Turbo Tax Premier vs. Deluxe

Update from online chat with Turbo Tax support:

Walt: ... what does Premier do, with loss carryover and downloading from financial institutions, that Deluxe does not already do?

02_Dinesh Raj S: Walt for your kind information if you have any rental property, capital investments you have to go with the turbo tax premier product.

Walt: Why do I need Premier for capital investments? Doesn't Deluxe download my investment information from financial partners?

02_Dinesh Raj S: No Walt.

So I got off the chat, fired up Turbo Tax 2009 Deluxe, and downloaded my 1099-INT, 1099-DIV and stock sales from one of my financial partners, just like Dinesh Raj said Deluxe couldn't do.

Is Intuit engaging in fraud here?

So - do I get more in these two functions if I pay an additional $30 for Premier?

All versions of the product allow you to complete a Tax return. The main difference is the amount of help Premier gives you verses Deluxe in the form of Help Guides and wizards. If you don't have a complicated Tax Return you probably do not need Premier.

Or is Intuit trying to snooker customers into upgrading to get functionality they already have?

They are being a sales person. You decide if you need the additional Help Guides and wizards or you can go directly to the form and manually enter everything like people use to do before computers on by using Paper Forms. Ah, the good old days!

-----Original Message----- From: Walt Bilofsky [mailto: snipped-for-privacy@toolworks.com] Posted At: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 8:06 PM Posted To: alt.comp.software.financial.quicken Conversation: Turbo Tax Premier vs. Deluxe Subject: Turbo Tax Premier vs. Deluxe

Just started up Turbo Tax Deluxe 2009. Its first bit of "tax advice" was to upgrade to Premier for more help with my investments. Here's an edited version of More Details:

"TurboTax Premier gives you extra guidance on all your investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, employee stock options, rental properties, and more.

- Helps calculate your gains and losses and keeps track of those that carryover year after year

- Saves you time by downloading your investment info directly from participating financial institutions ..."

But don't I already have this functionality in Deluxe?

In Deluxe, my 2009 Capital Loss Carryover worksheet comes up fine, and it has File | Import | From Financial Partner.

So - do I get more in these two functions if I pay an additional $30 for Premier?

Or is Intuit trying to snooker customers into upgrading to get functionality they already have?

I have used the Basic desktop version for years, and it has all the functionality I need....

I enter everythng manually, as one year I tried the Import from Quicken, and the numbers were messed up with no way to correct them. SO - I just go thru my 1099's and enter the line items manually

The Deluixe & Premier give you more "assistance" in finding deductions, etc.

I don't use "Premier" either, but I got the impression that the feature being touted was an ability to determine your basis for stock and mutual fund sales.

I don't think he is dishonest. He didn't give you "Saves you time by downloading your investment info directly from participating financial institutions" as a reason to upgrade. Did the man understand your question "what does Premier do, with loss carryover and downloading from financial institutions, that Deluxe does not already do?"? He answer was focusing on the non-stock transactions that can also go on the form with his response "for your kind information if you have any rental property, capital investments" and I take his "no" to be in response to capital investments. The definition of a capital investment is money invested in a business venture with an expectation of income, and recovered through earnings generated by the business over several years. It is generally understood to be used for capital expenditure than for day-to-day operations (working capital) or other expenses. He stated this was not downloadable and I have to believe him. Even with that said his response it's still just a pitch to upgrade.

-----Original Message----- From: Walt Bilofsky [mailto: snipped-for-privacy@toolworks.com] Posted At: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 6:00 AM Posted To: alt.comp.software.financial.quicken Conversation: Turbo Tax Premier vs. Deluxe Subject: Re: Turbo Tax Premier vs. Deluxe

But when Intuit gives "Saves you time by downloading your investment info directly from participating financial institutions" as a reason for upgrading from Deluxe to Premier - and Deluxe already does this - doesn't that cross the line from salesmanship into dishonesty?

"Oilcan" wrote: