Features

• Tax software guides users through IRS returns
• Interview-based wizard system
• Up-to-date with latest federal tax law
• Checks math and audit flags
• Includes tax publications and expert advice

Reviews (164)

Stunning drop in quality
There are serious problems with EasyStep, the way TurboTax takes you through filling in the information for the return.It is only because I'm knowledgeable about taxes and a software developer that i managed to get my return correct.And deviation from simply stepping through, one item after another, leads to trouble.Simply going back, using to back button, to change something can cause important screens to be skipped.

It is a real disappointment.Intuit used to be one of the very best software companies.

I certainly don't want to recommend that people by the Microsoft product.I'm sure one reason Intuit is letting quality drop is the price competition from the convicted monopolist.

My suggestion is to use a tax preparer.

Computes Passive Loss Limitations incorrectly
In computing the passive loss accumulation for rental property, it adds in all other passive losses, not just those in the same category.

Surprised at all the negative reviews
I am so surprised to see all the negative reviews.My turbotax worked fine.I usually do my taxes by hand, but I have used turbotax in the past.I did download any updates that became available.I also got the state version and e-filed for both.All of it went incredibly smoothly.If you just have to fill out 1040EZ it isn't worthwhile, but the auto fill in is a big time saver for 1040 filers, especially if you have to do the capital gains calculations.

Turbo Tax 2003 was a COMPLETE RIP OFF!!!
I have used TT for the past 5 years with no problems.This year, however, due to it's software glitch, I received a message on April 18 that the IRS had not accepted my return because it didn't match the info from my 2002 return (which was also filed using TT) and my PIN was incorrect.I had already gone through the update procedures, received verification of my PIN and no changes had been made to my 2002 return.I ended up filing by snail mail and included a letter to the IRS listing all the problems I'd had with TT.I don't even know to this day what is happening with my Fed return.Fortunately, I'm supposed to get a refund (although that may now be eaten up by penalties for late filing).

I also had trouble with the 2003 State version of TT and ended up filing that by snail mail, as well.I just received my State refund so guess that went okay (so far, anyway).

I will be demanding a refund from Intuit for the Fed and State versions of 2003 TT as soon as I find out what happened with my Fed return.I will also demand a refund of the charge they applied to my credit card for e-filing, which never happened.I know others who have had the same problems with the 2003 TT.If Intuit doesn't refund our monies, perhaps a class action lawsuit will persuade them otherwise.

Incredible waste of money
I bought this product after using Taxcut for years.Taxcut has gone rebate crazy and I thought I'd give Turbo Tax a try. Bought the product in December of 2003 for some tax planning.It would not read Tax cut files - how incredible. The update to read Taxcut files wasn't available until Jan 2004 and then it would not read state files from Taxcut. Then there was a printing problem where the solution was to manually search font files and manually delete them and reinstall the program.I wound up buying Taxcut to do my taxes.Just for comparison I entered the same data into both programs - TurboTax came up with different results- owed more taxes.Now I remember why I stopped using Quicken and anything else to do with Intuit.How this company stays in business with putting out this kind of software is hard to explain.Stay away. ... Read more

Product Description

iSale is the perfect eBay helper utility for Mac users.

Experience selling on eBay in an entirely new way. Make your own auctions quickly and have fun at the same time. Edit your auctions as often as you want and let your creativity show - and, best of all, you can do all this offline at your own pace. iSale works with iPhoto, iSight, and iDisk to make navigating and updating your eBay account and auctions easier than ever before!

Features:

• User friendly, intuitive interface
• Edit auction layouts easily, change fonts, colors and layouts
• Use iSight to take pictures without a digital camera, just point iSight in the direction of your article and click
• Use iPhoto to easily upload auction photos
• Prepare your auction offline, then send to eBay with one click while online
• Displays the amount eBay would charge for your auction, then decide if you want to submit the auction
• Organize your auctions in "smart groups" and manage multiple auctions at a time
• Keep an overview of the current status of running and finished auctions
• Compatible with eBay USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Germany,France, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium (French), Belgium (Dutch), Italy, Netherlands and Spain.

