new pricing models for 2008 DIY tax software

I am not sure if you are saying if this change is good of bad?

As far as I can see this is an improvement over last year for Turbotax Deluxe which I have already downloaded and put to use. As I can recall _ I might be remembering wrong -- last year _every_ e-file cost $14.95 including the first one. This year the first return is e-filed for free and additional e-files only cost $9.95 each. There is nothing in the software that prevents me from locally _printing_ for record purposes or paper filing as many returns that I wish.

I was trying to remain neutral, just reporting an interesting development.

True, but the overall bundle price has gone up by about the same amount as the previous initial e-file charged separately -- in fact TurboTax explicitly promotes on their website how instead of charging separately they now bundle the products AND the prices. It does not appear to be any kind of discount from last year, except that additional e-files are about five bucks cheaper.

This is what I'm not clear on. From the web site, I was under the impression that this is exactly what is no longer allowed -- you cannot print a valid paper return for filing, after the first one, without paying an additional charge. Are you saying you have the 2008 tax year product already and this is not the case? (of course, whatever product you have now surely is not valid for filing in any case). I suppose you can still do draft returns and what-if returns, you just can't finalize them with the extra charge (I wonder how that might apply to amendments required for the initial return...)

If my understanding is not correct, then how exactly do you interpret the new "pay per return" pricing? It can't just be, "pay for extra e-file", because that is not new. BTW, Intuit's ProSeries product has a "pay per return" option which applies to either e-filing or paper filing, so my assumption was that the new Turbotax pricing was similar to this.

-Mark Bole

ps. to the moderators -- I hope this is not considered too "off topic", as I think it is of interest to the professional tax preparer community at large, and in my initial post I tried to cover all the major players, not just one specific product.

Of course the software that is now available is not the final version -- things might change.

I agree that the web site does state that additional final forms cost extra e-filed _or_ printed.

The IRS has made some of the seminars of the 2008 Nationwide Tax forums available online with audio accompanied by closed captio, Power Point Slides, and transcripts. And it's FREE at:

My favorite four letter words are Love, Free, and Cash.

Dick

I am starting to like this less and less. Out of curiosity I put a protocol analyzer on my internet connection and started TT.

Upon startup TT initiates a connection to "test.intuitempowers.com" and uploads a great deal of data from my computer to intuit including a "Cookie" containing encrypted data to "/ttd_payment/inproduct_pricing_service.jsp".

Probably the serial number of the software is also transmitted along with product status.

My guess is if you print a final return intuit will know about it through this "phone home" mechanism. If you start TT with the same serial number from that or any other computer a second return will be denied -- assuming that either computer is connected to the internet when TT is started.

This "phone home" connection is in _addition_ to the automatic check for software updates which connects to a different location and can be disabled (in preferences - at least in the Mac version).

I think TT is going to be leaving my computer - not that I mind the extra $9.95 to e-file additional returns - but I don't want any software in my computer that "phones home" upon launch with unknown (to me) data, possibly about my tax information. It is probably all innocent data, only intended to be sure I pay for the extra returns but I have no eway of knowing that. I don't like this at all.

I won't be using TurboTax this year.

Could I ask: Do these (and other) DIY tax packages come with fully adequate manuals or user guides -- preferably on paper, or alternatively as PDF files -- either in the original package, or downloadable from the vendor?

And are there also any third-party books or manuals for the same packages (e.g., something like "Turbotax for Dummies") that are developed and sold by third parties?

I read what you read, Mark, from the Turbotax web page:

"You can use TurboTax CD/Download to prepare additional returns. It's just $9.95 to prepare, efile, and/or print each additional federal return. You pay only when you're done preparing each return and are ready to file."

sounds to me like printing an additional federal return cost $9.95. Ernie, what happens when you try to print an additional federal return?

Ernie Klein wrote in news:ecklein- snipped-for-privacy@news.newsguy.com:

That is apparently the question. From the wording I read here and at the TT website, it /appears/ that every return is charged for. How that is programmatically controlled, I have no idea.

Did Beer fall off the list? :P (Happy Thanksgiving to All, by the way)

Joe

TurboTax used to come with a small manual, hasn't for a few years now. The help is within the program, and I've found it to be pretty good. My TT complaints used to be regarding the cost difference between the PC and Mac versions, they are now both on the disc. My issue 2 years back was that the software I mail ordered would come weeks after I saw it hit the shelves. So now I buy it at brick and mortar stores, tomorrow, and get a head start. Joe

It varies from year to year and product to product, but in general I agree that Turbotax embedded help files are pretty good at providing guidance, if you have the patience and expertise needed to use them.

-Mark Bole

Brand new bride calls her mother after a few weeks complaining that married life is terrible. He's started using those terrible four-letter words. Words like wash, iron, cook, ...

In article , "Gil Faver"

When you print the return for filing the software only prints those forms required for filing. It will not print worksheets, supporting details, etc.

You can only print that information if you choose the "Print Returns for your Records" or "Print Selected Forms" options which both put the large (1 1/2 inch high), block, "DO NOT FILE" message diagonally across the page.

What I didn't note before, because I didn't look close enough at the printed page, is that the DO NOT FILE message is not transparent. It obscures the data under it. I defy you to tell if the entry 17056 is

17656 or 17856 because I can only make out part of the '0'. It could be a 0 or a 8 or a 6. I sure can't tell. Thats just one example - I can't be sure what much of the data was. And this is the _only_ paper record of your return and supporting data that TurboTax will allow you to print. It is useless if you can't read the numbers. If this is what Intuit intended, it is as useless and as unreadable as a blank page.

Looks like he thought he was marrying to get another four-letter word "Maid".

If he thought she was a maid who does taxes, this won't be off-topic. ;)

Dick

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:08:57 EST, Ernie Klein wrote Re Re: new pricing models for 2008 DIY tax software:

I dumped TT for TaxAct five years ago (when they tried to implement that hideous copy protection scheme) and haven't looked back. For my needs TaxAct is much easier and less intrusive to deal with, and continues to improve each year.

The only Intuit product I allow on my computer is Quicken v6.0 which runs just fine on WinXP.

There are programs (I have a free one for the PC and I've seen them for the Mac) that, when you tell it to "print" will make a pdf. I imagine you'd be able to print all the copies of the pdf you want without intuit being notified.

This does not solve the error correction problem, of course.

Stu

I bet not. Or, I bet that pdf file will have a legend "DO NOT FILE". Somebody give it a try . . .