The shift has occurred over several years but accelerated this year, Walters said during the company’s recent earnings webcast for financial results for the year ended December 31.

A week ago, Intuit lower guidance on its revenue for the second quarter ended. January. “Revenue for its second fiscal quarter is expected to be lower than previous guidance due to a slower forming tax season,” the company said in an SEC filing.

Walters also noted areas in which Blucora has worked to improve its TaxAct software. That included changes to the importing of prior-year data that it found could increase user completion rates and improvements to the W2 and 1099 Form import tool. Blucora also launched Xpert assist via which filers can receive guidance from CPAs and tax experts. In addition, the company increased investments in support to provide direct human assistance to a far greater percentage of customers in prior years.

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