Product Description

Peachtree Accounting 2005.Peachtree Accounting 2005 is the helpful entry-level accounting solution for small businesses transitioning from a manual or personal finance-based system. Packed with all the standard features G/L,A/R,A/P, basic inventory, payroll1 and over 100 customizable reports Peachtree Accounting offers the tools to help you automate your accounting with confidence. Peachtree Today the Business Resource Center helps you get an instant snapshot of your business financials, along with other functions that help you monitor and manage your business more effectively. Peachtree Accounting 2005 helps you get the insight behind your numbers. ... Read more

Features

• New-company setup wizard; 20+ demos; multiple help options
• Entry-level automated accounting for small businesses
• Bill paying; check writing; invoicing; bank reconciliation
• Basic inventory; payroll; 100+ customizable reports
• Peachtree Today for an instant snapshot of business financials

Reviews (15)

Peachtree Brings Down Visual Basic
We have VB6 and VB.NET installed on our machines. We installed Peachtree Accounting on one of these machines. The Peachtree product degrades VB6 and, since our business is creating VB6/.NET software it is a threat to our business. Example, everytime we start VB6 Peachtree Accounting goes into its install process, however, it is already installed! Another example, everytime we complie a VB6 application (that is everytime we try to execute it in testing) Peachtree Accounting goes into its install process! This is bizarre. To add insult to injury the customer must pay for Best Software's support. So here we are with defective software that comprimises our ability to do business and we have to pay to have Best fix what is their poor quality software!!??? Bizarre.

Importance of Peachtree Software to end user
I have been using Peachtree Accounting and Quickbooks software for the past eight years and I think Peachtree is better in terms of presentation especiallyfor the financial reports.

In Quickbooks, anybody can use it in terms of compilation of books but the reporting is not presentable enough to impress the end user especially the big bosses,while in Peachtree Accounting it is more complicated to non accountants but the financial reporting is more impressive.

Small business user...
I'm an engineer and normally I don't write review at all, except for this time. I started a new business a year ago and I've been looking for an accounting package to run the business. While searching, I'm using MS excel for a while. It's OK but I spend too much time to set it up weekly and enter daily expenes and sales journals. And I have not mention the time that I spend to maintain the customer, Inventory list and do payroll. To make a story short, I have another fulltime job and I can only work on the business book at night. Each night, I would spend at least 2-3 hours and I can't afford this because I have 2 small kids too.
Since I brought the PeachTree 2005, I only spend 15-30 minutes to to all the needed tasks and run all different reports as I could not do in the spreadsheets.
I have to admit that the software a bit confuse and hard to set it up in the begining especially for those who has no acounting backgroud. To start all I need is to import the customer list and the inventory then it's ready to use. Once you start use the software, and you can fine-tune what you need. Accounting is very principal but each business runs it differently.
Over all I'm very happy with the product although I'm still learning new features from it every day after using it for 4 months.

Want a refund..............
I am totally disgusted with this Peachtree Accounting 2005. Bought it in December, have not used it yet cause it is so darn complicated. Been reading the "User's Guide" that comes with the software and finally made a call to the tech support (it was still free-not charging me yet)to ask them. Told them we were a small company, I wanted to know how to enter our employees and let ME figure their paychecks without entering tax tables or buying their tax service. The tech told me how and I asked him to give me a page number in the "User's Guide" so I could look it up and follow along. Well, guess what?? It is NOT in the "User's Guide"!!!Not sure what good a "User's Guide" does for me if the company only puts in instructions that benefit THEM-they want you to sign up for The Peachtree Payroll Tax Service, which of course, is NOT free. Also, talked to our personal CPA and he said you almost had to be an accountant to be able to use it. So I have given up!!!

