Tis the season. In case you are a (long time) Turbo Tax Deluxe customer like I was, beware that it has changed this year and no longer supports schedules C and D (and more). Caveat Emptor (may I suggest H &R Deluxe?). Just thought you might like to know. There is an avalanche of 1-start reviews at Amazon.com. Tell your friends.
Never used Turbo Tax, but have used H&R tax software for years. I like it!
Doug Winterburn wrote in news:54bae2e8$0$43033$c3e8da3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
If you're comfortable you know what to fill in, and just want to avoid doing the math, there is an Excel spreadsheet here which will do the math for you:
I've done my taxes this way for about 10 years. Much quicker than Turbo Tax or H&R Block if your taxes are reasonably straightforward.
John
I need the Premier version again this year. Next year I'll probably do it by hand. ;-)
On 1/17/2015 4:32 PM, Doug Winterburn wrote: > On 01/17/2015 02:19 PM, Bill wrote: >> >> Tis the season. In case you are a (long time) Turbo Tax Deluxe customer >> like I was, beware that it has changed this year and no longer supports >> schedules C and D (and more). >> Caveat Emptor (may I suggest H &R Deluxe?). Just thought you might >> like to know. There is an avalanche of 1-start reviews at Amazon.com. >> Tell your friends. > > Never used Turbo Tax, but have used H&R tax software for years. I like it! > >
+1 Started out using TurboTax along with QuickBooks. Got so pissed off at Intuit's continual money grab I dumped TurboTax.Went to H&R Block Premium & Business and never looked back. Nice program even with the learning curve due to the way they approach the interviews, etc. but it's sweet.
DO NOT buy from H&R Block. Better prices may be had with it on sale at the Big Box office places or Amazon.com
I have Amazon Prime now and bought it for $39.95. It lists for $79.99 and H&R Block had a "special offer" just for me that was going have me paying a bit over $60, I think. That includes a State Income Tax return as well.
I won't go into the details here (I have seen several articles on the topic), but what they are doing this year looks like fraud to me. I've learned I don't like the way they do business, as you have.
H&R downloads all of the trades done through my financial folks, so the basic doesn't cut it. I still have to scrounge around to find the basis for some of these trades, but just having them all accounted for is a huge help.
I've been using Turbo Tax on line for years. I find it easier than buying the software and I get a discount through my bank. Hard to believe they don't support C & D. But they do at extra cost.
Are you sure about that? I have only been using Basic for years and it has always had Schedule C and my 2014 Basic is ready for me to enter data for business income and expenses. If you are going by the what the cover says, it can be deceiving. And if you have the program be sure to down load the latest updates. TurboTax has always been late in having all of the forms ready at the beginning of the year.
Either way TurboTax offers a 60 day money back guarantee, I would think that dropping forms for those people that buy the same version year after year might bring on a big retail refund, much more than they profited from the sale of the product. Turbotax gives the refund, not the retailer.
Just some thoughts in case you did not buy the product and were going by the outer advisory cover.
I'm one of the ones they have infuriated! ; ) Not because of the price increase, but because they have hidden the price increase! One buys the $49 Deluxe version as usual and later learns that it doesn't do what it used to! That is will be $30 more if you sold a single stock and need Schedule D, and an additional 30 or 40 if you need Schedule C (which I don't). The part that gets me is that the loyal customer doesn't really learn the details until he or she is half-done with the return. I'd call it fraud, but I'm not an expert.
After spending a few hours understanding the details, I became disgusted and bought the H&R Block version for about $26. I don't want to support them (Intuit).
I heard on the news that if you call them and complain they will upgrade you no charge.
I don't use any of these, the wife used to run the numbers for a think tank.. I'll let her do the taxes.
