To update tax software means that TurboTax must:
1. Get the final approval of the law (in this case, Act 154 was signed into law just last week).
2. Update any Arkansas forms that have changed
3. Get the changed forms approved if necessary by the state
Note: there are two versions of the form: the PDF version that you see and the XML version which is e-filed.
4. The change must be designed, screens updated and code written
5. The code must be tested, not only on the state level but also regression testing to make sure it does not break anything else.
6. Internal documentation, if needed, is created.
7. The online code AND the CD/download code has to be made available. This tends to happen once a week (but there are exceptions).
Now, the software teams have to do this in this middle of dozens or hundreds of last minute changes in the states and on the federal return. Skipping these steps or trying to cut corners to save time is a great way to break everything which would be worse than taking a while to do it right.
As you know, normally, tax law changes are completed prior to the end of the previous year. Last second law changes cannot be made immediately, and the dozens or hundreds of changes being created by last minute law changes across the states and the federal government just multiplies the effort needed exponentially.
And, as you know, the changes are still being made by the states and the IRS. I urge you to have patience as I am sure you would rather have the software be right than ready now, just days after the governor signed the bill.
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