Intuit Cries Uncle (TurboTax Deluxe content restored)

[braumeister]

Tax act would be great but it doesn't work with a Mac. What's up with that?

Parallels 10 is extremely stable and user-friendly. $80 but occasionally discounted. I have a few other PC-only programs I use, so it was easy for me to add TaxAct this year.

 

[catotx]

Talk about mis-steps. Wasn't TurboTax also caught installing a rootkit on the customers' PCs as part of their DRM several years ago?

 

[easysurfer]

Talk about mis-steps. Wasn't TurboTax also caught installing a rootkit on the customers' PCs as part of their DRM several years ago?

Yes. From Intuit's perspective, I guess they wanted a validation process like Microsoft to prevent privacy. But their move resulted in many frustrated customers who just wanted to get their taxes done and not being treated like a software thief.

 

[audreyh1]

There is something new in this communication

Yes!!!!! And to that message I say Hallelujah!

Although now I've figured out how to get it for free, it may not matter any more.

 

[Katsmeow]

I think that many customers have been relatively resistant to changing their tax software. Customers who already hate figuring out their taxes are loathe to introduce yet another element of frustration by hopping to a new software brand once they've figured out the peculiarities of their "ol' faithful". For some people, it's a "sticky" product--like changing a primary checking account or changing email addresses, they consider it a PITA and are willing to pay higher costs/suffer with an inferior product rather than go through the hassle of changing. Intuit has counted on this to repeatedly raise prices (overtly and also with stealth price increases as we just saw). They've depended on that for years, and pressed for all the increases they can, now they are significantly more expensive than HRB and TaxAct.
If a large body of TT customers have now overcome the "stickiness" and realized that other good products are out there, and that switching is easy, I think Intuit may have done some real damage to their sales and their pricing power in the future. That's good for everyone who buys tax software and who benefits from competition in this marketplace.

I think is exactly right. I've used TurboTax for years. (Before that I had tried HRB and TaxAct but settled on TT eventually). I am comfortable with it and really don't like having to learn a new software.

Had TT backed up on their decision on TT Deluxe before I bought the HR Block software I might have stuck with it. But, they didn't and I'm not going back.

There is a point where a company can just do so much that irritates me as a customer that I decide to just not do business with them. And Intuit has gotten to that point -- and not just with TT.

2B had a good point about problems with Quicken. I was pondering a couple of months ago whether to get the new version. But, then I remembered all the annoyances I have dealing with Quicken. I just wasn't willing to put with the annoyances to get the few things that I really like with Quicken. So I decided to just use YNAB to keep track of what I spend and keep track of my accounts and then use Excel spreadsheets to supplement for anything else I need.

 

[M Paquette]

Next year, we're changing back to the TurboTax desktop software you know and love. restoring the forms that you've counted on for years.

Uh huh. What will they cut or charge extra for instead?

• Perhaps an exciting new fee for importing previous year data?
• Hmmm. Route all printing through your Intuit account?
• Charge a nominal handling fee for telling you the status of your submitted return?
• How about routing all refunds through your new Intuit Financial Services account (Minimum balance required; nominal fee may apply)?

This could be very exciting!

 

[JoeWras]

I don't give him any credit at all. It's self-evident that he approved the change in the first place, since it was a significant modification to long standing practice.

Wow, tough crowd.

Intuit is on my crap list, don't get me wrong. But this video was a hell of a lot better than the crap that came out on the original VP memo.

Hope someday when you make a mistake someone cuts you a break.

 

[JoeWras]

Yes. From Intuit's perspective, I guess they wanted a validation process like Microsoft to prevent privacy. But their move resulted in many frustrated customers who just wanted to get their taxes done and not being treated like a software thief.

Yes. I used H&R block that year I was so steamed.

But like a dog goes back to its vomit, I went back to Turbotax the following year because H&R block's product -- at that time -- was very inferior.

 

[Chuckanut]

Parallels 10 is extremely stable and user-friendly. $80 but occasionally discounted. I have a few other PC-only programs I use, so it was easy for me to add TaxAct this year.

But, one must still purchase a copy of windows to use on the Mac. That is the major issue.

Mac owners can use Bootcamp for free to run windows. It is not as friendly as Parallels, but free is a good price.

