Features

• 4-in-1 protection against viruses, spam, hackers, and online stalkers
• Convenient paperless payment options for taxes due and e-filing fees
• Tax-saving tips on saver's credit, overlooked deductions, and more
• Seamless financial data imports from TurboTax, Quicken, and Microsoft Money
• Includes free TaxCut Deluxe software

Reviews (1)

Please don't buy this Product..
I bought this bundled Software in January, the TaxCut that comes with this is a Trial Version. You cannot file taxes and do updates with this software. But McAfee advertises this as a full version of the TaxCut Deluxe. I have been bounced between H&R block and McAfee. But nobody semms to solve my problem. Do you really want to pay for a Trial product?.Please use your best judgement to buy this product.Good Luck. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Get everything for your sole proprietorship and personal taxes in one package. TurboTax Home & Business guides you through your return and has expert tax advice and guidance especially for small businesses. It includes a combination of features to help you take advantage of new tax laws. It comes complete with official IRS business publications, Tax Savvy for Your Small Business, Depreciation Expert, and Business Tax Planner. Business Deduction Finder and Home Office Expert help ensure you get every deduction to which your business is entitled. You can also prepare forms 1099-MISC and W-2 for contractors and employees.

TurboTax Home & Business also contains everything for your personal taxes so you can take advantage of the new tax laws. The new Tax Law Advisor points out ways that the new tax laws affect your taxes. New tax-slashing tools include 401(k) Maximizer, Year-to-Year Deduction Manager, and 10-Year Tax Forecaster. It also helps you manage the tax impact of your investments with extra guidance for capital gains and losses. And if you own rental properties, take advantage of new Deduction Finder and Audit Alerts designed specifically for rental property owners. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Glad I purchased Turbo Tax Home and Business
I am glad that I purchased this product. It was easy to install and easy to use. I saved our family over $500 in tax preparation fees by using this product. We have a quarter horse business and the program worked beautifully for it. I also filed on line which was a breeze. I'll purchase it again in the following years.

Turbo Tax
I rate a one because you can not use this product unless you are an administrator. I do not want to give admin rights to my users. How can I use this product without giving everyone admin rithgs.

Turbo Tax Delux - What is Intuit Trying to do?
I loaded Turbo Tax Delux on to my Windows 2000 operating system, using Administrator rights, which is the normal way of installing all software. However, unlike all other software, Turbo Tax will not allow a user without Administrator rights run the program, which is unlike any other program I use. When I contacted Intuit tech support the best explanation they could give is it provides better data security when the user has Administrator rights. I don't believe it, furthermore, running the computer with Administrator rights makes it more vulnerable to hacking. Intuit is trying to do something with the computer other programs are not and I don't know what it is. Users beware.

Software Version of "Tax for Dummies"
So far, we don't need an accountant. TurboTax asks every question you can imagine, and then some. If you have the numbers, TurboTax does the rest. If your financial life is not very involved, this is right for you. Plus, e-filing is great when you are receiving a refund.

Would not run
I have used Intuit products for almost 20 years and never really had any problems, until now. This product would not load properly, would not run after loading under the system administrator, and tech support was a waste of time. If you are running XP, I would not count on this program this close to the tax deadline. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Utilizing Iomega's Active Disk Technology, this unique version of Quicken's popular TurboTax 2000 allows you to run that application directly from the Zip disk. This means no installation is necessary--TurboTax automatically launches when the disk is inserted. With TurboTax, you can finish your taxes in three simple steps. The Easy-Step Interview places your answers to simple questions directly onto IRS-approved forms. It then double-checks for errors, overlooked deductions, and entries that could trigger an audit. Finally, TurboTax lets you electronically file to get your refund faster (one 2000 federal return free via enclosed rebate) or it can print your return onto plain paper. Both the application and the tax information you create stay on the disk, so they won't clutter your hard drive. TurboTax 2000 4-Pack comes with three free blank 100 MB Zip disks. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

DON'T BUY THIS!
What a mistake this puchase was. It brought down my system 4 times and when it did work it was as slow as dirt. I had to buy the CD to try to save some of the many hours I wasted the the zip disk. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed specifically for C Corporations, S Corporations, Partnerships, and LLCs, TurboTax Business guides you through your business tax return step by step. EasyStep Interview asks you simple questions, automatically performs all the calculations, and places your answers directly onto IRS-approved forms.

Business Deduction Finder and Audit Flags help you take advantage of the latest tax laws and point out business-specific audit items before the IRS does. An extensive Business Tax Library includes easy-to-find tax advice with official IRS business publications, Tax Savvy for Your Small Business, a tax Q&A, and video tax advice from top financial experts. Depreciation Expert provides extra help for one of the most difficult areas of your tax return and helps you maximize your depreciation deduction.

When you are ready to file your return, TurboTax Business prints IRS-approved forms onto plain paper. You can also prepare forms 1099-MISC and W-2 for contractors and employees. TurboTax Business now also includes an expanded EasyStep Interview so you can easily prepare 1041 Fiduciary returns for estates and trusts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Rebate-debate
Getting a rebate is nearly the toughest thing I've done this year; and I don't have it yet!

How about just selling your product at a reasonable rate and forget the Houdini stuff with the right piece of the box which is apt to get lost on your end, anyway!!

Turbo Tax Business or bust!
This will be my second year using Turbo Tax products. We used to pay $... or more per year to have a fellow use these same programs for us! Now, with the easy, step-by-step, line-by-line format, I can do all our accounting and bookkeeping with confidence. I especially appreciate how the Business program alerts you to possible red flags that the IRS may audit you for. Whew! Glad to have someone guiding me so personally along the way. It really feels like you have your own personal tax consultant standing right next to you. How easy is that!? ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

It won't make paying easier, but Quicken TurboTax Deluxe for Tax Year2000 will make the ever-more-complicated process of tax preparation simpleenough for all but the most sheltered tycoons. For much less money than even abrief consultation with a pro, taxpayers can obtain this package and get aguided tour through the steps required to calculate federal and state paymentsor refunds.

