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Working inside Lacerte: what LedgerBPO does
LedgerBPO's Lacerte bookkeeping services provide accounting firms with a named dedicated accountant who keeps client books current and prepares returns inside the firm's own Lacerte: trial balance import, data entry, critical diagnostics and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and work only under IRS section 7216 written consent.
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Your subscription, your data
LedgerBPO's Lacerte bookkeeping services provide accounting firms with a named dedicated accountant who keeps client books current and prepares returns inside the firm's own Lacerte: trial balance import, data entry, critical diagnostics and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and work only under IRS section 7216 written consent.
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Inside your file
Tax preparation support in your Lacerte: your firm reviews and signs
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Reconciled on a calendar
Trial balances built in the client ledger and imported cleanly
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Reviewed before you see it
Section 7216 consent recorded before any return data is shared
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A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
Why businesses on Lacerte outsource
Lacerte is the tool of choice for firms with complex individual, partnership, S corporation and trust returns. Complexity is also what eats the hours. Multi-state allocations, K-1 packages, depreciation schedules and basis tracking all need careful data entry before a reviewer can add value, and the firms that use Lacerte rarely have spare preparers in March.
Outsourcing the preparation layer inside the firm's own Lacerte keeps client files, prior-year data and e-file records where they already live. A dedicated accountant builds the trial balance, enters the source documents, clears the critical diagnostics and hands the reviewer a return with tied-out workpapers. The signing preparer keeps judgment, signature and the client relationship. Month-to-month terms let the firm scale for the season and scale back afterwards.
What we do inside Lacerte
Tax preparation support: your firm reviews and signs
We prepare workpapers, enter data into the return in Lacerte and hand it to your reviewer with a tie-out. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files. We hold no PTIN and never sign or transmit a return.
Trial Balance Utility and books-to-tax
We build a clean year-end trial balance in the client's QuickBooks file, map accounts to tax lines and import through Lacerte's Trial Balance Utility so book-to-tax differences are visible and documented.
Critical diagnostics and e-file readiness
We work through Lacerte's critical and e-file diagnostics, resolve missing data and reject conditions, and confirm the return is ready for review and Form 8879 signature.
Intuit Link organizers
We send organizers and document requests through Intuit Link, follow up on unanswered requests and file uploads into the firm's document system against the client and year.
Section 7216 consent
Before any US tax-return information is shared with our team, the firm obtains IRS section 7216 written consent from the client. We log the consent date and do not open return data without it.
Client bookkeeping through the year
We post, categorize and reconcile monthly in the client's QuickBooks Online or Desktop file so the year-end trial balance is reconciled before tax work begins, not rebuilt during it.
Integrations we reconcile
- QuickBooks DesktopYear-end trial balances from QuickBooks Desktop are imported through the Trial Balance Utility and tied out in the workpapers.
- QuickBooks OnlineReconciled QuickBooks Online books are mapped to tax lines and the book-to-tax reconciliation is kept in the client workpapers.
- Intuit LinkOrganizer responses and documents received through Intuit Link are checked for completeness before data entry starts.
- SmartVaultWhere the firm stores returns and source documents in SmartVault, we file each item to the client and year folder using your naming rules.
- TaxDomeReturns printed from Lacerte into TaxDome are attached to the pipeline job and the consent record so the reviewer has one view.
- KarbonWhere the firm manages tax jobs in Karbon, we update job stages as data entry and diagnostics are completed.
Migration to and from Lacerte
Moving to Lacerte
Bringing a firm onto Lacerte is largely a data conversion exercise from the prior software. We prepare the client list, run Intuit's conversion, and compare carryforward items such as depreciation, NOLs, passive losses and basis to the prior-year returns. Every exception is listed for the firm to resolve, and the signing preparer approves the converted files before any current-year work starts.
Moving from Lacerte
If the firm is moving from Lacerte to ProConnect Tax, UltraTax CS or Drake, we export client and prior-year data, run the new vendor's conversion, and check carryforward schedules line by line against the last Lacerte return. Source documents are exported from the document system and refiled. A signed control list of converted clients closes the project before Lacerte is retired.
Common Lacerte reconciliation problems we fix
Complex returns waiting for data entry
Partnership and S corporation returns with many K-1s tie up preparers for days. We do the entry and the tie-out so the reviewer starts from a complete return.
Diagnostics cleared at the last minute
Critical diagnostics found on the day of e-filing cause rejections and rework. We clear them as part of preparation, not as an afterthought.
Trial balances that do not tie
A return built on an unreconciled trial balance has to be rebuilt when the books change. We reconcile the books first and lock the trial balance before import.
Organizers unanswered in Intuit Link
Clients ignore organizers until they are chased. We follow up every business day and log what is still missing on the client record.
Consent forms missed under pressure
Sending return data offshore without section 7216 consent exposes the firm. We check for signed consent before opening any file.
Other tax preparation platforms
Frequently asked questions
How much do Lacerte bookkeeping services cost?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day. Return counts by entity type, the number of clients needing monthly bookkeeping, and whether you want seasonal or year-round staffing drive the quote. As a market reference, offshore staffing for CPA firms typically runs $10 to $25 per hour (Madras, Acculink, 2026).
Do you work inside my existing Lacerte account?
Yes. Your firm gives our named accountant a user login on its own Lacerte installation, hosted or on the firm's network, with the permissions you set. Client files, prior years and e-file history stay in your system. We keep no separate copy of returns.
Will you sign or e-file returns from Lacerte?
No. We provide tax preparation support: workpapers, data entry, diagnostics review and e-file readiness. Your firm reviews, signs and e-files every return. We hold no PTIN. Our tax preparation support page describes the division of duties in detail.
How do you handle IRS section 7216 consent?
Before any US tax-return information reaches our team, the firm obtains written section 7216 consent from the client. We record the consent date against the client and will not open return data until it exists. The check is repeated every tax year.
Can you build the trial balance as well as enter the return?
Yes. We keep or clean up the client's QuickBooks file, reconcile every account, and produce a year-end trial balance with the book-to-tax adjustments documented. The tie-out is included in the workpapers your reviewer receives. Our back-office page for firms covers this bookkeeping service.
What does the reviewer receive from you?
A return in Lacerte with diagnostics cleared, a workpaper set showing every figure's source, the trial balance tie-out, and a short list of open questions. Nothing is marked complete until our team lead has reviewed it under our Two-Tier Review process.
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