FAQ
Questions firms ask before switching
Straight answers on moving, price, security, software and support. If your question isn’t here, ask it on a 15-minute call with an engineer.
Switching
What is AI Tech Cloud?
Private cloud hosting and managed IT for US tax and accounting firms with 1 to 100 users. We run desktop software like Drake, Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax CS, CCH ProSystem fx and QuickBooks Desktop or Enterprise on a private server your staff log into from anywhere. Plans start at $79 per user per month.
How long does switching take?
Typically 1 to 2 weeks of prep, then cutover over one weekend. Migration takes a weekend, not an hour. Call in March and we’ll tell you straight whether to move now or after April 15.
Can I switch hosts in the middle of tax season?
You can, but we’d usually tell you to wait. A cutover takes a weekend, and in February or March that weekend is worth more to you than the switch. The exception is a host that already can’t keep you running. If you’re buried in extensions, we’ll scope it now and set go-live for a quiet window, like the week after October 15 or in May.
Will my staff need to learn anything new?
Only the login screen. Once they’re in, it’s the same tax and accounting software they already use.
What happens on the 15-minute call?
You talk to an engineer, not a sales rep. We ask about your user count, your software and when your current contract renews. You get a per-user price on the call and a written quote within one business day.
Is the call a sales call?
We’d like your business, so partly yes. But you’ll be talking to an engineer, the price comes in writing, and if you go quiet afterward you’ll get two emails from us and nothing more.
Pricing and contracts
What does migration cost?
Nothing extra. Setup and migration are included in Private Cloud and Private Cloud + Managed IT, and there’s no setup fee on any plan.
Is there really no setup fee?
Yes. Setup and migration are included in Private Cloud, and device onboarding in Managed IT. Migration usually takes a weekend, scheduled outside your deadlines. See every plan and price.
Can we try it first?
No, and here’s why. A test that tells you anything needs your licensed tax software installed, your data moved and your printers mapped. That’s the full setup, so we do it once and do it properly. What protects you instead: every plan is month-to-month, and if your first season with us isn’t better, we migrate you to any provider free (terms in your agreement).
What if the first tax season goes badly?
Under our first-tax-season guarantee, if your first season with us isn’t better than your last, we move you to any provider you choose and pay for the migration (terms in your agreement). You get all of your data back.
Do you raise prices every January?
Not on a schedule. If your price ever changes, you get written notice before it takes effect. Plans are month-to-month, so you’re never locked into a price you didn’t agree to.
Why is annual billing cheaper if month-to-month is the default?
Annual saves you up to 10% and saves us billing work. Choose either; month-to-month carries no penalty.
Can I add seasonal staff for tax season?
Yes. Add preparers in January and remove them in May, at the same per-user rate with no setup fee.
What if you miss the uptime SLA?
The credit shows up on your next invoice. No form to fill in, no 30-day deadline. The SLA is 99.99% and it’s in the contract. Read the SLA page.
What happens if I leave?
Give 30 days’ notice. We return your data in full. No exit fee, and no contract term to wait out.
Security
Where does my data live?
On a private server in a US data center. Data is encrypted, server backups run every 4 hours and are kept 90 days, and we test a restore every quarter.
Is the server shared with other companies?
No. Private Cloud means a server for your business alone. Nobody else’s busy week slows your files down.
Do I still need a VPN?
No. You connect straight to your private server with MFA, from Windows or Mac. MFA is included on every plan.
Is a WISP included?
Yes, on every plan. Private Cloud includes a WISP template. Managed IT and the combined plan include a WISP we write for your firm and keep current, which is what PTIN renewal and cyber-insurance questionnaires ask about. No add-on fee either way.
Do I really need a WISP if I’m a two-person office?
Form W-12 says paid preparers are required by law to create and maintain one, and it doesn’t carve out small firms. A small firm’s plan is shorter, but you still need one.
Does using your cloud make my firm compliant?
No host can promise that, and you should be wary of one that does. We run the controls and keep the evidence. You own the plan, the policies and how your staff follow them. How we handle security.
Can I see your SOC 2 report before I sign?
Yes, [under NDA, once the report is issued]. The report is our own and covers our people and processes, not only our data center.
Who notifies the FTC after a breach?
Your firm does. We give you the affected-record count, the timeline and a draft notice so you can file well before the 30 days are up.
Software
Which apps can you host?
Drake, Lacerte, ProSeries, UltraTax CS, CCH ProSystem fx and QuickBooks Desktop or Enterprise, plus Microsoft 365 apps on the same server with no app-slot limits. See every app we host.
Do you supply the tax software licenses?
No. You keep your licenses with Intuit, Thomson Reuters, Drake or Wolters Kluwer, and we install and host them. On QuickBooks Desktop: Intuit ended payroll, bank feeds and security updates for 2023 and older after 31 May 2026; Desktop 2024 had no announced end date as of August 2026. We’ll check your version on the call.
Can I use it on a Mac or iPad?
Yes. Your software runs on our Windows server, so your Mac or iPad only displays the session through the free Microsoft Windows App.
Who installs software updates?
We do, on the server, on a schedule you approve, so updates don’t run in the middle of a filing day. Your preparers don’t install anything.
How do I print checks and invoices?
To your local printer, same as today. We map printers during setup and test check alignment before cutover.
We use Drake Web and QuickBooks Online. Do we need hosting?
Probably not. Both already run in the vendor’s cloud. Managed IT covers your devices, Microsoft 365 and the WISP without a server. We’ll tell you on the call if hosting would actually help. See Managed IT.
Support
What if something breaks on April 15?
Your named team picks up 24/7. If the problem is on the server, it’s ours to fix and it counts against the SLA. If it’s inside your tax software, we open the vendor ticket with you and stay on it.
What if the software vendor says the problem is the host?
Your named team gets on the call with the vendor. You don’t relay messages back and forth.
Who will I actually talk to?
One of the 3 engineers named on your account, who know your server. Meet the team.
We already have an IT person. Do we still need Managed IT?
Maybe not. Managed IT is a full handover of laptops, email, security and the WISP, not a part-time add-on. If your setup is in good shape, we’ll tell you on the call.
How does Managed IT onboarding work?
Your engineer takes inventory of every laptop, mailbox and admin login, moves the passwords out of one person’s head and into a managed vault, and installs EDR and backup. Then we write your WISP. We don’t start during tax season unless you ask.
Ask the engineer who would run your server
Fifteen minutes. Bring your user count and the software you run. You’ll leave with a per-user price, and we’ll tell you if we’re the wrong fit.
No slides. Nothing to sign on the call. Or get a price estimate by email
Not ready to talk? Get a price estimate by email
Tell us your user count and the apps you run. We send one email with your number. No drip sequence.
[Form placeholder: replace this line with the email form shortcode once the email tool is chosen.]