The installation process is easy, and the online multimedia help starts rightfrom the first screen. Though new users might be a bit intimidated by the wealthof options, navigation is intuitive enough to get practically anyone started.The basics are well designed and artfully navigated throughout--enter personaldata, then type in or import financial information from Quicken or onlineaccounts. Deductions, the great nightmare of years past, are easy to file andfiddle with as needed. In the end, all the forms needed are available forprinting or electronic filing, and every step from preparation to filing isoutlined in careful detail.

Those who want more than a robot servant can play out different tax strategyscenarios, look up tax documents and planning advice, or even maximizeinvestments for tax benefits. One logistical drawback involving the state taxpackages could stand improvement: users must purchase either TurboTax State 45Multi-State or TurboTax StateCA separately and then send proof of purchase to Intuit for a rebate. Thoughthis seems somewhat old-fashioned, forewarned consumers can buy both at once toavoid disappointment, then get the rebate more quickly.

Given the advantages of flexibility, in-depth help, and ease of use, QuickenTurboTax Deluxe for Tax Year 2000 is an essential tool for beating the April 15deadline headache-free. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Quicken TurboTax is a fast, easy, and complete way to do your taxes. It interviews you, completes the forms, and prints them out, ready to file--all in almost no time. EasyStep Interview will ask you simple questions, place the answers directly into IRS-approved forms, and perform all calculations automatically. TurboTax finds errors, overlooked deductions, and entries that could trigger an audit, and lets you file electronically to get your refund faster or prints your return onto IRS-approved forms. This version is revised and updated, and incorporates every tax-law change to guide you through your taxes and help you take advantage of more deductions. Bring over information from last year's tax return, so that you don't have to reenter your data. The Tax Advisor gives you custom money-saving tax advice as you complete your return. Receive a tax report in the form of a customized, printable action plan to which you can refer all year to save you money on next year's taxes. The Refund Monitor constantly displays your refund amount or tax due, and updates itself automatically as you enter new information. To see a snapshot of your taxable income and deductions in addition to your bottom line, double-click on the Refund Monitor to view the Tax Summary. The new TurboTax features a streamlined interface that puts everything in plain sight, and makes doing your taxes easier than ever. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The only way to do your taxes
This is my third year using Quicken TurboTax and it will be my first year using the state tax version. I'm sold on it. I can't imagine going back to pen and paper to do taxes. The program takes you step-by-step through the tax process by asking you questions about the various sections of the forms. It also prompts you to make you remember about things that may have slipped you mind, like other deductions. And, it makes suggestions for deductions that you may not have thought about. At the end of the process you can print out the forms for mailing in the traditional format or in a format that's easy for the IRS computers to read. In addition, you can opt to file electronicly. The help section IS very helpful. It actually makes sense of the rules and instructions for filing your taxes and explains the relevant sections of the tax code in easy to understand language. My one suggestion is that you have all your papers with you before you start the process. You can, of course, save your work and come back to finish or edit it, but it is a pain to be half way through and remember that your mortgage statement is two floors away.

My advice: Don't do your taxes without it.

TurboTax Delivers
I have used Quicken's Turbo Tax Deluxe since 1996. The main difference between TurboTax and TurboTax Deluxe is the on-line reference books. Since I work in accounting, I prefer the extra detail to be handy. I have also purchased the State version annually, (MI)and have always ordered the disk version, because my computer was slow on downloads. Besides if you have a computer crash, or otherwise have to reinstall the software, it is handy to have the program on disk.

In the five years that I have used this program, I have found the Easy Step review system to reduce tax preparation time from hours to less than an hour. The most time consuming part of tax preparation is now collecting all the paperwork. I have also taught my teen-to-young adult age children how to do their own taxes, using this software. This tax preparation software can handle complex returns, even filing 1040X an amended return which I did once, several years ago. Mostly I use it for ordinary stuff like mortgage interest, real estate tax, 1040A deduction calculations and such. I heartily recommend it as an excellent value and easy-to-use.

unable to download
if i could download the program i could review it but all i get is illegal operation and can not get any help

Bad Software, and getting worse
This was the last year I will use any Quicken products. Turbo Tax consistently gives confusing message boxes (i.e. Did it print? ), refuses to allow the user to change electronic filing status, and overall is designed only for the simplest forms. It would not allow me view the files before sending. Starting and stoping the program is burdensome at best, with the obvious intent that someone sits down and fills in ALL the information in one sitting. I can not recommend avoiding bad interfaces and design enough. This program once had promise, but now is as complicated and cumbersome to use as Windows itself.

Did any one get the mail in rebate
Last year I bought this from Amazon. We tried to mail in the rebate form and there was a requirement to attach the receipt.

Just to make sure, we called Intuit and was told the rebate is not for online purchases, but for over the counter purchases only. We never got the rebate. Any one had any luck so far? I like buying it from amazon, but do not want to be cheated again.

Still waiting for $5!!!! ... Read more

Features

• Tax software for corporations and partnerships guides users through IRS returns
• Interview-based wizard system
• Up-to-date with latest federal tax law
• Checks math and audit flags
• Helps with deductions, depreciations and employee taxes

Reviews (6)

Worth it!
The $100 investment in worth it! We've had to pay our tax preparer over $800 to calculate our taxes this year. We keep good records and decided to find out how close we would come to his calculations by doing it ourselves with Turbotax Business. Let's just say that next year we'll be doing our taxes ourselves.

A sink hole of time and worse than useless
This program proposes to assist you with filing corporate (including "S" corp) taxes.

It deserves a rating of minus 10 stars.

