Comments on: Best Online Tax Preparation Software For 2009: TurboTax vs. TaxCut

By: Gary

Gary — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:55:26 +0000

I believe I have found an error in calculation by H&R Block’s tax program, which is not a math error, but more a logic/method of calculation error. It pertains to Colorado Income Tax, Pension-Annuity Subtraction Line on the Colorado 104.

By: chip

chip — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:12:46 +0000

Neither H&R bor intuit can handle more than the basic that you could without them. case in point, 2,000,000 plus tax payers in the GOZ (mostly Katrina) have individual NOL caryovers (eg. http://www.missouribusiness.net/irs/taxmap/pubs/p536-002.htm). Defy you to find a way to input these carryovers into their systems. These carryovers represent huge tax savings for applicable taxpayers.

By: tommy

tommy — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:15:10 +0000

TURBO TAX…i dont understand why they say free efile …in reality…i had to pay..65 for turbo tax software ….and 35 to file fed…and anothe 20 to file state….dont understand why the say its free efile…how…do you do this……why can we only prepare 5 returns…what happens when you prepare and file ..6 or 7 returns…anyone

By: Stan

Stan — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:12:05 +0000

I’d like to add TaxAct to the list…the online version is easy and has always been accurate.

By: Tess

Tess — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:04:36 +0000

Yoni,
I have experienced ‘professional’ preparers, who made errors and caused a back payment notice from the IRS.
So I went with an accounting firm. They never made errors. They told me about tax savings. BUT every year they seemed to increase their prep fee by $100. I realized all they were doing was plugging in the financial figures into their computer. I was doing the bulk of the work, busting my butt to compile those figures.
So I bought turbotax. The program had many of the same tax savings ideas as the accountant, was hundreds of dollars cheaper than the accountant’s fees, and I could work on it at my leisure (no stress over whether the accountant would finish my taxes if I didn’t get stuff to him early).
Downside: tech support is not helpful (they don’t know the program any better than you do), the windows are not easy to navigate, and last year the program crashed as I was saving the file. The program wrote over the file with a blank one, and I had to file an extension and redo my taxes. It took a long time to use the first year, but the second year I figured would be easier. NO. They changed the program–was like learning it all over again.
Bottom line: if you have complicated taxes (tons of investments, unusual income, property purchase/sale, own a business, etc.) an accountant can give advise, and manage how the items affect your taxes years later to save you money. You can read up and do this yourself from the IRS. It takes time.
If you don’t fall in the category above, do it yourself. Accountant probably won’t save you enough.

By: Yoni

Yoni — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:03:03 +0000

Does anyone know if you might get a bigger refund if they went to a pro tax preparer rather than doing it themseves with turbotax?

By: MaryK

MaryK — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:00:22 +0000

Turbotax online is not giving me the option of importing my data from 2009 desktop version. Does anyone know why?

By: Koby

Koby — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:54:05 +0000

Thanks for providing grids that detail federal pricing and then federal + state pricing. It helps consumers compare the products of TurboTax and H&R Block more appropriately.

By: Reply to Amol

Reply to Amol — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:12:49 +0000

amol – if that’s who you are – if your message was supposed to be a joke it wasn’t funny! if it wasn’t supposed to be a joke, i’m speechless.

By: amol paithankar

amol paithankar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:18:08 +0000

hi this is amol.i have work in USA in march-may 2008 in the mc donalds corporation.my social security number is 771-70-8562.thanks,give the imediete reply…

By: Raymond

Raymond — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:22:25 +0000

Early bird gets the early worm deals….I have a habit of always searching only for promotional codes and discount coupons before I sign up for any online service. Search for TurboTax codes or TaxCut deals online and you’ll find lots of money saving offers. Never pay full price is my life motto.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 02:14:40 +0000

I wish I’d come here 1st…or not waited until the last possible minute to do my taxes. I just dropped $100 at the TurboTax website for the pleasure of using their “free” software. So mad I could spit.

By: Roger

Roger — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:07:37 +0000

Seems that Turbo began to divide up portions that were previously part of the deluxe package and offer them as upgrades for $40.. Even though more polished and prettier, it doesn’t seem to work as seamlessly as “Tax Edge” back in the 80’s before Go-Daddy’s founder sold to Intuit….
I will switch to another program that offers as much as the Turbo “home and business” at half the price with unlimited preparations and pay extra to efile as soon as someone puts it on the market….instant mega-business, anyone?

By: Raymond

Raymond — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:45:26 +0000

Richard,

It’s all about the art of the upsell. Tax preparation and tax filing companies offer free tax services in the hopes of leading customers towards the path of paid services. It’s not really a scam…more of a promotional tactic. They offer you an irresistible tasty carrot and eventually gently nudge you towards the more expensive tax packages.

But regardless, I think the major tax software programs of Turbo Tax and H&R Block TaxCut are pretty top notch and this is not even a real sales pitch. I really don’t know how I’d be filing my taxes cheaply and efficienty without programs that these. I still remember the horrendous and mistake prone days of filling out tax forms by hand….the horror…

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:21:21 +0000

I think it’s BS that you have to pay to import last years’ data. I did my taxes online last year using TaxCut and they want me to pay them $20 just to import the data. What a scam.