teacher Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 It is time to start thinking about taxes. I have used Turbotax for many years and like how it integrates with Quicken and pulls up my information from previous years. That said, I am very disappointed with what they did last year behind the scenes as far as product activation and messing with my computer. >_<I am about ready to make the plunge and buy this year's software. Is anyone going back to Turbotax or are you using TaxCut? Has the product activation/computer settings issue been changed from last year? Or is it just too early to think abou it? I like to add things in as they come in the mail and have everything ready to go early. It helps to know whether to groan or celebrate. What do you think? What are you using this year (assuming you do your taxes yourself on the computer)? --Julia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havnblast Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Paper and pencil for me - scratch it all out and send it in. I can't justify buying software for one occassion and than it's useless once your done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I use TurboTax for the web in conjunction with the tax freedom project- free efile!! And , it is done entirely online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 http://www.taxact.com/This is what I've been using for a few years now...The standard version is free(which is great when your a cheapo like me ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebkens Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Hubby uses Turbotax - mostly because he also uses the state Turbotax & once the federal info is entered he just has to press a button & state is done too. He also likes that it pulls in the previous year's info. From what I have read, Intuit has backed off of their shadier practices from last year. Product Activation key will be written to a different place this year (not a hidden sector like last year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havnblast Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Barry - my kinda language --> cheap as in free even Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryB Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Yup...Free is a good thing...would somebody please tell BMW that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 Adam - If I was in your shoes I would do the on-line version as well. Did that for daughter last year. Barry, I see a $7.95 filing fee and $12.95 for state tax program. Am I missing something there? Does it import from Quicken? I don't have hours that I am willing to spend to manually input all my things recorded in my checkbook. That puts it close to the Turbotax costs. I noticed Office Depot is throwing in the Quicken Basic 2004 and the Norton Antivirus this week with the deluxe version. SiebGuess I need to did into the Turbotax site and see what it says about product activation.Barry - BMW will probably never send you a "free" car unless it has a delivery charge equal to the price of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjf123 Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've been using TaxCut for years, and really like it. I tried TurboTax a number of years ago and didn't like the user interface. Then again, I'm an accountant, so I wanted to be able to just go to the lines I knew I needed and enter the data. Back then, TurboTax would not allow that. I had to go through the stupid "interview" process, which was a complete waste of my time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paracelsus Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 Paper and pencil for me - scratch it all out and send it in. I can't justify buying software for one occasion and than it's useless once your done.I was like that when I was younger Last time I did by hand was five years ago...For a TY '99, when I had: Re-characterized two IRA's Sold some stock (at a loss) Switched some Mutual Funds (which counts as a "sell" for tax purposes) using the Specific Shares Method Began Itemizing Deductions as I now had a Mortgage With the slight dyslexia I have with numbers...It took me an entire weekend to get two "recalculations" to come out the same (I'm still not sure the figures were correct, but I stopped at that point.) Long story short...TurboTax for TY '00 onward For me, it's a small price to pay to know I only need to make sure I input the correct figures I'm sure other programs are equally good. I'm just too lazy to check'm out. And I'm familiar with TT's set-up by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've been using TaxCut for years, and really like it. I tried TurboTax a number of years ago and didn't like the user interface. Then again, I'm an accountant, so I wanted to be able to just go to the lines I knew I needed and enter the data. Back then, TurboTax would not allow that. I had to go through the stupid "interview" process, which was a complete waste of my time.I have not done the "interview" all the way in a long time. I always go right to where I need to make my entries. I might step into the interview for a bit to make sure I did not leave something out but I do usually just add to the forms. I don't have the confidence to totally do it in forms without checking the interview.Paracelsus - I hear you. Back when I had to do Missouri taxes I tried it by hand since I was already doing NC and federal. I could never get it to come out the way they did and got little notices saying I computed wrong. I learned to let the computer do it for me. Luckily I only have to do one state this year but will probably buy a second state to do family returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 7, 2004 Author Share Posted January 7, 2004 I did some digging and finally found this: Â Q: What changes to anti-piracy technology are being planned for TurboTax 2003 products?A:Â In response to customer feedback, we have removed the technology from TurboTax 2003 products. In addition, Intuit is changing its policy and updating the TurboTax software license agreement, enabling customers to use TurboTax software to install, prepare, file and print multiple returns for themselves and their family from multiple computers.That takes care of that problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I use TaxAct! like Barry.I generally do the federal, print two copies and manually transfer what's needed to a state form I download and print in PDF form from the VA State website.I then pay my efile fee for Federal and mail my state form.Total cost is under $8 for doing taxes plus a stamp .... not including the tax of course (self employed). