Intuit Link New Year Setup

I've been using IL  5+ years and have about 25% of clients willing/capable of using it. I can't/don't want to figure out/utilize the intended Intuit workflow... it's too convoluted for me... . I prefer to use my own filing system and work flow...(what I like best is I can easily copy all their files into my client folders at once, and most of my clients  correctly label their files)....

I don't get real fancy w/ the clients that use it....   I send them my own fillable organizer and a note....  "drag and drop your stuff into the portal....   be sure the dropdown is for TY 2024 (fingers crossed).... Let me know when you're done  so I can start preparing...  I upload the finished returns and send them a canned notification... (wish I could copy myself into the notifications... but I'm just dreaming out loud...)

Your questions 1-4 are good thoughts... but don't hold your breath...  seems like the ProConnect version  functionality is more robust and obviously the Intuit priority... just consider yourself a poor stepchild... (#4...  yes you have to manually update and change email addresses) Regarding #5...  LOL.   (your might want to put it in the suggestion box w/ your other x-mas wishes)...

<< When Intuit Link works my clients love it but when something happens that I can't fix the clients get frustrated when we have to go back to insecure email attachments.>>   Yup.... 

For me, I've learned not to set high expectations, so I'm not easily disappointed... . 

I've been using Intuit Link for 9 years. Initially, only 10% of my clients tried it, but now it is up to about 33% of my clients preferring to work remotely through an electronic, encrypted means. The rest either see me in person or send their information via priority mail.

I have found that once the client has been invited to Intuit Link there is no further interaction between IL and my Intuit Pro Series tax software. While re-inviting them each year could be done, it has created duplicate records, which can’t be merged. Hence, each year that the client continues to use IL, I must manually load the requests into the new TY tab. This lack of automation was awkward and time consuming for me at first, but I have developed a means to get it done for most clients within ½ hour, and I bill them for the time because in the long-run, having it organized in IL does tend to speed up my preparation time. Also, with the changes made in my state’s taxing structure, it appears that I would have to charge sales tax for my services if this process of sending out the tax organizer info through IL was automated.

I have found changing email addresses to be a very difficult process – whether they change it or they ask me to change it. Once changed, the client will no longer have access to anything that they have previously entered (all prior-year records or any current year requests/records thus far entered/uploaded). So, my observation is that if the email address really must be changed, it should be done at the start of a new tax year. (And the client will need to be alerted that they will no longer see anything for previous tax years.) Otherwise, I will have to reload current year requests under the new email address that had already been entered using the old email address. I suppose the reasoning by the software vendor relates to security issues, but I would think that safeguards could be built in to address that.

I have found that Intuit employees don’t seem to have training on IL. Their answers to questions I have asked don't tend to be helpful, and sometimes their answers don’t match my experience with it. While I have found this to be frustrating at times, I too have just developed workarounds so that I can benefit from its best features and appreciate that I have a secure means to exchange information with clients through an affordable means for me and them.

This response is greatly appreciated.  I, like you, like the Intuit Link product and it is very helpful in streamlining the tax return process.  If I can consistently develop a work around for using the "new tax year" Intuit Link information then the tool is of great value.  If I have to inconvenience my client or spend a lot of time getting a person setup and hopefully not lose their "history" of previous year tax responses then the value diminishes some.  I for one will continue to use IL as long as it does not get overly difficult to use consistently.  Thank you again for your post.