It is hardly more than a fill-in-the-blank set of continuous forms. It assumes you are fully familiar with the entire multi-thousand page Federal Tax Code and offers no real on-screen assistance. In a word, it is a (...) waste of time, a vast black hole of time wasteage.

Besides, it demands a fearfully long registration process just to refuse the incredibly stupid junk e-mail that Intuit will smother you in if you do not turn off its relentless marketing junk.

For all of this, you should pay $100? Not next year.

streets ahead of the competition
This year I had the unenviable experience of buying both sets of software: Tax Cut Home & Business, which failed me utterly; and TurboTax Business, which worked just fine.

Tax Cut worked fine for my 1040, and with some difficulties it also worked for a 1041 trust return. But it simply could not file a corporate tax return, 1120-A. The software was buggy, it wouldn't print a sample return, and a week before the deadline it still hadn't updated the forms. Worst of all, an attempt to update had corrupted the file. (See the agonized comments on the Tax Cut Home & Business page.)

So I ordered TurboTax Business and paid for express delivery. It worked just fine, though of course I had to enter everything anew because the Tax Cut file was corrupted.

In the future, I will stick with TurboTax Business, and add a cheapo version of the personal tax software, which is available and cheapest. (I prefer to deal directly with the forms, without interference from an "interview.") But I will never again try to save a buck with Tax Cut Home & Business.

What's all the fuss???
I am not a CPA, nor am I a tax expert. However, I simply read the instructions, followed the recommendations, referred to my prior year 1120S for some minor guidance, and all seems to have gone just fine. The tax return went in the mail yesterday!

Maybe I'm blessed with a simple business model or lack some of the complications and complexities compared to the other reviewers but I really cannot complain about this product. I have had frustrating experiences with Intuit in the past but not this time.

My final comment is this: if the $100 I spent on this software helps me to permanently avoid the annual $2,000 payment to my CPA for tax preparation, then I'll gladly buy Turbo Tax Business year after year. The $1,900 difference will go to a Hawaiian vacation! Mahalo, Intuit!

Your killing me!
In my opinion, I'm sorry to say, TurboTax Business is about as useless as you can get. During the last three years I've used it and the same deficiencies continue with more being added "every day".

The most disturbing deficiency is when errors are found during the review. First of all these errors are simple reconciliations of two lines in the return. The software performs the math and numbers are entered through worksheets. However, when the review finds a reconciliation error, all the software says is something like "line 6 on form x is not equal to line 9 on form y". When you search for help, all it says is "line 6 on form x must equal to line 9 on form y", and that's all. To resolve the problem I've had to read the appropriate pubs, instructions, and forms myself.

Also, the itemization of the deduction isn't much better than paper and pencil. To use the software you need to know more than the software.

Great, thanks for nothing! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Taxpayers who have progressed beyond the 1040EZ know that money can'tbuy happiness until after April 15. TurboTax 2001 Deluxe can't deliverhappiness, but it can make federal tax preparation a lot easier for just abouteveryone.

Installation of TurboTax Deluxe is quick, and a linked series of wizards helpsusers compile all the information they need. Back-and-forth navigation issimple; the software keeps track of which steps have been skipped and returns asnecessary. Users who must pay state taxes need only type in their informationonce if they use a TurboTax state package (free after rebate with TurboTaxDeluxe, Premier, or Home & Business).

First-time users would be well-advised to ask a knowledgeable friend to helpout. Although much of the hard work is done automatically, some decisions arefar from intuitive and may require some detective work. The copious online helpfunctions are both smart (they often answer questions before they're asked) andthorough; this goes a long way toward easing users' troubled minds. Data entryis relatively painless, especially for returning users, who can port in lastyear's information and edit as needed. When it's all over, every form is printedout complete with everything but signatures, or users can opt for easyelectronic filing.

New features such as the Tax Law Advisor will not only help with your 2001return but help you plan for the future as well. And everyone knows thatplanning ahead is always a good investment. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Run Away!!!!!
Turbo-Tax is great - if your taxes are very, very simple and don't stray much from the middle of the road. If you have any kind of funky investments then you are playing with fire. The really bad thing is, with this program, you'll never know if you've crossed the line. Even worse, sometimes Turbo-Tax might cheat you out of a larger tax return...

It's not that I found anything wrong or hard to use about Turbo-Tax, it's the same great program that Quicken is. No, it's just too similiar to a home-improvement project - you can really mess something up and never know it. There isn't a human being there to double-check your forms, tell you what you are doing and why. You can mistakenly go in the wrong direction and not even know it. The Turbo-Tax folks will certainly tell you that tax forms are nothing to be scared about, and they are right - most peoples' taxes are so simple that you don't even need Turbo-Tax to file them.

I pay an accountant to do my taxes, not just to protect myself, but to also learn from him, and discover how I might better spend my money and not send it to the government. That is where I've REALLY saved money, not from [what I spend]on tax software. Sorry I didn't talk too much about the software, but I felt the use I got out of it last year was more important to communicate.

Easy-to-use and it pays for itself!!!!
How many things can you buy that pay for themselves? Not many. TurboTax will do just that. It streamlines the taxing situation of paying taxes into an easy to use interface. Videos explain what you may not understand. It is a step-by-step walk through completing all forms that you'll need to file. Plus, it can do an online update to keep the tax laws up to date. Then, you can file your taxes online, as well.

You can usually manage to get everything accomplished inside of a few hours, including filing your state taxes (since one state package can be added for free).

Over the last few years, TurboTax has saved me literally thousands of dollars because it knows what I don't about paying taxes. It is well worth the investment.

Spyware
Easy to use (at least as far as the IRS will allow taxes to be easy), well done overall.
However, anti-piracy components definetly put it in the class of spyware. Not sure if I can trust my confidential tax info to them anymore, as they did not ask permission to install unwanted components, yet they have to be there for the software to work.

