Posted on 01/01/2005 7:56:45 AM PST by expat_panama
Tony Lima, Special to PC World
The W-2 forms have arrived, the 1099 forms aren't far behind, and it's time to choose your best line of defense against the IRS.
Three companies lead the pack for desktop tax software. By my ranking, they are TurboTax from Intuit; TaxCut, marketed by H&R Block; and TaxAct, sold by 2nd Story Software.
You can find Web-based versions of these three programs, as well as of CCH's CompleteTax and Petz Enterprises' TaxBrain. Those online options are reviewed separately.
The shrink-wrapped programs are very different, and each is available in several versions. TaxAct is the budget deal, offering a free download ($6 for a CD). TurboTax starts at $30 for the Basic package; most comments here are about the Premier version, however. TaxCut's pricing starts at $15 for its Standard version, though my evaluation covers the Premier version. Various rebates reduce some of the prices. On the other hand, getting support for state income taxes costs extra in some cases.
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(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.about.com ...
I think you guys are right and that the date I pulled off the page was from something else.
If anyone has a more recent commentary I'm interested.
TurboTax quickly dropped the activation after the tax year 2002 version. Last year (tax year 2003) did not have activiation (or I would have switched to TaxCut). TurboTax works well and is pretty easy to use.
ping for later
You can fix prior year errors by filing form 1040X for up to 3 prior years.
Not only did their stupid activation crapware make a mess of using my printer/scanner/fax, as well as my CD burner, it left residual garbage on my computer that removing TurboTax did not remove. I had to reinitialize and rebuild to get it back to what it was, just when I needed my computer to do my taxes. This is a company that doesn't care what harm they do to their customers as long as they can collect their dollars.
Used to be I didn't care which tax package I got. Now I won't touch H&R Block. Not because of any defect I'm aware of in the tax program, but because last year they started a "CD sniffer" that checks a CD every time one's inserted to make sure it's licensed.
The licensing issue is fine with me, but the "CD Sniffer" continued to check EVERY CD, every time you inserted one and slowed down computer performance
I have used Turbo Tax for the past fours years and its been great. A few years ago, I also used Its Deductible as a companion piece, and man, did it do wonders for my return! I used to guess the dollar amount for all my charitable clothing donations, but now I get an honest dollar amount- that's usually much more than my guess. Itemizing is awesome!
Turbotax Deluxe has been getting better and better every year. They screwed up with that copy protection scam a couple of years ago, but dropped it like a hotcake after the reaction was so negative. So don't worry about that. It's no longer operative.
I haven't done my taxes yet this year, but it looks as if they have improved it again.
I have very complicated taxes, plus two states to deal with. Turbotax has reduced this from several weeks of work to a couple of days at most.
How's TurboTax on stock cap gains. My articles say it's best but (evidently) the info is dated.
Yowsuh that "CD sniffer" sounds like serious stuff. My sources that I got on Google are evidently really old. By any chance you have a link or something on the sniffer? It's sounding now like I'd be better off making the big switch to TurboTax.
A reviewer named Sandy Berger (streeeeerike one!) on an socialist-parasite AARP (streeeeerike two!) website?
That can't be the same Sandy Berger--- could it?
I have used Turbo Tax Deluxe for years and am one happy camper. It imports the data from my Quicken and downloads all the investment stuff from Fidelity and E*trade and puts it in the right place. Or at least I think it does.
I have been using Turbo Tax for years, with and without a home business. It has been very acceptable for me thus far.
I have been using TaxCut since 1997, including last year. I bought it online as a download, so it never had the CD sniffer feature described. Once downloaded, it installed fine and worked just as well as with any other year I have used. Never used TurboTax tho, so I cant compare the two.
Just my 2cents...
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