TurboTax 2001 Deluxe :: Education by Design Store

Customer Reviews

Spyware

2003-05-07
Easy to use (at least as far as the IRS will allow taxes to be easy), well done overall.
However, anti-piracy components definetly put it in the class of spyware. Not sure if I can trust my confidential tax info to them anymore, as they did not ask permission to install unwanted components, yet they have to be there for the software to work.

As Usual

2002-11-13
Good grief, this is the easiest software to perform tax preparation! This year, TY2002, is my first year to itemize. I will update my feedback for this program when I have completed this in early January. Intuit, you all have put together a great program for those of us who are no where near the tax efficiency level of a CPA.

TurboTax = Reload Operating system

2002-09-14
I've used TT for several years and though somewhat buggy; I've been able to work my way through the problems. I have rental properties and have to fill out several schedules.

TT never correctly calculates "Credit to Other Taxing Juristdictions"; I usually end up forcing the correct entries in the Forms view. If you have this credit; you also can't file your state return electronically.

For 2001, TT insistence on loading their version of IE 5.5 gave me grief from the start. One touch updates and downloads of the State product left me on the phone for hours. Finally the tech emailed me an external link to download from. It so screwed up my system that I ended up reformatting my hard disk and reloading all my programs.
Like at tax time I needed another headache!

Thought it was great, but very disappointed in results!!! 2002-06-25
My fiance and I used Turbo Tax to submit our Federal and multiple state returns for 2001. It was very easy to use and we were happy with the results when we sent them in. However, we were not happy that Turbo Tax had messed up our returns! Even though we attempted to download all the updates that it constantly requests you to do (this is very annoying if your internet connection is slow, especially and because the website was always busy and wouldn't let me download anyway). Either way, we were lucky that the IRS corrected the amount due for us, we were due a much larger refund it turned out! After seeing the problem it made us very nervous about all of our forms, but it was too late. I would not trust this product to correctly submit my tax forms again nor to receive the highest refund (seeing as it couldn't manage that). The ridiculous thing was that it was a very simple error but it caused a ripple effect by not giving us credit for the change in income tax rates that occured during 2001.

Nothing's error-poof 2002-05-07
Turbo Tax is a great program, but it does have a error in it.It has to do with the rate reduction tax.It will ask if the taxpayer received tax rebate check, then the amount.When it is inputted in ,it recaluates to a rate reduction credit, and is put on your 1040 LINE 47 OF THE LONG FORM.In reality it should have not ask this question.The tax rebate checks are tax free and the tax payer should not have been bother with this questions.Line 47 should be checked and nothing should be entered.you should still know your basics when it comes to CREDITS and DEDUCTIONS.

Solid Software, but not very helpful 2002-04-17
Taxpayers who have progressed beyond the 1040EZ know that money can't buy happiness until after April 15. TurboTax 2001 Deluxe can't deliver happiness, but it can make federal tax preparation a lot easier for just about everyone.

Installation of TurboTax Deluxe is quick, and a linked series of wizards helps users compile all the information they need. Back-and-forth navigation is simple; the software keeps track of which steps have been skipped and returns as necessary. Users who must pay state taxes need only type in their information once if they use a TurboTax state package (free after rebate with TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, or Home & Business).

First-time users would be well-advised to ask a knowledgeable friend to help out. Although much of the hard work is done automatically, some decisions are far from intuitive and may require some detective work. The copious online help functions are both smart (they often answer questions before they're asked) and thorough; this goes a long way toward easing users' troubled minds. Data entry is relatively painless, especially for returning users, who can port in last year's information and edit as needed. When it's all over, every form is printed out complete with everything but signatures, or users can opt for easy electronic filing.

New features such as the Tax Law Advisor will not only help with your 2001 return but help you plan for the future as well. And everyone knows that planning ahead is always a good investment. --Rob Lightner

Unstable, buggy software 2002-04-17
TurboTax has stability problems on Windows 2000. The Error Check kept giving me spurious
errors. I had to delete and re-enter two of my stock option sales -- I saved copies of the return
with the supposed errors and the new copy: both were identical. When I completed my Federal
and State returns and tried to print I got a system crash. I uninstalled and then re-installed
both TurboTax and TurboTax State but the print problem persisted. After hours of tinkering
I finally hit upon a workaround with a friend: set the default printer to an Apple LaserWriter
but print to FILE, e.g. C:\tax.PS and now print. The file tax.PS can now be opened
and printed with Ghostscript. However, when I did this the first time I lost my State return.
Back to uninstalling and reinstalling TurboTax Deluxe and TurboTax State, re-booting
and going through the print process once more.