As Usual
Good grief, this is the easiest software to perform tax preparation! This year, TY2002, is my first year to itemize. I will update my feedback for this program when I have completed this in early January. Intuit, you all have put together a great program for those of us who are no where near the tax efficiency level of a CPA.

TurboTax = Reload Operating system
I've used TT for several years and though somewhat buggy; I've been able to work my way through the problems. I have rental properties and have to fill out several schedules.

TT never correctly calculates "Credit to Other Taxing Juristdictions"; I usually end up forcing the correct entries in the Forms view. If you have this credit; you also can't file your state return electronically.

For 2001, TT insistence on loading their version of IE 5.5 gave me grief from the start. One touch updates and downloads of the State product left me on the phone for hours. Finally the tech emailed me an external link to download from. It so screwed up my system that I ended up reformatting my hard disk and reloading all my programs.
Like at tax time I needed another headache! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Make tax time less taxing with the TurboTax Tax Organizer. No need to waste time searching for tax-related receipts and documents. The Tax Organizer is a convenient folder for storing everything in one place so you're ready to get started when you sit down to prepare your taxes.

Tax Organizer contains compartments for storing receipts, a copy of your federal and state tax returns, and your TurboTax CD-ROM. It also includes more than 100 year-round tax tips, and provides a tax calendar of key dates to help you stay on top of tax preparation. Discover extra guidance on which tax-related receipts you need to keep, in addition to tips on substantiating your deductions. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Does THIS TurboTax/Intuit product ALSO contain C-Dilla ?
Intuit Turbotax 2002 included a non-optional program called "C-Dilla". That program was supposed to be a DRM (Digital Rights Management -- anti-piracy) program, but is a particularly nasty form of spyware / malware that may be difficult or impossibel to remove from your system.

Before considering TurboTax, make a strong effort to find out if C-Dilla is no longer part of the TurboTax program(s), and that it is not a part of this "TurboTax Organizer".

In the 2002 version of TurboTax, a great protest rose up from prominent computer-industry magazines and users, which led to Intuit/TurboTax's somewhat apologizing for C-Dilla, and offering a program that uninstalled C-Dilla after you'd uninstalled TurboTax 2002. (The original uninstall program that came with TurboTax 2002 didn't remove C-Dilla.)

Why dislike C-Dilla ? Here's why:
If I had known in advance that this program contains CDilla spyware / malware, I would not have bought it. I ordered the product already... but I guarantee it will make a quick trip to the trash-bin UNOPENED.

For those of you who don't know what CDilla is:
It's spyware, which means it reports across the internet to let the mfr. know if you're making extra copies. It's also malware, because it interferes with your CD copying... not just preventing certain copyrighted CDs from being copied (OK, OK) but also just plain preventing your CD burner from copying random CDs properly...whether there's a legitimate reason for preventing that copy or not.

CDilla sets itself up on an undeclared, self-created partition on your hard disk. Yes, that means it goes in and changes your partition table !!! For some users, that's going to be a real problems, because monkeying with the partition table is NOT a good idea...particularly if you have several partitions, dedicated to several flavors of operating system (Windows and Linux, for example... with a LiLo-type partition to provide you with a boot-time menu so you can choose which operating system to boot).

Here's a quote from extremetech.com. (ExtremeTech and its sister publication PC Magazine are industry leaders. You have probably heard of their most famous writer, John C. Dvorak.) This is from one of many articles there about C-Dilla, particularly C-Dilla on Intuit's TurboTax software. (Intuit-TurboTax-2002's version of C-Dilla wasn't different from any other version of C-Dilla. It just got alot of attention because TurboTax *was* very popular software until C-Dilla became a part of it.)

From the article:
"Likely the biggest problem users have expressed, is the level at which the TurboTax licensing agreement is managed and protected with the SafeCast/C-Dilla technology. People believe C-Dilla infiltrates their system in a very insidious manner, and uses memory and resources even when TurboTax is not loaded. And some believe it has caused them serious compatibility problems with non-related CD writing operations. (PC Magazine and ExtremeTech will be conducting some tests next week to see if we can duplicate some of these problems). [....] or your customers still looking to exit TurboTax for good, the uninstaller at this link now fully removes components of SafeCast/C-Dilla that were previously mostly impossible to remove."

You can use the search engine at extremetech.com to find this article and related C-Dilla articles, and the very interesting discussions about C-Dilla, what it does, why folks dislike it intensely, etc. etc.

In short, C-Dilla is an extremely strong reason for any PC user to avoid this product. Buy something else instead. If you're planning on using this product at work, forget it... your Info Technology manager will have a cow if he/she knows that you're installing destructive trojan/spyware (C-Dilla) on the company PCs. If you've already installed this software on a PC at work, let your IT manager know IMMEDIATELY, so he/she can take whatever steps are possible to remove C-Dilla.

Misleading name, but it does help get paperwork straight
OK, its an accordion file and they supply the labels. But for folks like me who keep all their receipts and other papers in one big messy bin, this accordion file is very useful. It helps you to get all the right papers sorted out, has neat little labels, and keep the papers together. You can pull just the papers you need out of that bin for tax time, and leave the rest in the bin for later.

And getting it for free, hey, I am not complaining!

not much better than a shoebox
Don't be fooled. This isn't software, it isn't a book of tax advice, it may not be worth what you pay for it. This is literally a folder with a velcro seal and several tabbed sections inside for you to store tax receipts and other records. Also included in the package is a very brief pamphlet of common tax tips. There are also small labels you can attach to each of the tabbed sections.
In most respects, this product is nothing more than manilla folders with a handful of labels you can apply yourself. The tax guide pamphlet is way too small to be of much use to anyone who has done their own personal income taxes once before. If you want tax advice or tips, buy one of the books specifically written for that, or get the free publications published by the IRS which are available online and often included in most "deluxe" tax preparation software.
The folder and the tabbed sections are plastic coated but other than that it is hard to find much value-added from this product over your own folders and/or shoebox.

