TurboTax Deluxe: best price?

Posted by <Jeff on December 5, 2008, 10:21 am

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Ernie Klein wrote:

>>> Nope. As we are learning on this group, the moderated tax group,

>>> amazon tax forums, and turbotax forums that is correct. TT deluxe

>>> (list $59.95) includes one (1) free federal filing (either

>>> e-fileing *or* paper filing) - state e-filing is extra (state paper

>>> filing is free - for the *1st* return).

>>>

>>> Each additional return requires a payment of $9.95 in order to

>>> repeat the above for the additional return.

>> Wow! I only do one return but I'm unable to E-file due to a limited

>> partnership requiring a K1 so this new pricing structure only costs

>> me more money.

> I think you misunderstood - if you only do 1 return then there is no

> additional charge at all. You can either e-file or print for paper

> filing as many tiles as you like for _that_ return. You are only

> charged extra of additional returns for a _different_ person.

What defines a "different person"? A change in social security number, name
or what?

Posted by XS11E on December 5, 2008, 10:37 am

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> What defines a "different person"? A change in social security

> number, name or what?

I don't think anyone knows for sure right now? I'd like to find out
myself. Have you (or anyone) checked the Quicken forums for an answer?

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Posted by Jim Jensen on December 5, 2008, 11:34 am

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>> What defines a "different person"? A change in social security

>> number, name or what?

> I don't think anyone knows for sure right now? I'd like to find out

> myself. Have you (or anyone) checked the Quicken forums for an

> answer?

In Intuit's Lacerte professional tax preparation software, the trigger
is a change to either the SSN or last name.

Posted by Cal Tinson on December 5, 2008, 11:34 am

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On 12/5/2008 10:37 AM eastern, XS11E wrote:

>> What defines a "different person"? A change in social security

>> number, name or what?

> I don't think anyone knows for sure right now? I'd like to find out

> myself. Have you (or anyone) checked the Quicken forums for an answer?

Best I've seen so far (copied from another thread):

On 11/29/2008 9:07 PM eastern, Andrew wrote:

> > The page in question was posted earlier by Tom Young:

> > http://tinyurl.com/56wpbc

Thanks, Andrew. Link is well worth reading, especially the last several
replies by Howard1948. Things are nowhere near as bad as feared in some
posts here.

Posted by Ernie Klein on December 5, 2008, 12:42 pm

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> > What defines a "different person"? A change in social security

> > number, name or what?

> I don't think anyone knows for sure right now? I'd like to find out

> myself. Have you (or anyone) checked the Quicken forums for an answer?

As gleamed from the TT forums, Amazon forums and news groups -- each
time you start a "new" return it creates a new and unique file on your
computer. The TT payment scheme keeps referring to returns and there is
no mention of tax files (you get one free return, etc.). However, your
computer deals with tax files so the TT software considers a return and
tax file to be the same thing (return=tax file).

This has led to a lot of confusion because many long time TT users will
make several copies (several tax files) of a single return in order to
make unique changes to each in order to run what-if scenarios and print
the results. TT considers each tax file to be a separate return and
requires additional payment in order to print each one.

You can have as many TT tax files (returns) as you want because nothing
happens until you actually attempt to print one of them.

1)
If you print any of the returns (TT tax files) for your own records,
i.e., selected forms, all forms, print front window, etc. - in other
words, anything _other_ than "Print for Filing", then the requested
forms will print but will have a large "DO NOT FILE" banner across every
page.

2)
Once you print _any_ of the returns (tax files) using "Print for Filing"
then that tells TT that you have *chosen* that tax file (return) to be
your 'free' (paid) return (tax file) and so marks _that_ tax file as
free. From this point on, you can print at will any forms from _that_
tax file that you want without the "DO NOT FILE" banner. You can add
forms, modify forms, etc. as often as desired but only to _that_ tax
file (return). [AFAIK you can change any or all information on _any_
form including personal information.]

3)
If you wish to remove the print restrictions from another return (tax
file) then you can "print for Filing" another return (tax file) pay
$9.95 and then that tax file will also be marked as free from that point
forward.

4)
Nowhere in any of the instructions or help for TT is any of this
explained - that I can find. Nowhere does it tell you that the
indicator of free/paid vs. restricted lays within the _tax file_.
Nowhere is it explained that "Print for Filing" is the trigger that
determines the free tax file. There does not appear to be any built in
warning that you are about to use your free filing when you choose to
print for filing. There is no warning that I can find that warns you
not to delete a tax file that is marked as free or paid because you will
have to pay again to mark another file as paid.

5)
The TT license agreement specifically states that financial reporting
information (no personally identifiable information) is transmitted from
your computer to Intuit's payment system.

6)
There are still a lot of unknowns like what happens if you make a copy
of or rename a tax file after it has been marked as free/paid? Is each
copy also free/paid or neither?

--
-Ernie-