Lacerte installs the way Intuit documents a network setup
The program runs on the server and the system file path, with option files and client data, sits on server storage that every session reads locally.
Lacerte Hosting
Lacerte Tax Software Hosting
Lacerte hosting runs Intuit Lacerte Tax and Lacerte DMS on a managed cloud server built to Intuit’s own requirements for hosted environments, including at least 2 GB of RAM for every user. We plan your server, your hosted logins and your Fast Path seats together, so reviewers in three different places can work on the same client in April without a too-many-users error.
Get a Lacerte Hosting Quote- 2 GB+ RAM per user
- Fast Path seats planned
- Lacerte DMS included
- MFA and encrypted sessions
Understanding Lacerte hosting
What Is Lacerte Hosting?
Lacerte hosting is a service that installs your licensed Intuit Lacerte Tax software, its option files and client data, and usually Lacerte DMS, on a remote cloud server and gives authorized users secure access over the internet. You keep the full desktop program and every installed year, while the provider manages the server, security, backups and annual updates.
2 GB
of RAM per user, the minimum Intuit lists for hosted Lacerte environments
50 Mbps
internet speed Intuit lists, which matters far less when Lacerte runs in the data center
0
NAS drives or cloud-sync folders, which Intuit doesn’t support for Lacerte data
Why firms move Lacerte
Lacerte Is Fast on a Good Network. Most Firms Have a VPN.
Lacerte reads its option files and client data from a network location every workstation shares. Inside a well-built office, that’s quick. Over a VPN from home, client lists crawl, returns lock and DMS searches time out. Hosting moves Lacerte and its data next to each other in the data center, so a reviewer at home gets the same speed as someone sitting beside the server. It’s part of our wider tax software hosting service.
Intuit’s requirements
What Intuit Requires for Hosted Lacerte
Intuit publishes specific requirements for running Lacerte on a server. A generic remote desktop often misses several of them.
| Requirement | What Intuit lists | How we build it |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted environment | Supported on Remote Desktop Services or Citrix on a supported Windows Server | Remote Desktop Services on a supported Windows Server version |
| Memory | At least 2 GB of RAM per user in hosted environments | RAM sized above 2 GB per concurrent user |
| Data location | Not supported on NAS drives or Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive folders | Client data and option files on server SSD storage |
| Framework | .NET Framework 4.8 | Installed and patched by us |
| DMS scanning | TWAIN-compatible scanners | Scanner redirection tested during setup |
| Antivirus | Exclusions for Lacerte folders | Endpoint protection with the exclusions configured |
Seats and sizing
Planning Fast Path Seats and Server Size Together
Lacerte limits how many people can work at the same time through Fast Path, a concurrent-user count bought for each tax year. Hosting adds a second number, the hosted logins. Both have to cover your busiest hour.
| People working at the same time | Fast Path seats needed | Server RAM for Lacerte users | Typical firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 or more | At least 6 GB, plus Windows and other apps | Sole practitioner with seasonal help |
| 8 | 8 or more | At least 16 GB, plus Windows and other apps | Small CPA firm |
| 15 | 15 or more | At least 30 GB, plus Windows and other apps | Mid-size firm with reviewers |
| 25+ | 25 or more | Often split across servers | Multi-office practice |
What runs on the server
Lacerte Modules and Tools We Host
Every Lacerte module your firm licenses runs on the hosted server, along with the tools reviewers use beside it.
Individual1040Individual returns with their state returns and prior-year proformas.
Business1065, 1120 & 1120-SPartnership and corporate returns, including large K-1 packages.
Trusts & estates1041, 706 & 709Fiduciary, estate and gift returns for firms that prepare them.
Exempt990Exempt organization returns alongside the rest of your client list.
DocumentsLacerte DMSClient document management on the same server as the returns it links to.
PlanningLacerte Tax PlannerPlanning scenarios built from the client data already in Lacerte.
AccountingQuickBooks DesktopClient books on the same server for trial balance imports.View QuickBooks hosting ↗ProductivityExcel & PDF toolsWorkpapers and review tools open in the same session.
How it works
How a Hosted Lacerte Environment Works
Reviewers connect from anywhere with MFA
Each person signs in with a password and a phone prompt, then opens Lacerte, DMS and Excel in one window. Nothing is stored on their device.
We run the server through the year
We install each new release, patch Windows, monitor threats and test restores, so the environment is ready before January.
Who it’s for
Firms That Benefit Most From Hosted Lacerte
Lacerte firms tend to have more business returns and more reviewers. Hosting matters most when those people aren’t in one building.
Business returns
1065 and 1120-S Specialists
Large partnership returns and K-1 packages open faster on a sized server than across a VPN.
Review chains
Firms With Several Reviewers
Preparers, reviewers and partners work the same return from three locations without copying files.
Paperless firms
Practices Using Lacerte DMS
Client documents and returns stay together on one server, with scanning tested for each office.
Growing practices
CPA Firms Adding Offices
One system file path for every office, supported by our IT services for CPA firms.