Tax Organizer for 2002
I found this tool highly useful to pull together and organize all of my tax information. It's straightforward to use and will help those who are helpless. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

TaxCut State automatically transfers users' federal data to their state returns, then double-checks the results to make sure they're complete. With TaxCut State, all the latest tax laws and calculations are built in, so there's no need to worry. Every state with an income tax is available for Windows, including the District of Columbia. And users can file their state returns electronically to ensure accuracy and get their return faster. Not all states allow electronic filing, however. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

H&R Blocks Taxcut State
OK People, First of all, I can not rate this software! Picked up the software at the local Staples store. On front of the box, "TAXCUT from H&R Block, STATE. Ok that,s good. But inside the box, the "QUICK Start Guide" has "BUSINESS State". So before I open this box, what is it?? Regular personal state tax or business tax??

Need FED version to use State one
You do need the FED version to use the State one. What if I only want to use the State version...buy the FED version?

Excellent product for fast, easy tax forms
TaxCut State is an excellent product to be used in combination with TaxCut Deluxe (for Federal tax forms). If you purchase TaxCut Deluxe, you are eligible for a full rebate ...for the State edition. After you have completed your federal return with TaxCut Deluxe, the State version will automatically import all relevant data from your Federal return. You can do your state taxes in a matter of minutes! The product would be nicer if it could automatically find your local/county submission mailing addresses by zipcode. Also, if you continue to use TaxCut software from year to year, it can important a lot of data from the previous years files. A great product! The software asks you many of the same questions that a tax preparer would ask you in the H&R block office. ...

Problems with NYC Tax
If you enter "NYC RES" from box 20 of the W-2 form, the product does not transfer the NYC tax. You will get a zero for NYC taxes paid. In order to get around this you have to change it to "NYC". In otherwords don't enter exactly what is written on the W-2. I emailed their tech support and they were unable to solve this problem. Very disappointed in their tech support. I'm posting this for you NYC residents out there so it will save you greif.

State filing made easy
I really liked how TaxCut State automatically took my federal information. Then I just answered a few state questions and I was done. Really pretty idiot-proof. This year's State program integrated with the Federal much easier than last year's.

I will defintely use the State again next year. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take full advantage of recent changes in the tax law with TaxCut Deluxe. Get all the features of TaxCut, plus use the mail-in rebates to get one free state tax program and one free electronic filing. Deluxe is filled with tax expertise and guidance, including a tax and financial planning library, tax advice from the experts at H&R Block and Kiplinger, and a new Tax Law Assistant.

TaxCut Deluxe includes a customized tax plan to fit the user's needs and flag problems that might trigger audits. You can automatically import W-2 and 1099 information from participating companies. And you can seamlessly import data from Microsoft Money, Quicken, or last year's TurboTax federal return.

TaxCut can help users take advantage of all the new tax law changes, including the new tax incentives, to help save for retirement or college. TaxCut asks simple questions, automatically selects and completes the necessary forms, and double-checks the return. Then you simply electronically file the return and get a refund faster, or print the return and mail it. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

worked flawlessly for me
Just finished doing my taxes with it. It imported my last year's data with no problems, and continued to work without a hitch. (MacOS 9.2.2, lots of memory). (haven't tried the state version, or printing to an HP printer.) If I had a nit to pick, it would be that the point in Taxcut's interview where you enter your state tax refund begins by saying "Did you or your spousereceive a form 1099-G for2001?" It eventually goes on to mention that this is the place to enter your state tax refund even if you didn't get a 1099-G, but I missed that the first time through.

On my wishlist for Taxcut would be the ability to "print" a PDF of the finished tax return. This is not so pressing, however, as there are various commercial/shareware/freeware ways of getting this functionality, and MacOS X has it built in.

Inferior to competitor, omits critical information
After several years of using a competitive product that gave me problems in 2002, I decided to try TaxCut.

I found that TaxCut was much less informative during the interview process. I sometimes needed explanation that was not immediately at hand. I had expected that TaxCut would auto-import data from my brokerage as the competitive product does, but TC didn't provide for that in any way that I noted.

The worst aspect I encountered was when I Efiled. I did so less than 48 hours before the filing deadline. TC provided no warning that there was an IRS acceptance delay. It does not tell whether the filing is delinquent if the Efiling is rejected and a paper copy mailed after the deadline. It does not tell whether the Efiling is delinquent when the required paper signature form is mailed after the filing deadline. H&R Block's lack of information on these critical filing matters is appalling. The online support for this product is profoundly deficient.

I also found the subtle interaction with the software to be inferior to the competition. It is really a poorly designed, dismally supported application.

Bug won't let me e-file, customer service no help
I have used Turbo Tax (a competitor to TaxCut) for several years with great success. This year I tried TaxCut because of the lower price, and was seriously disappointed. The program will not let me e-file, because it misinterprets some of my data (details below if you are interested). An email to customer service was never answered. An hour-long call (at my expense) produced no help. A promised return call never came. The final answer from customer service is that I simply cannot efile with TaxCut. The program also crashes occasionally. I have to paper file this year and will never use TaxCut again.

Problem details: My wife and I both work for the same employer and both have dependent care benefits listed on our W2's. TaxCut will not e-file because we have "two employer dependent care providers," even though they are obviously the same care provider with the same name, address, and federal ID number. Overriding these fields also prevents an e-file, so there is no workaround. The information comes straight from the W2's so there is simply no way to avoid the problem if the W2's are properly entered.

Tax Cut
After years of doing my returns by hand I decided to break down this year and buy a tax package. I'd really love to give this product 5 stars, but I couldn't print my return (HP printer) and emails to customer service were unanswered. I e-filed which made printing less of a concern, but obviously I'd like to have a copy for my files.