 

[Chuckanut]

2B had a good point about problems with Quicken. I was pondering a couple of months ago whether to get the new version. But, then I remembered all the annoyances I have dealing with Quicken. I just wasn't willing to put with the annoyances to get the few things that I really like with Quicken. So I decided to just use YNAB to keep track of what I spend and keep track of my accounts and then use Excel spreadsheets to supplement for anything else I need.

I now use my own Excel spreadsheets or those I download from a generous site.

In the past I had used two personal finance programs. The first was Managing Your Money, buy far the best one, IMHO. It was sold to a bank and support, updates, etc, just disappeared. Very sad.

The other software was MS Money which MS pulled out of years ago.

I figure that Excel spreadsheets will have support for decades since their format is so common and well known.

 

[Katsmeow]

he first was Managing Your Money, buy far the best one, IMHO. It was sold to a bank and support, updates, etc, just disappeared. Very sad.

The other software was MS Money which MS pulled out of years ago.

I figure that Excel spreadsheets will have support for decades since their format is so common and well known.

I loved Managing Your Money and used it for many years...until it went away. I originally bought because Andrew Tobias did it and he wrote a lot of stuff about it and I always enjoyed his writing. But it was a great program.

Then, I did indeed go to MS Money...which was...better than Quicken (and that is about the most I can say about it). Tried Quicken, didn't like it back then.

Since then for budgeting and keeping track of spending I have used YNAB which I really do like a lot for those purposes. I went back and tried Quicken again as it had a few features I really liked....but the negatives just far outweigh the positives. I didn't quit using YNAB though, I just used it in parallel with Quicken so now I'm just using YNAB again.

 

[Brat]

I think most taxpayers who use retail tax software have purchased already. Those who have used TT in the past and were dismayed by the marketing this year have purchased other products. Some % will look at TT next year but I venture that most will not. TT lost market share big time.

Intuit guessed wrong. Now their market is folks who use Quicken for business accounting. The tech industry eats their young if they see a potential market opening. It will be interesting to see if enterprise software firms will take a look at small business accounting software and link to other tax products.

 

[Katsmeow]

I think most taxpayers who use retail tax software have purchased already. Those who have used TT in the past and were dismayed by the marketing this year have purchased other products. Some % will look at TT next year but I venture that most will not. TT lost market share big time.

I don't know.

First, there are some people who don't care about the lost functionality. This year I need Schedule D. I won't need it for 2015. So, had this come about in a year I didn't need any of the lost functionality, I might be irritated by it if I heard about it, but I probably wouldn't quit using it.

Then, lots of people just kind of blindly buy ... and then they find out about the lost functionality and scream. Those people may be pacified by the refund this year and the restored functionality. I almost bought this year. I went on Amazon to buy and just almost clicked to buy it as I do every year. But, then I remembered the brouhaha last year and I went to read the reviews and quickly found out what had happened. But...I was one click away from buying. Had I bought and then this all happened I would have used it this year and maybe would look at alternatives next year. But a lot people wouldn't.

 

[FinanceGeek]

I've used TT to do my personal and corporate taxes for more than 10 years, but I already bought HRB for this year - before Intuit reversed their decision. It'll be a bit painful learning a new program and importing carryover data, but once its done its done for future years.

I also have ~25 years of data in Quicken, but my online capabilities expire shortly and I'm getting tired of being forced to upgrade every 3 years - so I'm migrating that to Moneydance as we speak.

Intuit would make an excellent business school case study on "growth by greed" rather than product innovation can quickly destroy a long established franchise. I will shortly be an Intuit-free household, they lost a customer for life.

 

[Midpack]

I've used TT to do my personal and corporate taxes for more than 10 years, but I already bought HRB for this year - before Intuit reversed their decision. It'll be a bit painful learning a new program and importing carryover data, but once its done its done for future years.

I also have ~25 years of data in Quicken, but my online capabilities expire shortly and I'm getting tired of being forced to upgrade every 3 years - so I'm migrating that to Moneydance as we speak.

Intuit would make an excellent business school case study on "growth by greed" rather than product innovation can quickly destroy a long established franchise. I will shortly be an Intuit-free household, they lost a customer for life.

It will be interesting to see the full damage next year - lost customers, and lost revenue on remaining customers could be brutal. Great case study for HBR and others indeed.

