Customer Reviews
TaxCut Deluxe and DeductionPro 
2004-04-29
I had none of the problems that several have complained about using TaxCut Deluxe 2003. I have used TurboTax before. I switched to TaxCut last year because of the many complaints TurboTax was getting about their registration program, spyware, etc. I had no problems completing my taxes, no duplications of W-2's, no problems getting updates. I found my experience with using this tax program not much different from TurboTax. I do have a problem with H&R Block though. TaxCut Deluxe offers a rebate for DeductionPro. The tax program will even take you to the H&R Block website to give you an opportunity to download the product to help with non-cash charity donations to calculate what should be claimed. The problem with downloading DeductionPro is that the rebate for the product is not honored if it is downloaded. It has to be purchased at a retail store to get the rebate. No where on the website, on the rebate coupon, or in the program does it state that the rebate is not good if the program is downloaded directly. It does indicate to send in the UPC code from the box of the product, but if I downloaded it directly from their website, they should have a record that it was purchased legally. They gave me some bogus excuse "that due to customer buying habits, we have elected not to honor rebates unless purchased from a retail store", or something to that effect. I think the product is good, but I don't like their business practices. I may well go back to TurboTax next year. I am giving the product two stars because of their business practices. Overall, I thought the way it handled my taxes was acceptable.
Disappointment after TurboTax 2004-04-16
After having to put up with all kinds of TurboTax registration B.S. last year I read the reviews of TaxCut purchasers who said it was a 4-star product with less hassles. This made me swear off ever using TurboTax again (couldn't use on more than one computer and I originally installed the software at work on a laptop that was leased etc. long story).
This year I made certain to buy TaxCut and avoid any registration hassles at all. What I received was a half-rate basic version of a tax program. This review wouldn't be that bad if I had purchased TaxCut Standard, but for the extra $20 I bought Deluxe. TaxCut Deluxe was a waste of money. No deduction help was included and the "extra features" were merely tax advice sections that mostly talked about preparing for next year.
As much as I hate to say it, I will be returning to TurboTax deluxe next year. It's ease of use, more intelligent screens and comprehensive deluxe version are all worth paying the extra $5 and dealing with the registration issues.
I recommend TaxAct for anyone who recently purchased this product. TaxAct is free and has 100% the functionality of this program.
Tax Cut Doesn't Cut it 
2004-04-15
Tax Cut imported an 1099 DIV form that wasn't mine. It doubled my Schedule C income by including last year's 1099 MISC income when I ran Error Check (This generates errors rather than fixing them). The 2-year comparison sheet wasn't even close on last year's numbers. To get a useful return, I had to delete all previous depreciation expense and then enter it by hand. Depreciation shows up on the worksheets but not on my tax form. This product increases your taxes, makes all kinds of errors and doesn't explain anything so it hard to tell if something that doesn't look right is another Tax Cut goof or really should be there. Give yourself a break (tax and otherwise), don't buy this product.
buggy 2004-04-15
I used TaxCut last year, and had no problems, though it was a bit more difficult to use than TurboTax. This year the interface is much slicker, but bugs prevented me from efiling.
I'd started doing my taxes a few weeks ago, and gave up when I got to the State section and was told to enter the information directly into the forms. Tomorrow is the deadline, though, so I went back, worked through the forms, and ran the error check - all was fine. Then when I went to efile I was told I couldn't because I hadn't entered information about investment income from a dependant. There was nothing in my return about dependants, so I don't know where that came from, and I can't turn it off.
There was also a problem with a 1099-MISC. It passes the initial check, but not the efile check. There isn't enough information to help me decide if there's a mistake in the return or whether the efile option just isn't available for me. If I "fix" the problem, I'm pretty sure I'm classifying the income in the wrong way. So now I'll just have to print everything out and go stand in line at the post office.
Should be a zero stars 2004-04-15
TaxCut Deluxe 2003 is the most awful software I have ever tried to use. It let me enter all my data and then absolutely refused to go the final step until I logged into the internet and allowed it to "check for updates for child care costs" or some such ridiculous excuse, which it spent 20 minutes downloading. And I don't even claim any dependents! I suspect that it was uploading my income and address data to H&R Block. You can't tell what it's doing. Then it has no screen view of your final tax return---you have to print out 5 pages to see it! Truely awful. Never buy this.