Downloading updates, the state return and e-filing went without a hitch.

I notice from other reviews that there might be a patch available for the printing problem. We'll see.

Slipping
This is my second year of using TaxCut. Prior to last lear I had used Intuit tax programs for 8 years. After several problems with Intuit support both MacinTax & Quicken I switched to TaxCut. Last year was fine. This year the installation program failed the first time I ran it. On the second install program installed. When I tried to start it the extensions hadn't installed. I then dragged copies of the extension into the system folder.

Once started only a portion of the last years data was carried forward.

The were additional problems installing both the federal update and the State program.

Also not all print options are available, the left hand bullets don't print, only by selecting groups of individual documents would anything print.

I sent an e-mail to customer support on Feb 23, requesting support on the printing problems, as of Mar 5 no response was recieved.

These problems were encounted running under a new install of 8.6
running on a 604e with 64 Meg memory, and virtual memory tuned on.

If you think twiddling with installs and chasing missing extensions are too much a chore don't buy this product. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Great Product
They got it right with TC Platinum. Quick, easy to use and everything is there.

Who knew that lying on your taxes was ok with TaxCut?
First of all, even with the help of the tech support people I could not get the help system to install or function. My job is computer consulting and systems builds and it just didn't happen. On top of that I (on the recommendation of the TaxCut support team) had to put down that I had $1 in land ownership, even though I have none. The reason is that one field had to be greater than another, they couldn't both be 0. So I had to lie and say I had $1 in land so the software would submit my taxes.

I was frustrated with TurboTax, but now it seems like the best software in the world, I will never, ever, try TaxCut again even if it is given to me for free.

Taxes are 90% Easier without TaxCut!
It would have been easier to prepare taxes by hand. The program created duplicate, triplicate and in some cases sextuplicate form entries.

The results of using the "delete form" option are not visible until you close all the screens and reopen them. After that, the Review Last Year option is useless because the forms appear to be cross-linked.

It was impossible to be certain that the program was correctly calculating our 1099 forms--it came up with a wide variety of reported income figures. The amount of refund/tax owed fluctuated by 300%. The final total, after going through an error-check process that is like something from a medieval torture chamber, was FIVE TIMES the amount of tax that we paid last year--even though our income was roughly the same and our deductible expenses higher.

The last thing I did before giving up was to re-examine the checklist (not an intuitive task by any means) only to find that TaxCut had duplicated one of the Schedule C forms THREE TIMES.

Don't even get me started on the problems with downloading the update...

Back to TurboTax Mac next year
The Good: TaxCut is less expensive than TurboTax and was first to OS X last year. Now it imports last year's TurboTax data!

The Bad: Now I know why it's cheaper. TaxCut is a mere advertisement for H&R Block. The program does its best to confuse the user into giving up and driving to the local office for human filing help. TaxCut's web-based "Help" system will run you around in aimless circles. The so-called automatic update asks for permission to connect to the Internet, even though that's how the Help works the entire time. If it finds an update, the program claims that it will handle everything. Not true, it simply dumps you on their web site where it doesn't even show you which files you should download and manually install. Skipped an interview question accidentally? Don't try the Back button, because half the time it will skip back an entire section instead of that last page. You get to start over! What about that one year head-start in OS X? I guess it wasn't long enough to pop the lid on Cocoa so we could use a mouse with a scroll wheel.

The Ugly (as of April 13): Pop-up menus in the interview questions look empty until you pop them open. After you make a selection, it doesn't show anymore, as the size goes back to zero. After you complete a section (i.e. 1099-MISC worksheet) and come back to its directory, sometimes the item you just created will display and sometimes it won't. And I hope you didn't change your mind about that single item you decided to add in an Itemize list yesterday. When you open your file today, the entire list you created will now be titled "untitled" and contain one item called "value."

The Fugly: TurboTax import? All seemed well until I got to the final error check. "You have 270 errors and 4 warnings." Why? Because I suddenly had 69 depreciation lists, only three of which were legit. All 270 errors stem from a logical error taught in programming 101: Anywhere I'd entered a "No" or zero in TurboTax was now a blank in TaxCut, and it thinks I haven't answered questions about whether I've sold an item or not, or to which copy of the Schedule C this should be applied. There wasn't even a way to mass-delete all the extra forms. I had to visit each form to delete it. When I got to the vehicle expense section, my vehicle from the previous years didn't show up. I guess it didn't import. Wait! Yes it did, because now I'm getting errors for each one, also because of one or two "missing" choices. Waste more time repairing, and.. No errors, no warnings, proceed to state.. Three warnings. Visit the first warning. An incomplete description, circular Help, and a suggestion to modify the "form below." There is no form below. That's enough.

The numerous and pathetic bugs in TaxCut would be acceptable in other types of software. But this is a program with a deadline, written by people who are supposed to be good at details (if nothing else). I'm left feeling unsure about my personal taxes for the first time in several years of MacInTax aka TurboTax Mac. As much as I don't like Intuit's attitude towards customers or their decision this year to charge extra for Schedule C help, I'll be looking at TurboTax next year.

Must use Explorer as your default browser!
Well, today is April 13, and this probably won't appear in time to help anyone, but I noticed that a couple of reviews below noted problems with the web-based help system, so here's the cure: YOU MUST USE MICROSOFT'S INTERNET EXPLORER AS YOUR DEFAULT BROWSER. (Or, at least not Apple's Safari. I didn't try Netscape, Chimera, Opera, etc.)

And since I'm here, I may as well chime in with the other folks who found this software buggy and unreliable. I did my taxes by hand until last year, when I bought TaxCut because MacWorld magazine gave it the nod over TurboTax. It worked fine, and I was happy: I have a rather simple return. So, I went with TaxCut again this year, but have had a number of problems. I've had to re-enter my non-cash charitable dedections at least four times, becasue TaxCut keeps losing them, even though I routinely save often. It's crashed several times for no apparent reason (on an iMac G4, 256 MB, OSX 10.2.4).

