Productivity & Business · Finance, Billing & Accounting

Intuit Lacerte Tax

Intuit's professional tax software for CPA firms preparing complex US federal and state returns, sold per return or in bundles.

Our take: Lacerte is desktop software for Windows aimed at firms with complex returns.

Best forCPA firms, complex returns

ReviewedOct 2026Paid

6.85 criteria · see breakdown

Try IntuitFrom $599/yr (PPR license) + per-return

Lacerte Tax is Intuit's professional tax preparation software for accounting firms that handle complex US federal and state returns, from individuals to partnerships, corporations, trusts and exempt organizations. The pay-per-return option costs $599 a year for the license, plus a fee for each return you file ($105 for an individual return with one state). Bundles and unlimited plans are quoted by Intuit, and a free trial is available.

The bottom line

A deep, Windows-based tax program for firms with complex returns, priced per return or by quote.

Our score

Reviewed by the Conversion Gems editorial team. Hover a facet to focus it; click to pin.Tap a facet to focus it.

Community ratings

Shown for context only. Our score is independent.

4.3

180+ reviews

4.3 / 5 aggregate · across 1 source

Third-party ratings shown verbatim; aggregate weighted by review volume.

What it is, and why we rate it

One line each. Open a row for detail.

What it really isLacerte — Intuit's professional tax preparation software for high-volume accounting firms.

Our takeLacerte is desktop software for Windows aimed at firms with complex returns.

It covers more than 7,200 forms with over 25,000 diagnostics, including partnership, corporate, fiduciary, estate, gift, exempt organization and employee benefit plan returns. Firms either pay an annual license plus per-return fees, or buy a bundle or unlimited plan through Intuit sales. Remote access is a separate monthly hosting add-on run by Rightworks.

Why we rate itLacerte combines broad form coverage, a large set of automated diagnostics, client document collection (Intuit Link), e-signatures (Intuit Sign) and tax planning (Intuit Tax Advisor) in one product.

Intuit reports a 99.86% e-file acceptance rate.

The catchCosts add up: the license is only the start, with per-return fees, optional hosting and add-ons on top, and bundle pricing needs a sales call.

It runs on Windows, and cloud access costs extra through the hosting add-on.

Best / not good for

Best for

Large accounting firms with high return volume and complex entity work
Multi-preparer teams needing standardized workflows and real-time collaboration
Tax professionals handling oil & gas, K-1 pass-throughs, or multi-state filings

Not good for

Solo preparers or small firms with straightforward 1040-only practices
Budget-conscious shops seeking transparent, self-serve pricing
Teams wanting a fully cloud-native SaaS experience without desktop or hosted dependencies

Trade-offs

Friction report

Trade-offs to know before signing up.

Time to value
Slow: free trial is restricted (no e-filing, no saving on hosted trial), onboarding requires data migration via Easy Start, and the interface has a steep learning curve for new users.
Scale breakpoint
Per-return fees stack quickly at high volumes; unlimited plans require custom contracts. Network licensing for multi-user access adds cost and IT overhead.
Walled garden
High: workflows, diagnostics, client portal (Intuit Link), and signatures (Intuit Sign) are deeply Intuit-native; migrating client data out requires deliberate effort.

Still a fit?

If none of these block you, try it on the official site.

Try Intuit

Lacerte Tax pricing

Option	Price	Details
Pay-per-return license	$599/year	Annual Lacerte license, single user; returns billed at filing
Individual return + one state	$105/return	Forms 1040 and 1040-NR
Business return + one state	$148/return	Forms 1120, 1120-S, 1065, 1041 and 990
Gift return + one state	$99/return	Forms 709 and 706
Extra state return	$103 individual, $98 business	Per additional state
Bundles or unlimited returns	Quote	All states included; unlimited 1099/W-2 filing
Hosting (Rightworks)	$80 to $153/month	Solo $80 for 1 user; Business $128 or Advanced $153 per user for 1 to 3 users

From Intuit's Lacerte pricing and pay-per-return pages, checked 3 October 2026. The pricing page shows the $599 license next to a crossed-out $813; checkout charged $599. New customers can get a temporary hosting discount, not shown here.

A look inside

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Lacerte tax software cost?

The pay-per-return license is $599 a year, plus per-return fees from $99 to $148 (an individual return with one state is $105). Bundles and unlimited plans are quoted by Intuit (checked 3 October 2026).

Is there a Lacerte free trial?

Yes, for new customers. You can download the desktop software or use a hosted online version. The desktop trial can't e-file or print, and the hosted trial doesn't save your work.

Does Lacerte run on a Mac?

Intuit says Lacerte runs on Microsoft operating systems that Microsoft still supports. To use it from other devices, Intuit offers paid cloud hosting through Rightworks.

What returns can Lacerte prepare?

Individual (1040/1040-NR), partnership (1065), corporate and S corporation (1120/1120-S), fiduciary (1041), estate and gift (706/709), exempt organization (990) and employee benefit plan (5500) returns. It is built only for US federal and state taxes.

Can I get a refund on Lacerte?

New customers can ask for a refund within five business days of the software release date or their payment date, whichever is later.

Alternatives

Step up
ProConnect Tax (Intuit's cloud-native option) for firms wanting fully browser-based access without desktop dependencies.
Lighter alternative
ATX Tax Software, another professional tax preparation program from our reviews.

Showing 1–2 of 2

Sources checked October 3, 2026: Intuit Lacerte pricing, Lacerte pay-per-return, Lacerte FAQs, Lacerte overview.

Conversion Gems independently reviews every tool.