A few months ago, we wrote about putting Juno through its paces on a live 1040. No demo files, no safety net. Real client, real deadline.
We said we’d keep testing it. We did.
This is the post-tax season update, focused on individual tax return preparation.
What’s Changed Since the First Run
The team has put Juno through more individual returns since that initial write-up. More document types, more client setups, more edge cases. The core findings from the first run still hold. But we know more now about where it saves you, where it needs a little extra attention, and a few things we hadn’t expected.
What’s Genuinely Working
Volume is still the headline. Large document sets, anything beyond 10 pages, are where Juno earns its place. Instead of a preparer working line by line, Juno extracts everything at once and queues it for review. That rhythm shift compounds across a busy season.
- Multiple W-2s processed in one go
- 1099s and brokerage statements pulled simultaneously
- Less typing, more reviewing
The validation step keeps getting more useful. Don’t skip it, don’t rush it. The pre-export checklist flags what won’t transfer cleanly from the PDF before it becomes a problem in UltraTax.
- Catches SSN mismatches early
- Confirms tax year before export
- Flags items needing manual attention post-import
The annotation layer is operationally underrated. Every decision, every check, every flagged item gets tied back to the source document. The review trail is already built in.
- Annotated downloads include a preparer checklist and full document index
- Reviewers coming in cold have immediate context
- Firms on TaxDome get a clean permanent record for next year
New client setups are faster. For clients being onboarded into UltraTax fresh, Juno cuts down the time to get payer information entered. Not glamorous, but it adds up across a batch of new engagements.
Flexible downloads. Pull bookmarked documents with or without annotations depending on who’s using them. Small detail, but it shows the tool is thinking about workflow, not just extraction.
The Time Savings Are Real – Here’s What We’re Seeing
This is the question every firm will ask before committing to a new tool. Here’s an honest answer based on actual usage.
Straightforward returns with simple documentation:
- Around 60% time saving on preparation
- Most of the work shifts from data entry to review
- Preparers are checking imports against source documents rather than keying everything manually
Complex returns with Schedule C, Schedule E, K-1s, home office deductions:
- Around 30 to 40% time saving
- Juno still automates a significant portion
- Certain documents and adjustments still need manual input
Either way, the direction is the same. Less time entering. More time reviewing. That shift matters and it’s one of the core reasons outsourced tax preparation works as well as it does when the right tools are in place.
Areas Still Being Refined
Every tool has room to grow. A few things worth knowing as you work through individual returns.
Smaller document sets (under 10 pages) The upload and validation process can take longer than going straight into UltraTax manually. Worth knowing your threshold before you start. It’s not a limitation of the tool – it’s just understanding where it fits best.
Formatting on import Payer names come through exactly as they appear in source documents, often in all caps. Build a quick clean-up pass into your review step.
Data points that still need manual entry Some items don’t import automatically and require the preparer’s hand:
- Vehicle mileage and auto expenses
- Schedule C business income
- Rental income
- Home office expenses
Document quality affects results Poor scans, non-standard formats, handwritten documents, and summaries route to an “unsupported” category. The tool performs best with clean, standard-format PDFs.
Duplicate lines Occasionally, Juno creates duplicate units even when data already exists in the return. Reconcile against prior-year rollover data during your review step.
PDFs over 50 pages A system notice appears for documents exceeding 50 pages. For long brokerage statements, split the PDF before uploading where possible.
Business Returns: What’s Coming
This section is worth paying attention to, even if it’s not fully live in our workflow yet.
Juno has recently launched integrations with Xero and QuickBooks, opening up a new capability for business tax return preparation. Here’s what the workflow looks like:
- Import the Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet directly from the accounting software into Juno
- Finalise the trial balance within Juno
- Receive AI-generated suggestions for journal entries needed to complete the trial balance
- Use AI to automatically map account codes to the appropriate tax return line items
- Validate the mappings and adjustments before exporting the finalised data into the tax software
The AI mapping and journal entry suggestions are particularly interesting. It removes one of the most time-consuming steps in business return prep – manually bridging financial data from accounting platforms into tax software.
We haven’t had the chance to fully test this yet. But it’s on the list, and we’ll report back with a proper review once we’ve run it through real returns.
Where It Fits (Updated)
The picture is clearer now than it was after one run. This is specifically for individual tax return preparation.
Use Juno when:
- The document set is large (10+ pages)
- You have multiple income sources: W-2s, 1099s, brokerage statements
- You want a clean, built-in audit trail for review
- You’re onboarding a new client into UltraTax
- Accuracy matters as much as speed
Supplement with manual entry when:
- The return is simple and document-light
- You’re dealing with Schedule C income, rental income, or vehicle expenses
- The source documents are poor quality or handwritten
- You’re working with PDFs over 50 pages that can’t be split
The Bottom Line
Juno doesn’t replace tax prep. It changes how prep work gets done, in the situations where it’s actually suited for the job. At MoneyPenny, that means building it into a workflow that already runs tight – and knowing exactly where it earns its keep.
What’s different now is that we know the tool better. Straightforward returns are running 60% faster. Complex returns with Schedule C, K-1s, and advanced components are coming in at 30 to 40% faster. The edge cases are clearer. The workarounds are built into the process. The team has stopped treating it as a test and started treating it as part of the workflow, in the right places.
The business return capability is the next frontier. We’re watching it closely.
Juno’s earning its place. With eyes open.