Well, next year's another year. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

By utilizing Iomega's Active Disk Technology, this unique version of Quicken's popular Turbo Tax 2000 allows you to run that application directly from the Zip disk. This means that no installation is necessary--Turbo Tax 2000 automatically launches when the disk is inserted. With Turbo Tax 2000, you can finish your taxes in three simple steps. The Easy-Step Interview places your answers to simple questions directly onto IRS-approved forms; then, it double-checks for errors, overlooked deductions, and entries that could trigger an audit. Finally, Turbo Tax 2000 lets you file electronically, so that you can get your refund faster (one 2000 federal return free, via enclosed rebate) or it can print your return onto plain paper. Both the application and the tax information that you create stay on the disk, so that they don't clutter your hard drive. Turbo Tax 2000 2-Pack comes with one free, blank 100 MB Zip disk. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It is great . Used turbo tax 2 years now .
I like it best of all . Thanks ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

My Business Tax Forms contains easy-to-use online forms for doing your business taxes. These forms contain extensive help sections, as well as the ability to submit your file electronically to the IRS--and a copy to the recipient--immediately, in a one-step process. There's a built-in database to track and record your filings--which cost only $3.49 per filing, with the first 12 filings for free. Each submitted form includes electronic filing of data to the federal government; e-mail confirmation, including a printable PDF file for state and local filing requirements; an account database, from which you can access past filing information; and a paper copy of each W-2 or 1099 form that has been filed, mailed to the employee/recipient via first-class mail. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Hard to register
Do yourself a favor and buy the Adams one from Staples. These people are too paranoid about unprovided serial numbers .. It also will not work after 12 15 01. If you like being on hold, buy it.

Great for 1099MISC filings
This product allows my business to easily file my W2 and 1099misc forms.It also directs me to online resourses that does the same thing,without using paper forms.It is simple to use. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Fun isn't the first thing that comes to mind when preparing your taxes.TaxCut Deluxe won't change this; however, it can make the process easy andpainless. Plus, the software is backed by one of the most recognizable namesin accounting: H&R Block.

TaxCut Deluxe installs quickly, and before long you're on your way. Be sureto follow the prompts to update the tax forms, worksheets, and publicationsin the software to meet the final IRS requirements. You can get the updatefree of charge over the Internet. TaxCut gives you a jump-start on fillingout your tax forms with options to import tax and financial information fromMicrosoft Money, Quicken, and last year's TurboTax or TaxCut federal return.It will also import your W-2 wage and 1099 investment data from participatingemployers and financial institutions.

You enter information via a simple question-and-answer interview process.Along the way, you'll be cued for possible deductions, and a meter allowsyou to follow the status of your refund or the amount due as you enter data.Instant interview help is available at any time should the questions gettrickier. At the end of the interview the software performs its own audit,searching out missing information or items that may trigger an IRS audit.During our test run, it found a missed deduction and flagged some data thatwas input incorrectly.

If you're not comfortable with the results, for $29.95 you can send your returnto an H&R Block tax advisor who will check it over and answer questions. Whenyou're finished, you can file the return electronically or print the completedforms for mailing.

Once your federal taxes are complete, you have the option of purchasing TaxCutState software--free with the included rebate--from within TaxCut Deluxe. Theprogram will then automatically fill any necessary federal information into yourstate return. The package also includes rebates that give you a free e-filing anda free copy of Microsoft Money Standard (up to $34.95). And if you think thissoftware becomes useless after your taxes are done, you're wrong. The Deluxeversion comes with a built-in tax and financial library that contains informationon buying and selling a home, investing, and retirement. It also includes financialplanners for education and retirement.

The elimination of mathematical headaches and confusing jargon alone is worth theprice of TaxCut Deluxe. Throw in ease of use, a library of financial information,rebates, and the possibility of finding a missed deduction, and you may actuallyenjoy doing your taxes. --Joshua Goldman ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Electronic Filing Sanfu
Used Taxcut for the second year in a row and for most part have been happy with the product, I had been Turbotax regular since the late 80's.

I ended owing money this year so waited til the last minute (4/14/2004) to file. That's when the fun began. Got a notice from the IRS today that the filing of the claim was accepted but that could not access my financial institute for payment. Called Taxcut and they threw there hands up, "We sent them your claim and they (the IRS) accepted it, we're done." Taxcut was able to process their $14.95 processing fee, the IRS could not. Contacted my credit card company, "no problem on this end".

Have yet to get a hold of the IRS for there end of the story. My tact next year, file the old paper way at a cost of a stamp.

In my opinion, Taxcut was gutless in trying help. Poor business practice.

TaxCut has gone downhill!
Using TaxCut 2003 was a lengthy exercise in absolute frustration. It took forever just to get the program to install, and then it wasn't user-friendly at all. The program insisted on me getting an update to correct the Charitable Contributions worksheet, even though I had already decided not to itemize deductions. Then I ran into problems downloading the update. I finally did get my Federal taxes filed, only to find that the TaxCut State Program wouldn't install. I finally gave up and filed a paper return for my State Taxes.

I have used TaxCut for the past 8 or 9 years, but this year will be my last time. I don't know if Turbo Tax will be any better, but I feel it couldn't possibly be any worse!

No valuable Help, Questionable calculations
TaxCut Deluxe 2003. In filling out the Interviews, this app stops with my 1099-MISC at Box 7, with error requiring a code.
But no where could I find a hint as to what the code may be.
The app suggested I refer to an IRS Publication xxxxxx! If I had time to get all the IRS publications, I would not need a tax software application!
I decided to continue, by omitting the two 1099-MISC documents, and see what happened. Well at the end it calculated a very nice refund....
But, I went out and purchased TURBO TAX 2003 and re done the whole thing. The 1099-MISC Box 7 had no error issues, and when I completed the filing, TURBO TAX 2003 came up with a lot less refund. The two 1099-MISC's I omitted in TaxCut 2003 totaled $1600. So there is no way that would have resulted in some $2000 less in my refund!
TaxCut Deluxe 2003 is a waste of money in my opinion.

