Intuit has chopped off pricing for four Lacerte tax software bundles, instigated, a spokesperson says, by demand from professional preparers and not in any response to competitive price pressures. The bundles, introduced this fall, were designed to help customers with both tax preparation and tax workflow and are estimated to be suited for 70 percent of the Lacerte base. The Individual Productivity Bundle, designed for those preparing more more than 64 1040, has a price of $4,849, which the company says represents a savings of $1,200 from the total of the packages if purchased separately. The price entitles the user to an unlimited number selected tax forms and schedules for individuals in one state, unlimited individual e-filing, along with the Lacerte Document Management System, eSort and Tax Planner and Organizer.
For $7,249, the Individual + Business Productivity Bundle has unlimited federal 1040 forms and schedules and unlimited local forms and schedules for individuals for one state. It also offers unlimited federal and state for one of the following business forms: 1120, 1120s, 1065, 1041, 990. Along with that comes unlimited individual and business federal and state efiling. Intuit says this is an $1,800 savings. Users also get a data import utility.
The Individual + Business Productivity Bundle, also listed as an $1,800 in savings, adds in unlimited returns for three business forms. It can also be used in a five-user network and can consolidate returns. This set of products is priced at $12,599
A fourth bundle for Remote Entry Pricing is a pay-per-return system for those handle lower volumes.The REP license fee, comes with the Tax Analyze and Tax Planner, for $799. Intuit says that's $700 lower than the combined price of the three products.
The company is not offering bundles on its ProSeries tax preparation line. "We did not develop a bundled package for ProSeries because we felt that the demand for this sort of offer came from the Lacerte customer base." spokesman Rich Walker says.