Ok, I misunderstood the complaint. I thought the complaint was that there was no Schedule C. I have never used the TurboTaax suggestions/support at all and why I eventually ended up buying Basic for the last 10~15 years. Wow, thinking back, I quit using a CPA in
1985 when my TurboTax came to the same result to the penny. If I had a question I used the actual IRS explanations. Those are the ones that will hold up.I can certainly see the problem if one depended on TurboTax to explain and guide ones way through the returns. But given TurboTaxes circumstances, all they really have to offer is advice. I'm not really sure if they can simply charge for free forms and offer nothing else.
And FWIW this leaving out advice to get you to upgrade has been an on going thing with TurboTax. When I first started using TurboTax 30+ years ago and before Intuit bought it there was only one version IIRC.
But, this is the way Intuit does business, it use to be that Quicken was free back in the mid to late 80's and then they started charging $19.99 and that was much much more than the bug riddled program was worth. I still wish Dollars&Sense was available. LOL
Well give us a report back on how you like H&R Block. As I mentioned to Doug, I misunderstood you and thought that you were saying that Schedule C was not included. I now understand that you said actual "guided support" of schedule C. I never used the support guides/advice anyway so I will probably be OK. But seriously I would like to hear how you like the other brand, I have never been a fan of Intuit.
I can certainly understand your frustration but what you are witnessing is nothing new with TurboTax, they have been offering these type upgrades for many years. I have been using TT for so long I just answer the questions same as the previous year.
I was surprised that the basic version, the one I have been using for years, seems to be much less expensive this year, $15. I think I had been paying $25~$30 for the basic.
Well, if you do use Deluxe to file a schedule C or D, without guided support, then you cannot file electronically and the software will not do a "review" (so I understand).
I've done taxes by hand for more years than I have done them on a computer, so I'll be okay. : )
On 01/17/2015 9:25 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote: ...
Add another to the list of Intuit despisers...
I refused to upgrade Quickbooks clear back after Pro 2000; it still serves just as well as it did then.
TT has never been adequate for farm and was barely so for self-employed consulting gig alone so after one year I just take the QB tax reports and a bunch of memorized specific reports to my accountant.
Costs a little more but get the convenience of a second set of eyes and he does all the amortization schedules and the royalties that I don't think are available from TT at all at any price...at least didn't use to be.
But the biggest thing is I'll never spend another dime on Intuit; they're just too sleazy.
My understanding is that TT Deluxe pre 2014 allowed you to enter info to complete schedules C, D and E, but TT Deluxe 2014 doesn't give you any way to do that (other than paper forms) without a $40 upgrade. You are still able to enter dividend and interest income, but there is no way to enter stock/bond/fund trade sale and basis info other than paper forms or the upgrade.
The big feature of H&R Deluxe for me is the import feature which lets me enter the name of my financial institution and tracking number and all trades made through that institution are imported into my return. If I had to manually remember and enter trade dates, sales amounts and basis amounts for 3 or 4 dozed trades, I would certainly miss something.
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure,the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery"
-Winston Churchill
Further investigating backs up exactly what you are saying. I am on the phone with TurboTax right now.
Dissatisfied customers do have options, however. One is to call Intuit (at 800-445-1875, from 8 AM to 8 PM EST) and demand satisfaction. Meighan assured Forbes yesterday that every agent at that number ?has discretion to do what?s necessary? to keep a customer? meaning, he said, they will give customers a free upgrade if they demand it, or a discounted one if that?s enough to keep them. (So, if you call, threaten to jump ship and don?t settle for less than an upgrade.)
Block is offering dissatisfied TurboTax customers a free download of its Deluxe software, which normally sells for $44.95 and still allows E-filing of Schedules D and C. Gene King, Block?s director of communications, says TurboTax purchasers should send an email to snipped-for-privacy@hrblock.com containing their name, email and phone number; whether they use a Windows or MAC operating system; and a scan of their store receipt for TurboTax or a copy of the email showing their TurboTax download code. In return, they?ll be sent a link good for one free download of H&R Block Deluxe + State. (Data you?ve entered in last year?s or this year?s version of TurboTax should be transferable.)
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