Add me to the list...
...of users who have used TaxCut for years, but found it to be a major problem this year.

I did not have the typical problems of most people who have reviewed the product. It loaded fine, and never crashed.

My problems were actual mistakes made by the software.

I imported 1099 information automatically, from Fidelity. It turned short term items into long term, and vice versa. It gives you the option to delete some elements that you import, but then it doesn't actually delete them.

I had 2 jobs during the year and accidentally over-contributed to a 401(k). It detected this, and fixed it. But I received a 1099-R from Fidelity, and reported that. So I ended up double-reporting the overage, and TaxCut didn't notice.

I can also report agreeing with the comments about the user interface. I don't mind the tie-ins to H&R Block. But it's really very confusing and inconvenient to go back and find a topic, and enter into the Interview for it.

Next year, I'll try TurboTax.

Absolute [junk]
I bought the Mac OS X version.

This software is hideous. Don't even condsider buying it. I took a chance since it was cheaper than TurboTax, and regret it. Incredibly buggy, irritating interface. Some obviously wrong calculations. I haven't even tried some of the other features that other reviewers complain about, but at this point I don't need to see much more to conclude that this is hands down the worst software I have ever bought. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Complete your state tax returns quickly and easily with TurboTax State. This easy-to-use program works with TurboTax 1040 programs to transfer your federal data to your TurboTax State return. An interactive interview tool asks you questions, places your answers directly onto state-approved forms, and automatically performs all calculations for you. Plus, there's a built-in feature to check your return for errors and omissions to help ensure that it is accurate and complete. State-tax electronic filing is available for 41 states plus Washington, D.C., so you can get your refund faster.

Note: TurboTax State is for use with TurboTax, TurboTax Deluxe, TurboTax Premier, or TurboTax Home & Business. This version is for all states except California. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Beware - It's not Multi-State but Choose Your State
I have used various state tax programs over the years and this one works best for users of TurboTax Federal. However, for those of us having to file multiple state returns, you only get access to ONE state with this program. Thus the TurboTax Multi-State is misleading as I found out last year when I bought the program and ended up having to buy two more to do my taxes! I agree with other users, there aren't many real "help features" with this program and if you have a simple Federal return, your state probably has an online source that would serve you well. With more complicated returns, it is a decent program. If anyone else out there has the same complaint as me, let the company know! I think additional state return access should be free or at a much reduced price since it isn't costing the company any more to let you have access to various states.

You Can Not Electroncially File More Than One State Return
If you think you can file more than one state return electronically think again. Intuit only allows one federal and one state return per social security number. Any extra returns must be MAILED in.

Free with turbo tax-and worth it
I have used both this product and TaxCut by HRBlock/Kiplinger. They are essentially the same, but I give the edge to Quicken and Turbo Tax.
In my mind the best way to think of tax software is that it is just a program that will ask you some questions (ex. about your w-2 or mortgage interest) and then fill out your tax return and do the math. If you then choose you can use the program to e-file your return (great feature). The software works, is very much bug free and can make some complicated things easier to handle.
I have used the program to prepare three returns this year.
1) with a straight w2, the only deduction was student loan interest. This was very simple and was done within a half an hour. I printed out a few copies (no need for a copier) and that was it.
2) A W-2 with many deductions-medical, mortgage, real estate taxes, Brokerage statements from three firms. Estimated tax payments. AND an IRA conversion to a ROTH.
I was very happy to be able to download the statements directly from Vanguard and CSFB Direct. It saved me a lot of data entry (your still need to enter your basis), and it helped me handle the Roth conversion easily.
3) A w-2 with a schedule C for a sole propritorship. I imported directly from Quickbooks. I encountered only a few problems which were caused by misclassifications in Quickbooks-they were not the fault of Turbo Tax.
In all I am very satisfied. I know I saved hundreds of dollars by not using an accountant. I am pretty sophisticated about finincial matters but I was still suprised by how easily the program handled my "complex" situations--they turned out not to be.

Just a warning-don't forget to save the Proof of purchase from you your box. Last year I forgot and I couldn't get my rebate. Also don't forget to get the State edition too. And send in your refund form for e-filing right away-they only give you 30 days

Be very careful -- program is glitchy!
CALL YOUR LOCAL TAX DEPARTMENT IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH ERROR MESSAGES, INSTEAD OF CALLING INTUIT TECH SUPPORT!

I live in New Jersey and worked in New York. Like many people here, I was forced to collect unemployment after 9/11.

TurboTax State took my NY total income and tried to use it in my NJ return which created errors. Then the real nightmare began:

Intuit has an online chat tech support. After 45 minutes of very slow communication, they referred me to phone support. To do this, you need to register with Intuit on-line and they give you a pin number and a phone number to call. The phone number is in Arizona! Over an hour after I called, tech support said they couldn't fix it either and told me to call my local tax office.

NJ tax office gave me a fix for the program immediately: New York State taxes unemployment benefits -- New Jersey doesn't and TurboTax State doesn't take that into account.

Including the phone calls, I paid more for Turbo Tax than I would have paid to my accountant. The TurboTax customer service rep said I would be reimbursed for part of my phone bill -- we'll see.

TruboTax "MultiState" Rip-Off
TurboTax "MultiState" is a rip off! I bought it because I had to file state tax in more than one state. But it only allows access to one state, despite its name! Even the box doesn't claim it's "multistate." I first thought Amazon.com had sent the wrong product, but apparently Intuit doesn't offer a true "multistate" product. ... Read more