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Old 12-06-2014, 12:11 PM   #61
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OP here - FWIW, after looking into TaxAct I decided to give it a try. Same old story here, Inuit customer from decades ago, for the most part I've been satisfied with Quicken, even given what I perceived as indifference on their part to assuring that "new and improved" versions actually improved the software. Repeat customer with Turbotax for many years as well. Guess I got really tired of the nagging built into Quicken telling me it's time to upgrade. And well this Schedule D thing, like I said, was the final straw.

So - downloaded TaxAct last night, started getting serious with it while sipping my morning coffee. GUI is a bit of a change from TurboTax, but doesn't take long to grow accustomed to. As far as the PDF import from my TT prepared 2013 return, well that didn't work for me. Started it, dialog box says it might take a couple of minutes, but after about 10 seconds it moves to the next screen with "The PDF you provided could not be completely imported." Harrumph says I, to no one in particular. Started over, just to make sure it wasn't user error, but got same results. Oh, well – no biggy, a few more keystrokes mixed in with some copy/paste and that one issue was history.

It only took me a rather leisurely two hours or so and I had the hang of the software, and my 2014 return completed as far as can be with the yet to be finalized forms. I managed to compile my detailed medical deductions, real estate taxes, insurance premiums paid, etc. to the optional supporting documents as well. Forms – I’d be pressed to find any that are “missing” from the available list, heck there’s quite a few in there I've never heard of – and I've been known to read the IRS instructions thoroughly just for entertainment value. My gut feel is software to software TT and TA are pretty much even up, a view echoed in some online reviews. On price, unless one has a steeply discounted offering available as the brokerage deals noted in other posts, TA has a strong advantage over TT.

Interesting to note, when doing a little research on TA, it is a product of Blucora (BCOR), a company with a market cap just a smidgen over 2% of Intuit’s. Blucora acquired TaxAct in 2012. TaxAct software, which originally launched in 1998, was created by members of the team that had also created the Parsons Technology product Tax Edge, which was discontinued not long after Parsons was acquired by Intuit in 1994. What goes around comes around.
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Old 12-06-2014, 12:18 PM   #62
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The prices were not there 2 days ago. I have been watching. Most showed as TBD until yesterday when the prices appeared.
This was also my experience, the price and not TBD came on after hours on Friday.
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Old 12-06-2014, 03:33 PM   #63
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In my experience using Tax Act and Turbo Tax, I prefer the Tax Act user interface. I am newish to Turbo Tax based on some strong recommendations, but my disappointing experience trying to figure it out may be because I was more familiar with Tax Act. I am very disappointed by the removal of Sched D from "Deluxe" versions. What's so "Deluxe" if Sched D (a very basic schedule) is missing?
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Old 12-06-2014, 06:03 PM   #64
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$75 through Fidelity as well.

I'll be interested to see what Fidelity does for its Private Client folks. Last year they gave the TT Deluxe version free. This year, who knows?
Just a heads-up for Private Clients folks at Fido, my rep has been willing to reimburse me for what ever version of TT I need. I simply scan the receipt and send to the rep and get a credit applied to my cash account (cash reserves).
At least it worked that way last year. I confirmed with my rep we were doing some the same thing this year and got a bit of gobbly-gook, how she was pretty sure it would be approved but could not "guarantee".
I picked up my 2014 copy of Premier at Costco earlier this week and sent the receipt in yesterday, so should know soon.
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Old 12-06-2014, 08:06 PM   #65
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The same reason Vanguard folks get a subsidy on TT is the reason wants to march you to the higher priced version; y'all got the money!

BTW, I started and still use "TaxCut"... Now known as Block. No problem loading it on other machines and filing my kids' taxes too!
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Old 12-06-2014, 10:25 PM   #66
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price. I bought a copy and it looks legit to me...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal...aff_3468350682
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Old 12-06-2014, 10:37 PM   #67
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Isn't Meighan the same PR lackey they enlisted to smooth things over when Turbotax installed a rootkit to prevent illegal copies in the early 2000s? Does the market have such a short memory?

