TurboTax Premier Federal + State + eFile 2008 [OLD VERSION]

UPDATE: Intuit has tried to correct for this years price-grab (as detailed below in my original post) by reversing themselves and including 5 free e-files and removing restrictions on the number of returns that can be created and printed with a single copy of TurboTax. For that, I am raising my rating to two stars. However, as smart consumers, we should note when they did this and infer what motivated them. During the period while the controversy of their restrictions and extra charges was raging, Intuit and its representatives did nothing but try to justify their position, but this did nothing but inflame their (former) customers more. However, the controversy did catch the attention of Intuit TurboTaxs primary competitor, the Tax Cut product from H&R Block, who then moved to take advantage by first pointing out that they did not raise their price this year (even when including e-file as TurboTax did) and were not restricting the number of returns that could be done with a single copy of TaxCut. Then, more importantly, decided to offer 5 free e-files with the TaxCut product. Only then did Intuit realize that they were not going to sneak this price-grab by consumers, because if the two products were side by side and only one of them (TaxCut) was advertising 5 free e-files and no limits on printing, they were going to lose sales big time. They then reversed their decision and have now matched TaxCuts offer. So what does that mean for us consumers? In one sense, it is a victory, because we are getting what we wanted in the first place: to pay a reasonable price for a product that we can use to meet our familys needs. However, while I applaud Intuits decision to reverse a bad decision, I can also see that it wasnt because they were listening and responding to their customers, but only countering their competition (who was listening to consumers and responded to take advantage). More importantly, H&R Blocks actions with TaxCut demonstrated a certain corporate character: first, they did not try to price-gouge customers this year by raising prices when they included free e-file. Free equals free. Second, they did not try to get extra money for printed returns (software as service) when the customer has already paid for the product. Third, they could have just trumpeted the fact that they do not charge for extra printed returns, but they raised the bar by including more free e-files. This is compared to Intuits corporate character of greed and selfishness, which has been demonstrated this year by price increases, user restrictions, and extra charges. A few years ago, they also showed their true colors by including damaging Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in TurboTax to prevent it from being installed on more than one computer, preventing legitimate customers from working on their return on a work computer and finishing it on their home computer, and then preventing them from uninstalling it. Then, as with this year, they only listened and gave in when it was already clear they are going to lose. Intuit needs to learn how to balance their profit expectations with respect for their customers and it will take time before they earn our respect back. So for me, I will give credit where it is due and purchase TaxCut instead of TurboTax this year. ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW: Intuit is trying to pull a fast one on consumers this year by including e-filing at no extra charge. Intuit is promoting that they are including one free e-file with its software for tax year 2008, but has also increased the price of its products by about $15. In previous years, they would charge $15 extra to e-file, but you could send in a rebate to get that $15 back, which made it effectively free. This year, they charge you $15 upfront, whether you use the e-file or not, which means EVERYBODY PAYS MORE. In addition, they have changed their products license from allowing a purchaser of TurboTax to prepare up to five tax returns within the household in the 2007 version to allowing only one tax return (with included e-file) and then charging $9.95 for each additional return prepared, WHETHER THOSE ADDITIONAL RETURNS ARE PRINTED OR E-FILED in the 2008 version. The additional charges for additional e-file submissions would be fair, but not for additional preparations and printed returns. So what this means is that, under the guise of providing free e-file, Intuit will charge up to $54.80 ($15 + 4 * 9.95) MORE to consumers to receive the equivalent of what was provided with the 2007 version. Keep in mind, they are charging even if you prepare and print more than one return without e-filing, which means there is NO COST TO THEM, but they want to charge you for it anyway. This doesnt sound free to me. This will affect many users who prepare one main return, and then a few more simple ones for children or parents, etc. Even if you only do one return, you should avoid this years TurboTax on principle. The core issue is that Intuit is trying to change TurboTax from a tool-based product model to a service-based model. However, they have not changed the pricing to reflect this change. The problem is, they want to continue pricing the product like they did before, when it was a tool that could be used multiple times, yet restrict it like a service where you pay for every use. If you object to the one return policy, Intuit will just say, Use TurboTax Online, its free for simple returns!, but this suggestion is just a distraction in this discussion. What they are saying is like this: Suppose I bought a nice brand-name toolset for full price and used it on one project. Ive now setup all the tools in the box just like I like it and become totally familiar with the tools and how they can be used, so much that I can just reach in the box without looking and find the tool I need and once I get it out I know just how hard to hit with that hammer. I finish the project and close up my toolbox for the day. The next day, my mom wants me to fix something so I get the toolbox but I now find that it is locked and has a security sticker on it saying that Ill have to pay $10 extra to open the toolbox for each additional project. Or, I can pack up my moms item and drive it to the hardware store where they will let me borrow some simple tools to try and fix the item but if it gets too complicated over there, theyll start charging me to rent additional tools. Not to mention that I have to throw away all the learning that Ive already developed with the great toolset that I already bought and learn another whole set of rental tools at the hardware store. If I wanted to rent tools, then I wouldnt have bought the toolbox in the first place (which was probably what the hardware store really wanted when they came up with this scheme). Here is the problem people have with this scenario: Last year, the toolbox included 5 uses. This year the toolbox costs $15 more but only allows a single use. Ok, it adds a free service that used to cost $15 but we may or may not want to use that service and if we did, we could send in a rebate for to get the $15 back, making it effectively free. But Free service aside, what happened to the value of those unlimited uses? The price of the toolbox stayed the same, but the functionality went down because we can only use it once. Maybe it would be more ok if there was a big sign at the store that said: SAVE ON THIS TOOLBOX! YOU CAN ONLY USE IT ONCE BUT ITS CHEAPER! Or at have the decency to post a very big warning: THIS TOOLBOX COSTS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE IT ONCE! Dont let them get away this price increase that has no basis in common sense. Avoid TurboTax this year until they change this ridiculous policy, even if you only prepare a single return with it. If you buy it, theyll use your sales data to justify this unreasonable change, then who knows what else they will try to charge us for next for doing nothing on their part. Looking at the big picture, what Intuit probably wants in the long term is to move people away from the boxed product and over onto the online product and then kill off the boxed product. This would eliminate the costs of physical production and distribution and the bandwidth costs of distributing software updates. It would also eliminate the slice of the profits given to retailers that sell their boxed product and kill off any promotional pricing or freebies. With no retailer competition, Intuit could charge whatever they want for their online service. It would also increase customer lock-in since their data would be purely stored on their own company servers.