Intuit's TurboTax software program long has been the king of do-it-yourself tax preparation, with nearly 30-million customers and a market share of 60-65%.

It doesn't help that Intuit thus far hasn't fallen over itself to make things right with its customers. And while it's dithered, its stock has withered: Intuit shares have lost 7.25% this year through Friday, much worse than the 3% decline suffered by the S&P 500 index.

 

[2B]

It will be interesting to see the full damage next year - lost customers, and lost revenue on remaining customers could be brutal. Great case study for HBR and others indeed.

I don't think Intuit has seen the worst of it yet. When the number of lost customers hit next quarters earnings, it will be mayhem. They get a massive amount of their earnings in the first quarter. They were slowly pissing off their customer base over the last decade. I suspect this will be the turning point. Too many people are switching out of all of their Intuit products.

 

[Walt34]

Intuit would make an excellent business school case study on "growth by greed" rather than product innovation can quickly destroy a long established franchise. I will shortly be an Intuit-free household, they lost a customer for life.

Same here. I already bought TT Deluxe for this year during that one-day $20 sale but ran into the "You need Premier" roadblock when I realized that DW sold a stock she'd inherited 16 years ago. Since I'm still waiting for a couple of 1099's I'll see which happens first - Intuit puts the forms back in Deluxe or I buy HRB's software when I'm ready to file.

But in either case they've annoyed me sufficiently that I'll just start out with HRB's product next year.

 

[FinanceGeek]

Same here. I already bought TT Deluxe for this year during that one-day $20 sale but ran into the "You need Premier" roadblock when I realized that DW sold a stock she'd inherited 16 years ago. Since I'm still waiting for a couple of 1099's I'll see which happens first - Intuit puts the forms back in Deluxe or I buy HRB's software when I'm ready to file.

But in either case they've annoyed me sufficiently that I'll just start out with HRB's product next year.

Actually, you can switch to HRB for FREE ... and get a bonus on top of your refund ... see this ...

H&R Block Offers Free Software to TurboTax Users | H&R Block Newsroom

 

[meierlde]

Same here. I already bought TT Deluxe for this year during that one-day $20 sale but ran into the "You need Premier" roadblock when I realized that DW sold a stock she'd inherited 16 years ago. Since I'm still waiting for a couple of 1099's I'll see which happens first - Intuit puts the forms back in Deluxe or I buy HRB's software when I'm ready to file.

But in either case they've annoyed me sufficiently that I'll just start out with HRB's product next year.

Intuit is giving free upgrades this year. just call them.

 

[Walt34]

Actually, you can switch to HRB for FREE ... and get a bonus on top of your refund ... see this ...

H&R Block Offers Free Software to TurboTax Users | H&R Block Newsroom

Intuit is giving free upgrades this year. just call them.

Thanks to you both. I'll have to make up my mind now...

 

[infoseeker]

We purchased TT Premier. (We dont like to efile, so purchased the CD.) Does the $25 refund apply for those who purchase a CD and how does one go about getting it?

 

[mickeyd]

Been using the Flagship free version of TT for a number of years. This year I will be required to file Schl. D. Do I still have to opt for Premier or will Sch. D be included in Deluxe? Yes, I am still confused.

 

[catotx]

Been using the Flagship free version of TT for a number of years. This year I will be required to file Schl. D. Do I still have to opt for Premier or will Sch. D be included in Deluxe? Yes, I am still confused.

Get the Premier. It will be free for Flagship clients, at least for this year anyway.

TT is supposed to add Schedule D back into Deluxe but it might take a while to propagate this change.

 

[MichaelB]

We purchased TT Premier. (We dont like to efile, so purchased the CD.) Does the $25 refund apply for those who purchase a CD and how does one go about getting it?

My guess is you register the product with TurboTax, then follow the instructions on their website.

 

[Walt34]

Been using the Flagship free version of TT for a number of years. This year I will be required to file Schl. D. Do I still have to opt for Premier or will Sch. D be included in Deluxe? Yes, I am still confused.

I think Schl D will be added to Deluxe as part of the updating process but I am not certain of that. In any case I stumbled across this link somewhere and bookmarked it for the $25 back in case I go that route.

https://turbotax.intuit.com/25back