@Kevin_C  RE: I totally understand how essential it is to have the ability to revert to manual sales tax.

Really, you do? Then why isn't it possible? Have you shared your epiphany with anyone else at Intuit - perhaps someone that can do something about it, since it is essential, as you point out?  Perhaps someone who can't see the light the way you do? Someone who thinks it's perfectly reasonable to foist a half-baked sales tax feature on customers and then not let them revert to the old way which actually worked?

Just asking.