Regardless, Intuit/Turbotax/Quicken has been doing this sort of stealth price increase for years, if not decades. Heck, Quicken won't download your data or automatically update your security prices if you haven't upgraded within the last three years, so even it is effectively going to a subscription model.
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Old 12-07-2014, 05:27 AM   #68
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price.
Interesting - Just to double check, I navigated directly to TT website, and yes they seem to have quite a a fire sale going on. Prices on Amazon are still the same as they were the other day, averaging a $10 discount. The TurboTax websites discounts are currently much greater than that. Damage control, perhaps?
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Old 12-07-2014, 05:40 AM   #69
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price. I bought a copy and it looks legit to me...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal...aff_3468350682
Thanks for the heads up. I will use my free Vanguard for an online TT.
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Old 12-07-2014, 06:26 AM   #70
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price. I bought a copy and it looks legit to me...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal...aff_3468350682
This is amazing. TurboTax is giving away the Deluxe version and charging $10 for Premier. Not sure how long this will last, but I agree with Theseus - they are in full damage control mode.
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Old 12-07-2014, 06:55 AM   #71
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I'm not so sure. When I go to the link it says $9.99. But when I go to buy it and go to checkout the price is $89.99 ($10.00 off the regular price). So the link isn't working for me. Is it working for any of you?
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Old 12-07-2014, 06:59 AM   #72
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price. I bought a copy and it looks legit to me...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal...aff_3468350682


I like the link.... you click on what you have and they tell you which version you need...


And yes, it looks like you need Premier if you have investments and rental property... for $10 I will buy that version...
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Old 12-07-2014, 07:04 AM   #73
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They just updated their website, raised the price of Deluxe back to $59.99. About a half hour ago I was able to get to the "checkout" phase with TT Deluxe for free. What a mess over there.
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Old 12-07-2014, 07:08 AM   #74
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If I didn't have a low price version of Premier in my hip pocket through Vanguard I would be calling them and pressing to sell me Premier for the $9.99 as advertised.

I had actually updated my credit card info and was just about to press the buy button when I noticed that the price was not $9.99 but had changed to $89.99. What a mess.
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Old 12-07-2014, 07:09 AM   #75
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This is amazing. TurboTax is giving away the Deluxe version and charging $10 for Premier. Not sure how long this will last, but I agree with Theseus - they are in full damage control mode.
Said $10 on order page and clicks on that, but when it appeared in the shopping cart, it had reverted to $89.99 - no thanks!

Wow - Glad someone got the deal!
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Old 12-07-2014, 08:16 AM   #76
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If I didn't have a low price version of Premier in my hip pocket through Vanguard I would be calling them and pressing to sell me Premier for the $9.99 as advertised.

What a mess.


Ha. Sounds like all the people who worked on the CoveredCA site moved over to Intuit.

It's probably hard to find much good IT help anymore. They all FIRE'd and hang out on this board.

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Old 12-07-2014, 09:05 AM   #77
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I had a little rootle around and found the 1994 CD for Taxcut; pretty sure it came on floppies at one point. It'll be pretty hard to get me to change to TT after all these years, but TA does appeal to my inner cheapskate!
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Old 12-07-2014, 10:59 AM   #78
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Don't know how long this will last, but if you don't happen to have $1M sitting in Vanguard Intuit appears to have a quick sale on TT Premier going on for a similar price. I bought a copy and it looks legit to me...

https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal...aff_3468350682
When I follow the link, Premier shows up as $89 for download copy. I bought at Costco last week for $69. Never seen Intuit offer a real deal online. Better than list but no deal.
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Old 12-07-2014, 11:04 AM   #79
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Dang - too bad I missed it!
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Old 12-07-2014, 11:06 AM   #80
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Just wondering, was anyone here able to actually buy it for $0.00 Deluxe or $9.99 Premium?
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