Another problem that I had was the ambiguity in the wording of the Employee Stock Purchase
entries. Despite having traded many times I found the TurboTax wording to be somewhat confusing
and I spent a lot of time pondering the figures, especially with regard to Disqualifying Disposition
Gains and income reported in Box 1 of my W-2. Clearer examples might help.

I will not be buying TurboTax next year. Even with stock trades, stock options, and so on,
my taxes are not that complex and I would be quicker doing them by hand.

It seems to me the TurboTax has a winning product, but now Intuit is sitting back on its corporate
laurels in failing to ensure that its product works on the operating systems that it claims to, such as
Windows 2000. As a software developer, I know what a pain it is to port products across platforms,
but you've got to do what you've got to do to get the product right. TurboTax has failed in this respect.

We'll see if they give me my money back. "Satisfaction Guaranteed" indeed.

Buggy 2002-04-13
After filling out everything, when I try to e-file, it pops up a dialog box saying "We're sorry.The software you have used for preparing the Tax return is not properly installed...Please re-install the software".
On spending hours with customer service(avg wait = 44 mins), they asked me to delete some files which were not installed by TurboTax at all!
Moreover, they even insisted that I install the software in Safe Mode!

I'm going to return my copy to Costco.

Just plain awful... 2002-04-06
I do not normally review products, but I feel that I must prevent anyone else from making the mistake of purchasing this package. Sure, it's a slick piece of work, with lots of entertaining videos and cool graphics. The problem is that it leaves it up to the user to make the same computations and pore over the same IRS publications that we buy tax software (and hire tax professionals) to help us avoid. Here's my story: After spending hours entering names, addresses, phone numbers, tax ID numbers for employers, dates of birth and SSNs for the kids, and earnings from the W-2's, I come to fun part -- the itemized deductions. Want to guess what Turbotax told me? It said that I would need to obtain IRS Publication 525 (it's approximately 40 pages long, and not included on the CD-ROM), complete the worksheet in that publication (??!!!), then enter the result in the box Turbotax provides. WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU MEAN, GET THE PUBLICATION AND DO THE WORKSHEET??!! Why would I buy software if I wanted to wrangle with IRS publications, do the math myself, and make the same judgment calls on my own that tax programs are supposed to help you make? Such a bad, bad, BAD program. I'm sure my accountant will be snickering as he completes my request for an automatic extension next week. Here's the "bottom line" -- if your taxes are at all complex, do not buy this program. As for me, I'm going to see if Turbotax is any more truthful with its "satisfaction guarantee" than it was with its statements regarding the program's completeness.

Good for simple and complicated returns 2002-04-02
I have used both this product and TaxCut by HRBlock/Kiplinger. They are essentially the same, but I give the edge to Quicken and Turbo Tax.
In my mind the best way to think of tax software is that it is just a program that will ask you some questions (ex. about your w-2 or mortgage interest) and then fill out your tax return and do the math. If you then choose you can use the program to e-file your return (great feature). The software works, is very much bug free and can make some complicated things easier to handle.
I have used the program to prepare three returns this year.
1) with a straight w2, the only deduction was student loan interest. This was very simple and was done within a half an hour. I printed out a few copies (no need for a copier) and that was it.
2) A W-2 with many deductions-medical, mortgage, real estate taxes, Brokerage statements from three firms. Estimated tax payments. AND an IRA conversion to a ROTH.
I was very happy to be able to download the statements directly from Vanguard and CSFB Direct. It saved me a lot of data entry (your still need to enter your basis), and it helped me handle the Roth conversion easily.
3) A w-2 with a schedule C for a sole propritorship. I imported directly from Quickbooks. I encountered only a few problems which were caused by misclassifications in Quickbooks-they were not the fault of Turbo Tax.

In all I am very satisfied. I know I saved hundreds of dollars by not using an accountant. I am pretty sophisticated about finincial matters but I was still suprised by how easily the program handled my "complex" situations--they turned out not to be.

Just a warning-don't forget to save the Proof of purchase from you your box. Last year I forgot and I couldn't get my rebate. Also don't forget to get the State edition too. And send in your refund form for e-filing right away-they only give you 30 days