What’s included
What’s Included in Lacerte Hosting
Each part of the service maps to something Intuit specifies or something a Lacerte firm needs in April.
01
Server Sized Per User
A supported Windows Server with more than 2 GB of RAM for every concurrent Lacerte user, plus headroom for Windows, DMS and Excel.
- 2 GB+ RAM per user
- SSD storage for client data
- Peak-week headroom
02
Lacerte and DMS Migration
We move client data, option files and DMS documents, set the system file path and install the years you still open.
- System file path configured
- DMS documents moved
- Prior-year installs
03
Fast Path Seat Planning
Each fall we count your peak concurrent users with you, so Fast Path seats and hosted logins match before filing season.
- Annual seat review
- Logins matched to seats
- No April lockouts
04
MFA, Encryption and Exclusions
MFA and encrypted sessions for every user, with endpoint protection configured with the Lacerte exclusions Intuit recommends.
- MFA enforced
- Encrypted sessions and storage
- Correct antivirus exclusions
05
Lacerte and DMS Backups
Client data and DMS documents are backed up nightly to a separate location, and we can restore a single client.
- Nightly backups
- Off-site copies
- Single-client restores
06
Annual Lacerte Release
We install each tax year’s Lacerte release and updates on the server and test them before your team needs them.
- New release installed
- Updates applied for you
- E-file tested first
Moving Lacerte
How We Move Lacerte to the Cloud
Most Lacerte moves take a few days. We schedule them between May and September.
Count users and seats
We confirm your Fast Path seats, peak concurrent users, modules, DMS size and add-ons.
~30 min callBuild to Intuit’s spec
We build the server with the right RAM per user, install Lacerte and DMS and set the system file path.
1–2 daysMove and test client data
We move client data and DMS, then test returns, e-file, printing, scanning and QuickBooks imports.
Tested before go-liveGo live and review each fall
Your team switches over with login guides, and we recheck sizing and seats before every season.
Ongoing supportThe stakes
The Lacerte Problems That Show Up in March
Lacerte setups usually work fine in the summer. These are the issues that surface when every reviewer logs in at once.
Too Many Users
+
When more people open Lacerte than you have Fast Path seats, the next person is locked out. It happens most in the last two weeks before a deadline.
Lacerte Fast Path licensingData on Storage Intuit Doesn’t Support
+
Firms that keep Lacerte data on a NAS or in a OneDrive or Dropbox folder risk corruption and get limited help from Intuit when it happens.
Intuit Lacerte system requirementsSlow DMS and Client Lists Over VPN
+
Lacerte DMS and large client lists read a lot of data from the network share. Over a VPN, that turns into minutes of waiting per client.
Lacerte network setupUnencrypted Client Data After a Breach
+
If unencrypted data on 500 or more consumers is taken, the firm must notify the FTC within 30 days, on top of IRS, state and client notices.
FTC Safeguards Rule, effective May 13, 2024What Hosting Changes
Hosted Lacerte addresses each of those:
- Seat lockouts → seats and logins planned every fall
- NAS or sync-folder data → server SSD storage Intuit supports
- VPN slowdowns → Lacerte running beside its data
- Unencrypted data → encryption in transit and at rest, with MFA
Common questions
Lacerte Hosting FAQs
What is Lacerte hosting?+
Lacerte hosting installs your licensed Intuit Lacerte Tax software, its client data and usually Lacerte DMS on a secure cloud server, so preparers and reviewers can work from anywhere. The provider manages the server, security, backups and updates, and you keep the full desktop program.
Does Intuit support hosted Lacerte?+
Intuit’s Lacerte system requirements list hosted environments, such as Remote Desktop Services and Citrix on a supported Windows Server, with at least 2 GB of RAM per user. Intuit also runs its own hosting service. TechFiscal is an independent provider; Intuit supports the Lacerte program and we support the server and access.
How many Fast Path seats do I need for hosted Lacerte?+
Enough for everyone who will use Lacerte at the same time during your busiest hour. Fast Path seats are bought from Intuit for each tax year, and your hosted logins need to cover the same number. We count peak users with you every fall.
Can I use Lacerte DMS in the cloud?+
Yes. Lacerte DMS runs on the same server as your client data. Scanning works through the session with TWAIN-compatible scanners. Intuit lists the DMS signature pad as not supported in hosted environments, so most firms use e-signature.
Can I keep Lacerte data on OneDrive or a NAS?+
No. Intuit doesn’t support Lacerte data on NAS drives or in folders synced to Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Hosting keeps the data on server storage with managed backups.
Can I use Lacerte on a Mac?+
Lacerte is a Windows program. With hosting, Mac users open the Windows session through a remote desktop app and run Lacerte and DMS on the server.
Can I e-file from hosted Lacerte?+
Yes. Lacerte transmits returns to Intuit’s e-file center from the server the same way it does from an office PC, and your EFIN, ERO settings and acknowledgments stay in Lacerte.
How long does a Lacerte migration take?+
Most moves take a few days. We set up the server to Intuit’s requirements, move client data and DMS, test e-file, printing and scanning, and schedule the switch between May and September.
Keep reading
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