Jerry
very disappointing 2005-08-15
My mother worked for H&R Block for many years, so I have no personal problem with them.
I have not used the 2004, but I just quit working on the 2002 edition. I got halfway through my return (20 hours work) and I finally quit. The numbers were incorrect, but I did not notice until the last few entries.
I have rental properties and, even though I entered the information where it belonged, it somehow got transferred elsewhere. All of my real estate taxes got moved from where they belonged to form A. Entering the information directly onto the tax forms required me to override every single step (3 mouse clicks, I think?). Also, I was not able to go to help and figure out what my standard mileage cost was, so it took me considerable time to go through their mileage dialogue boxes when all I wanted was standard mileage.
I had used Turbo Tax in previous years and was not unhappy with them; however, I had heard that Turbo Tax put spyware on the computer, and that it was difficult to install on more than one computer, so I decided to opt for a change. TaxCut was cheaper, and I figured there would really be no difference (I used Parson's tax software years ago and liked them until they stopped making that program). Anyway, at least for year 2002, TaxCut is much worse than Turbo Tax and Parson's old tax program. The big problem is, it puts information in the wrong place; and I have been doing my own taxes for 20 years, so it is not a mistake which I am making.
I downloaded TaxAct just a moment ago; it is cheaper than either turbo tax or taxcut, and so far, it behaves just like it is supposed to. I have been entering some info by their prompts and other info directingly onto the tax forms, and, except for the fact that the auto-save requires me to hit the hardreturn every time, other than that, I really like TaxAct. It is functioning exactly how it is supposed to. Furthermore, I have entered in a couple of properties and printed it out, and everything is going where it belongs.
TaxCut not friendly 2005-03-31
Two distinct problems (seems each year it gets harder to use, and less friendly).
a. Overwrote last years files, without warning. Fortunately had a saved copy on a floppy disc.
b. Entered state information and could not remove it, when I discovered in a later 'interview' question that I had entered the information in the wrong place. Had to 'force' the entry which then brings up an error in the review.
In general, very frustrating to use, and each year it becomes worse, not better. The good days of TaxEdge are gone, and had to convert to TurboTax, which also grew more cumbersome each year, so I switched to TaxCut. This may be my last year with it.
No way to give feedback either, unless one would 'pay' $20 to tell of the problem.
This item is for last year's taxes only!!! 
2005-01-22
Every year they put out a new version of the program updated for the current tax year. This TaxCut 2003 will not be useable for 2004 tax returns. Also, for those people who think that by buying their own tax program will save them a bundle of money, they are truly foolish. I do taxes for a living, not only at home, but for a tax professional office and these programs are not meant for people who don't know the tax laws and what forms they need to file. If they do their taxes wrong, the money they saved will go right to the IRS and state in penalties and interest. These programs will not protect you against that. Let electricians do electrical work, plumbers do plumbing work, and, for crying out loud - let tax professionals do tax work. These programs are not supposed to be easy, they are not for the average person to use.
TAX CUT is horrible 2004-08-16
I cannot think of a single reason you should have to click 3 buttons and go through 2 screens to enter 1 stock transaction. On the contrary, you should be able to enter 10 or more per screen. It took hours to enter 200 stock transactions.
Then, after the error check, certain transactions seemed to be duplicated. Upon trying to delete them with the delete button, they would not delete. If you change one of the duplicates, the contents of the other changes also. Then, looking through the list, I find that every one of the other duplicate transactions were duplicated again each time I tried to delete the first duplicated transaction pair. Now I have dozens of transactions that will not delete - after spending 2 days doing data entry and using the interviews for doing all data entry and changes, as the product recommends - - - even though it is excruciating slow work with the poor user interface design.
What a piece of junk. (And this was the final 2003 version - - - the one with all the latest fixes!)
Good value, experienced no problems 
2004-08-07
I have been using TaxCut for several years and have not experienced any problems with the program. I do have to file the 1040 and have to use several of the various worksheets, but do not have a home office or some of the other complications mentioned in other reviews.
I think it is a wonderful tool that has saved me a lot of time preparing my family's tax returns.