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nlinecomputers Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I did some digging and finally found this:Â Â Q: What changes to anti-piracy technology are being planned for TurboTax 2003 products?A:Â In response to customer feedback, we have removed the technology from TurboTax 2003 products. In addition, Intuit is changing its policy and updating the TurboTax software license agreement, enabling customers to use TurboTax software to install, prepare, file and print multiple returns for themselves and their family from multiple computers.That takes care of that problem! So in other words they said "We give up?" That is suprising but pleasing if true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfProRM Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 If you're what's considered a "low-income" person, you can file electronically for FREE! (truly free, as the filing charges are dropped) at http://www.taxfreedom.com(Low income as of last year was considered less than $27,000 gross). I've used it for the past couple years with great success Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GulliG Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I agree with bjf123. I used TurboTax for a few years until it seemed the interface became overloaded and it was hard to move around. I think I switched to TaxCut three years ago. My tax situation is not complicated and I only needed basic features. As of today I am still using TaxCut, though in the future it also may become overloaded and cumbersome (as TurboTax) in which case a fast, simple alternative will appear.Duane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
volunteer Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I've been using Turbo Tax since the early 80s. I've always been pleased with the software except for the product activation last year. I have faith in the accuracy of the software so it's worth the money for me. I love free stuff but I can do Turbo Tax quickly and be done with it for another year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImHB Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 I have been a user of Quicken's TurboTax for many years - until last year when they changed their unannounced DRM along with all of their 'so called' attempts to make things right - I felt very betrayed -- sounds like another kind of problem here ;-) -- So this year I have purchased H & R Block's Tax Cut-Premium ($39.95 with a $10 rebate) and the State Tax Cut ($24.95 free with the purchase of one of their initial tax prgrams after mail-in rebate).Kiplingers and other expert reviewers have continuously rated this application very high - I just wouldn't change over cause I was 'familiar' with TurboTax. TaxCut will import information from TurboTax, Quicken and Money. Everything that I have read indicates that this program does everything that TurboTax did without the nasty TurboTax DRM -- So I am going to give it a try just to send a statement to TurboTax. Plus there is a 100% satisfaction 60-day Money-back Guarantee. How bad can this be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebone Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 For the record:The corporate returns (1120,1120S) of tax cut do not import from TurboTax, business edition. However, the personal TaxCut worked just fine with my TurboTax personal files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjay Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I use:https://www.taxact.comThe $7.95 cost includes a free $8.00 Federal e-file.I import from previous year's filing, but don't knowif it downloads accounting program information.arjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbeL Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I used TurboTax for many years, liked ease of use and the integration with Quicken. With last year's shambles, I vowed that I would not go back to Turbo. I know they took out C-Dilla, and this year have no activation, but, a vow is a vow! :'( A month ago I bought TaxCut, and ran a proforma tax return. It's as easy to use as TurboTax, it pulled in the results of last years TurboTax, and imported the info from Quicken. Looks like a keeper to me. $20, plus a free copy of MS Money. Glad Money was free - that's what its worth. Good luck,Abe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 If you're what's considered a "low-income" person, you can file electronically for FREE! (truly free, as the filing charges are dropped) at http://www.taxfreedom.com(Low income as of last year was considered less than $27,000 gross). I've used it for the past couple years with great success That is what I havee been using for the last three years. very nice!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 19, 2004 Author Share Posted January 19, 2004 I don't think I fit in the low income. I went ahead with the Turbotax again. For $30 and with the free Quicken which I won't use and the free state and one free filing I will get my money's worth. I don't know how they make money this way. I did read in the paper the other day that they are going to start auditing more records from those that use the online free programs. Hmmm. Glad I am not in that category Adam. Then again, most of those are pretty simple and straight forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I went ahead with the Turbotax again also. I couldn't resist th eprice. For the $30 I get a free Federal e-filing, which I thought was a law now, free state filing software, free Quicken 2004 Basic which I won't use also, and a $15 Staples gift card, which I will definitely use. So basically I got TurboTax for $15. I definitely got my money's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross549 Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I did read in the paper the other day that they are going to start auditing more records from those that use the online free programs. Hmmm. Glad I am not in that category Adam.  Then again, most of those are pretty simple and straight forward.They can try to audit me!!! I make almost nothing, and manage to spend most of it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 19, 2004 Author Share Posted January 19, 2004 Knowing that you serve our country and what that pay is like I thought you would get a kick out of that one. I would use the free for daughter but the IRS sent her a notice this year telling her not to file unless she makes more money! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebkens Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 For the $30 I get a free Federal e-filing, which I thought was a law nowNot yet - hubby refuses to efile for the reasons that Teach mentioned. Big Brother & all that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted January 20, 2004 Author Share Posted January 20, 2004 The free is only for "low income" folks. Sieb, you can tell hubby that the audits only apply to that category as well. I had to go back and reread a few times to assure myself. I am pretty sure my tax records would stand up to an audit but I don't need the stress added of that too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siebkens Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 Oh, I misread that. I thought that EdP meant e-filing was the law, not that efiling must be free by law! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_P Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 siebs I meant the latter, that federal e-filings were suppose to be free not that everyone had to use e-filings. Thus Turbo Tax offering a free fed e-filing is not a bonus it's a part of the federal tax pkg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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