Intuit TurboTax, Makers of Canada's #1 Tax Software, Transforms Assisted Tax Preparation with Launch of TurboTax Live

With TurboTax Live Full Service consumers and self-employed individuals can get their taxes fully prepared and filed from the comfort of their home, or online by a tax expert

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 13, 2018 /CNW/ - Intuit today announced the launch of TurboTax Live, a new suite of online offerings designed for the 55 per cent of Canadians that still rely on someone else to do their taxes.  Combining the ease of use and technology of TurboTax software with a nationwide virtual network of credentialed tax experts, TurboTax Live includes TurboTax Live Full Service, which connects taxpayers to a TurboTax Expert to prepare and file their return, and TurboTax Live Assist & Review, which empowers customers to alternatively prepare their own return with TurboTax support and have it reviewed and optimized by a tax expert – all without leaving the comfort of their own home.

"For more than 20 years, Intuit has helped Canadians get their taxes done right, with easy to use software options. In fact, since 2009 alone, more than 32 million Canadians have entrusted TurboTax with their taxes," says Jeff Cates, President of Intuit Canada. "Today, we are providing Canadians with even greater flexibility in how they get their taxes done with the launch of our TurboTax Live solutions. Whether consumers and self-employed individuals want a TurboTax Expert to fully prepare and file their return fully on their behalf, or they want a tax expert to answer their questions and review their return, these two game-changing services help Canadians get their maximum refund."

TurboTax Live Full Service and Assist & Review provide access to an expansive network of product and tax experts, who have an average of 17 years of tax preparation experience, so Canadians can get personalized tax advice and answers to specific tax questions. For even greater personalization, users can also access TurboTax Smartlook™, a one-way video technology to quickly connect taxpayers to a live tax or product expert.  The service is available during business hours on-demand and users can also make an appointment to meet their scheduling needs.

Whether it is a life-changing scenario like the birth of a child, becoming self-employed, or retirement, factors change, and sometimes that can cause Canadians to lose confidence in their tax filing ability. With TurboTax Live, Canadians can get the extra help they need to give them the confidence that their taxes are done right and they are getting their maximum return.

TurboTax Live Full Service
TurboTax Live Full Service enables individuals to have their taxes fully prepared, optimized, reviewed and filed by a TurboTax Expert on their behalf. TurboTax Live Full Service includes year-round audit support for added confidence.

Also available is TurboTax Live Full Service Self-Employed, which is customized for self-employment and handles any situation where the customer may have both personal and small business taxes, making it ideal for freelancers, people with side jobs, and those having tax returns with multiple sources of income. With 45 per cent of Canadians expected to have self-employed income by 2020, this new service is designed to meet the realities of the changing Canadian labourforce and the tax complexity that comes with it.

TurboTax Live Full Service is easy to set up with no visits or appointments, as customers set up their tax profile virtually through TurboTax's highly protected site, then can take photos of documents and upload them easily.

From there, a TurboTax Expert will fully prepare the customer's return on their behalf, ensuring it is optimized for credits, deductions, and expenses.

Finally, customers will review their return over the phone with their TurboTax Expert to confirm they're satisfied, and TurboTax will securely file the return directly with the Canada Revenue Agency. Once it is filed, the customer will receive confirmation via the protected TurboTax site.

TurboTax Live Assist & Review

While tax filing can be daunting, Canadians are increasingly looking to take the lead when it comes to their tax return this year. In fact, according to a recent TurboTax study, more people want to do their own taxes this year than did in 2017, with 54 per cent planning to file themselves compared to 41 per cent who said they did so last year.  

Combining the ease of use and technology of TurboTax software with a nationwide virtual network of credentialed tax experts, TurboTax Live Assist & Review can deliver confidence and expertise to living rooms across the country, on demand.

With the launch of TurboTax Live Assist & Review, TurboTax aims to not only give an option for getting the tax job done, but also help ensure Canadians file on their own with confidence using the latest technology.

TurboTax Live Assist & Review enables customers to quickly connect with a live tax expert at any time during the tax preparation experience for personalized advice as users prepare their return, then a full one-on-one review of the completed return so they can file with confidence and get the best tax outcome. TurboTax Live Assist & Review also uses TurboTax Smartlook™ technology, a one-on-one product and tax support that allows customers to connect on-demand to a TurboTax Expert via one-way video.

"At TurboTax, we want to make filing taxes as simple and straightforward as possible, and sometimes that means getting a little extra help," says Jeff Cates, President of Intuit Canada. " With TurboTax Live Assist & Review our customers have access to the screen sharing capability of TurboTax Smartlook™ which enables our TurboTax Experts to show relevant information and highlight next steps right on the screen so our customers can feel confident about their tax preparation."

TurboTax Live options are available as upgrades with TurboTax online products, fees apply. TurboTax Smartlook™ is included in all TurboTax online paid products and includes access to bilingual TurboTax Experts.  For more information, please visit www.turbotax.intuit.ca

About Intuit

Intuit's mission is to Power Prosperity Around the World. Its global products and platforms, including TurboTax, QuickBooks, Mint and Turbo, are designed to empower consumers, self-employed, and small businesses to improve their financial lives, finding them more money with the least amount of work, while giving them complete confidence in their actions and decisions. Intuit's innovative ecosystem of financial management solutions serves partners and 46 million customers worldwide, unleashing the power of many for the prosperity of one. For the latest news and in-depth information about Intuit and its brands, visit Intuit.com  and follow on Facebook.

Survey Methodology
From December 5 to 11, 2017 an online survey was conducted among 1,206 randomly selected Canadian adults, 506 of whom are Millennials (age 18-34), 200 of whom are self-employed, and 500 of whom became new parents in the past year. Respondents are members of the Angus Reid Forum or LegerWeb panel. The sample was balanced on gender and region. The margin of error—which measures sampling variability—is +/- 2.82%, 19 times out of 20. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

SOURCE Intuit TurboTax

media may contact: Julie Smithers, Intuit TurboTax, 416.508.7130, [email protected]