Last year was bad enough -- now they increased the price and still charge you for e-files and state taxes etc. Thankfully you can transfer your turbo information to Tax-cut cause that is where I am going this year -- the economy is in the tank and these guys at Intuit say - lets screw the customer even more. Goodbye Intuit!

I have been using TurboTax products for many years, but no more. I am appalled at the price increases and the changes they have made regarding the number of returns that can be done. The free e-File feature is a joke. TaxCut here I come!

Intuit has made the tedious task of working through the tax return process relatively painless. I prepared returns for two adults and three children in about a day. This includes federal and multiple state returns as well as some rental property that normally would have required an accountant to understand. The federal and first state software was reasonably priced at Amazon, bt the extra $40 for each additional state was painful.

Product came as advertized, delivered on time. Price was not as competitive as I had hoped.

We bought this software to try to save the expense of a tax preparer. Boy, have we been taken. Here it is March 20, 2009 and UPDATES necessary for us to complete our investment entries are STILL coming in. Tried to complete our taxes last night and still cant finish it. Wish we had just taken everything to our CPA. Maybe this software will work on simple taxes (but then you could probably do them by hand)but two and a half months after January 1st with updates still coming in tells me this software is not ready for release. Never again. Im giving it one star for the mere reason that it at least installed and opened. Save your money.

turbotax would allow you to prepare multiple returns until this coming year, as other posters have complained, they increased their fee for the initial software or download then added a charge of $9.95 for each return printed or e-file (after the first return). they also allowed you to e-file up to 5 returns for a fee. taxcut has the same program for the coming taxyear 2008, for $49. keep in mind taxcut is a product of H & R BLOCK, the income tax people .

This product is exceptional. It helped me save money by allowing me to do the taxes by myself. It gave me a gps to do my taxes. It gave step by step instructions on every page. I LOVE this product and everyone should do their taxes through TurboTax and save money. This software lets you see what is happening in every step of tax filing.

We have used turbo tax for three years now and I just love it. We tried H&R block tax software two years ago and we returned it. Turbo is a better product. We use turbo tax premier and amazon had the best price.

The product has deteriorated and got pricier over the years. I always used it but because of the poor program in 2013 --all of 2012s files on various storage devices were useless/corrupted so went to accountant. No more Turbo for me