional accountants have an 89-percent greater chance of surviving than those who do not.

He also cited a positive impact from the company's SmartLook program for TurboTax users

SmartLook enables consumers with tax questions to choose a button in TurboTax to initiate a one-way video with a participating preparer. Beyond simply answering question, the preparer can use the system to circle the point at which an entry should be made.

"We have increased confidence in tapxayer 10 points," Smith said. "We have opened up a whole new group of customers we can serve with our products."

Bob Scott

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Bob Scott has provided information to the tax and accounting community since 1991, first as technology editor of Accounting Today, and from 1997 through 2009 as editor of its sister publication, Accounting Technology. He is known throughout the industry for his depth of knowledge and for his high journalistic standards.  Scott has made frequent appearances as a speaker, moderator and panelist and events serving tax and accounting professionals. He  has a strong background in computer journalism as an editor with two former trade publications, Computer+Software News and MIS Week and spent several years with weekly and daily newspapers in Morris County New Jersey prior to that.  A graduate of Indiana University with a degree in journalism, Bob is a native of Madison, Ind