TurboTax Deluxe: best price?

Read the thread in this NG titled "Turbo Tax for t/y 2008 - additional cost to use it for multiple returns?" that I started on 11/20. I believe that Intuit thinks the pricing change actually affects less than 25% of their customers and for the 75% it actually results in a price decrease this year . Inform them that they might have been wrong in that assumption - like you, it certainly is a price increase for me, since I do multiple immediate family returns and have no interest in electronic filing unless it truly is free.

Reply to
Andrew
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I'm with you Andrew and that's why I use Tax Act. Have found it much much cheaper for not only Federal but also State.

Reply to
Sam Spade

No - it's per _printed_ return. New this year.

Reply to
Robert Neville

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.

Reply to
Bob L

Hi, Bob.

I've been out of practice for over a decade, but so far as I know, having income on a K-1 from a partnership is no barrier to e-filing. Is it?

Or did you mean that you want to e-file the partnership's return, Form 1065? There has never been a requirement to attach the K-1 to the individual partner's Form 1040. All that is needed is the data from the K-1, and that can be entered on Schedule E of the 1040, just like so many other forms of income.

Are you SURE you can't e-file?

RC

Reply to
R. C. White

To be technically clear (I hope I dont' muddy the waters), it's per 'filing' return PER person....whether you efile or print a return for IRS filing (per person!). If you have one return only, you can print THAT return zillions of times (or e-file) without additional fees since the first is included.

If you switch to a new person's return (ie: different Social Security number, but I imagine they also key off of other items like name!) , that's a DIFFERENT personal return that to efile or print (or print THAT one zillions of times) is the additional fee, which includes Federal efiling for that second return.

And for a second dependent's return, it's another fee.

Reply to
Andrew

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.

Reply to
Ernie Klein

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

Reply to
<Jeff

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?

Reply to
XS11E

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

Reply to
Jim Jensen

Best I've seen so far (c> > The page in question was posted earlier by Tom Young:

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.

Reply to
Cal Tinson

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?
Reply to
Ernie Klein

Thanks, that should clear it up for everyone!

Your research is much appreciated by all, I'm sure.

Reply to
XS11E

Different person isn't correct - it's different return. The way it apparently works is that the first time your print or efile a return, it gets invisibly branded as being your "free" return. Any subsequent return, be it for the same person or someone else, will result in a popup asking for more money and a watermark on the printed copy that prevents it from being submitted to the IRS.

Reply to
Robert Neville

I've had the limited partnership for a long time and every time I've looked into e-filing using TurboTax, it was clear that those filing a K1 form couldn't e-file. Maybe it's changed for this year.

Reply to
Bob L

Ahh, but DOES it? What would IRS do if I mail them a payment and a properly completed form that has such a watermark? Why would they care, especially if I attached a note saying "please ignore this stupid watermark: the attached IS my return"?

Mightn't they accept it?

Doug

Reply to
Doug

BL> Wow! Just before I completed my Amazon order I noticed that BL> the state return is not included. The Deluxe version with the BL> state return on Amazon is $55 which is $5 higher than the BL> Costco price.

People are really blasting TT on amazon.com in the reviews...pretty upset with the different pricing in 2008. Apparently in typical Intuit fashion they're charging for every different return you print with the program, and of course don't make this clear until it's way too late.

Reply to
Bob Fry

Hi, Bob.

Could you please tell us where you found that when you looked? Was it in Intuit documentation, or something from the IRS, or from some news story or other third-party comment? I haven't found a specific instruction, one way or the other, for 2008. Have you?

RC

Reply to
R. C. White

I'm pretty sure I found it in TurboTax last year but when I opened TT07 yesterday, I could'nt find anything. I also tried the IRS website but I couldn't find anything specific there either. I'll keep looking and if I find anything definitive, I'll post it hear.

Reply to
Bob L

Sorry - I have far better things to do than to play games with the IRS. The less attention they pay to me, the better off I am.

Reply to
Robert Neville

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