Turbo Tax makes massive changes to product lineup

[2001FZ1]

Something about paying money to someone to figure out how much more money I owe the government seems wrong. Haven't I bled enough???

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

I used to do paper, and helped out a good few people with theirs. I think they keep people scared of the process in return for [STRIKE]kickbacks[/STRIKE]lobbying money from the for-profit preparers and software manufacturers, and of course those guys will feed into that. It's not really that hard, but I'm saying that as an engineer, so take it as you will. I've been using FreeTaxUSA for the last few years, but haven't done anything yet this year (still waiting on a few 1099s), so I can't comment on the "pricing", but they've always offered your forms back either as .pdfs, printed, bound, what-have-you. Some of that costs money, so yeah, you have to pay for it, and I reckon they'd push what's most profitable. Back in 2000 I paid off the house, so I'm no longer itemizing, and I can run a 1040A. Easy peasy.

 

[atvdave]

Just got this e-mail from TurboTax.... long story short... you get $25 bucks back if you have to use the premier version.

Dear Dave, We messed up. We made a change this year to TurboTax desktop software and we didn't do enough to communicate this change to you as proactively and broadly as we could or should have. I am very sorry for the anger and frustration we may have caused you. Intuit has a long history of doing right by our customers, and in this instance, we did not live up to the standards of excellence you have come to expect from us. We did not handle this change in a manner that respected our loyal customers and we owe you an explanation of what we are doing to make it right.

The change we made to our desktop products, both the download and CD versions, includes removing Schedules C, D, E and F from TurboTax Deluxe, which some long-time customers had relied on to report business income, investment sales and rental property income. As a result, you may now be required to upgrade the version of TurboTax you use even though your tax situation hasn't changed from last year. Here's why we made the change. Over the years, we have worked hard to make it easy for you to choose the TurboTax product that is right for you and your unique tax situation. We want that choice to be clear and confidence inspiring. However, as new online and mobile technologies emerged, our products, and the tax scope and features they included, began to differ, leading to customer confusion. These differences also impeded our ability to introduce new innovations across our entire product line. So this year, we made the product experience consistent across all TurboTax offerings. This change enables us to innovate faster and make improvements that benefit all customers at the same time, regardless of whether they use our online or desktop software. You can be sure that we've preserved what's unique to our desktop product: the ability to e-file up to five returns, switch to forms mode and install the software on multiple computers. Find the TurboTax product that's right for you. But good intent must be matched with great execution, and that is where we let you down. We have heard from many of you that you were surprised when you discovered the change. No one likes this kind of a surprise, so we are taking immediate action to make things right and help you through this transition year. We are giving $25 back if you purchased TurboTax Deluxe desktop software (CD or download) and filed your 2013 tax return and have to upgrade to TurboTax Premier or Home & Business to file your 2014 return. This will help you move to the right desktop product, while reducing the immediate and unexpected financial impact. After completing and filing your return this year, request your $25 here. I deeply regret the anger and distress we have caused those of you affected by this change. Our customers are the heartbeat of every TurboTax employee. Our hope is that we can regain your trust and demonstrate that our commitment to you has never been stronger. Sincerely, Sasan Goodarzi and the TurboTax Team General Manager, Intuit TurboTax

 

[Ellis]

I am pretty happy using turbo tax this year, being a single person with no dependants, I was able to file free both state and federal. Just a simple1040EZ.

 

[mrjarrell]

Intuit Caves To Pressure: Offers Free TurboTax Upgrades, Will Undo Changes To Software For Next Year ? Consumerist

Intuit is caving and offering free upgrades. They know they screwed the pooch.

 

[hoosierdoc]

TT reviews on Amazon are just awful because of it

 

[Lectric102002]

I got an email from TT today telling me that they could import my W-2 directly from my employer so I don't have to enter anything. Have to say, that is kinda cool.

 

[Moparracer89]

Just filed mine with turbotax. Pretty cool that they waived the state filing fee this year.

 

[bobbittle]

I used TaxAct yesterday, 100% free for federal 1040 with Schedule D. Did state on paper, wish I had paid the $15 to do it with federal. What a pain.

 

[pute62]

All my Turbo Tax was free. I also saved a ton of money on car insurance and Obama care.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I got that same email from Turbo Tax, but it didn't affect me. Thought about claiming it did to get the 25 bucks, but figured they might figure out that I really didn't have it coming to me.

 

[Ericpwp]

Tea party commercial, thoughts?

 

[mrjarrell]

So, Turbo Tax owners will get to upgrade on 2/7. Looks like the yelling and *****in' worked out for the consumer.

TurboTax Customers Can Upgrade To Premier Or Home And Business On February 7 - Consumerist

 

[atvdave]

e-mail #2........

	Dear Dave, We recently tried to explain the changes made to our TurboTax desktop software and apologized for the impact it had on you. Many responded and let us know our apology and rationale were not acceptable. You want the TurboTax desktop product (CD or download) you've used in the past to do what it has always done—handle your tax situation. We heard you. It's time we make it right. Beginning February 7, 2015, you can buy the same product you'd normally buy, and if you need to upgrade for your tax situation, we'll help you do that at no additional cost. This means you'll get all the forms you need, including Schedules C, D E, and F, without paying anything extra. Learn more.
	If you're a returning TurboTax Deluxe CD or download customer and you've already filed using TurboTax Premier or TurboTax Home & Business, we're offering you $25 cash back. Simply visit TurboTax.com/25back to claim your money. Next, we are committed to bringing back the product you know and love. By the time you are ready to prepare and file your taxes next year, the TurboTax desktop product you trusted in the past will include the forms you've counted on for years. I understand our actions have caused anger and frustration, and our response has been far too slow. TurboTax is committed to regaining your trust and providing you with the level of excellence you have come to expect. Thank you for your feedback and continued loyalty,
	Sasan Goodarzi and the TurboTax Team General Manager, Intuit TurboTax

 

[RobbyMaQ]

I got no such letter... then again I have to use the full blown version anyways.
anyone with knowledge on depreciation recapture when selling a rental? I could use some help to double check my return.

 

[SSGSAD]

Free Tax Return Preparation for Qualifying Taxpayers

Bumped, so I don't have to look for it again !!!!!

 

[MCgrease08]

Bumping this thread because I finally got around to filing for 2015.

I did use TurboTax and had to shell out the coin for the deluxe version since I had a 1099-MISC which I couldn't include with the free version. They also raise prices as the April 15 deadline approaches, so sadly I had to pay more than $100 when it was all said and done. That's what I would have paid my accountant.

I had done a dry run with paper and pencil, but using TurboTax more than doubled my refund. The whole process took about an hour and was super easy.

Overall I'm happy I used it. Next year I won't wait so long, and it should be quicker now that they have all my info.

 

[T.Lex]

Yeah, I file early for various reasons and TT is my go-to product. Been using it for years. Have gotten the Deluxe for the last 5 or so, and glad to see they didn't mess with it this time.

 

[Cameramonkey]

This is SOP for Intuit. Here is my semi related story...

years ago I was self employed. I bought QuickBooks Pro because it had a cool feature; You could email invoices to customers. SOLD! Worth the upgrade over Quickbooks standard.

Fast forward a year or so. I run the requisite update... Now it no longer emails invoices directly. But not to worry; I could sign up for a free account to allow me to continue to get the feature I paid for originally. So I did.

Fast forward a bit later after another update; emailing invoices now requires a PAID account with a monthly subscription fee. You can no longer email invoices for free. So I called support to get what I paid for back.I paid for an accounting package that would let me email invoices for free and I wanted that back, dammit!

Long story short I was told that If I wanted the features that I paid for originally, I needed to uninstall the software, reinstall from my disk, and NEVER update. (hope I dont need tax table updates!) Oh, and I would have to re-enter by hand every single invoice, inventory item, customer, etc. because... get this... each time you update quickbooks (no matter how minor) the database format changes rendering it useless/incompatible with any previous version of the software. Thats right. as soon as you update, even a minor patch level, you cant go back as you are locked in.

They are somewhere below used car salesman in my book.