Thanks, TextbookBiz
I'm glad I read TextbookBiz's warning regarding product registration.My friend uses PA 2005 and it seems easy enough, even though previously I had used Quickbooks (a few years back).I liked PA 2005's interface, so I came to Amazon to buy a copy for myself.There are people selling "new & used" for 1/5 the regular price, and I was naturally suspicious.After reading TextbookBiz's review I called up teh publisher on my dime and, indeed, they told me once a copy is registered, there's no way to re-install it, so you cannot install teh same copy on two PCs and you cannot transfer / sell the copy to someone else!

Of course, this is irksome for legit users, too.This is basically product activation, and you cannot use it on more than one computer.For $180 I really expect to be able to use this on all my PCs.I'd even be willing to send the company a picture to prove these are indeed my personal computers.

Thanks to TextbookBiz, I did not fall for the scams in the new & used section.I hope Amazon removes those listings. ... Read more

Product Description

Best Software Simply Accounting 2005 Basic - Complete Product - Accounting - 1 User(s) Complete Product - Standard - PCSimply Accounting 2005 Basic was designed for fast moving businesses. It's easy to learn and use, yet powerful enough to keep up with all your accounting needs. Whether you sell products or services, Simply Accounting Basic has all you need to run your business. It automates everything from making purchases to making sales and everything in between. It's even flexible enough to meet the most demanding payroll requirements. Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theBest Soft SAB2005RT - SIMPLY ACCOUNTING 2005 BASIC FOR WIN 98SE/2K/ME/NT/XP and all other Best Soft Software - Misc ... Read more

Features

• Track projects; over 100 industry-specific starter templates
• Easy-to-use accounting tools for running a business
• Manage customers and suppliers; run business reports
• Handle employee payroll; generate checks and invoices
• Productivity tips and advice for 100+ business types

Reviews (2)

Accounting Idiot
I currently use Ver. 2004 and have not upgraded to v. 2005 but I can say that I love this software.It is inexpensive and does everything you need it to do.

I only took one accounting class (hated it) almost 15 years ago so I knew very little about how to keep my own books.I just started my own business and thought I should have some formal record of my financials even if my accountant would have to clean it up later.Simply accounting had wonderful tutorials on CD (included) and I was able to go directly to what area I needed help with.I have to admit that I had to start over with a new company a couple of times because I messed up some entries, but that was because I am not an accountant and didn't want a bunch of adjustments to correct entries.

I read the other review and yes, you do get a pop-up window that asks if you are sure you want to enter something older than 7 days, but you can change that in the options.I don't have a lot of paperwork yet so I probably enter documents in maybe once or twice a month and I have NO problems with these infrequent entries.

I even created my own personalized invoices, POs, receipts, etcthat match my letterhead.I can email or print these out for clients.It sends emails through Outlook.

The best part is the wizard.When you set up a new company, the wizard will ask you what type of business you are running and then develop an account list based on that.I was able to add and delete my own as I went along.

If you believe you can be taught accounting, give this program a try.

Hard to use and unforgiving of errors
I've used Simply Accounting for my small business for 12 months. It is a decent basic accounting package with all the features you would expect. However, it is hard to work with and extremely unforgiving.

The first problem is that Simply Accounting assumes that you will always enter all transactions in ascending date order, and that you use the program at least every week. The root cause is Simply Accounting's concept of the "current session date". The program complains if you enter any transaction that is more than 7 days before or after this date. It also complains if you then try to move the session date to another date more than 7 days away -- as if this were some major accounting heresy. So if you are going through your paperwork catching up on your accounts at the end of the month, this gets incredibly annoying very quickly.

Secondly, if you ever have the temerity to enter one transaction that precedes any other, you get another warning that the earlier transaction will affect any reports you might have run. Gee, there's a surprise. There is no way to turn this annoying warning off. So you'd better order all your paperwork by date, or else suffer death by a thousand clicks to dismiss this warning message every time.

Thirdly, if you make a mistake entering a transaction, there is no way to go back and correct the transaction. You can reverse transactions, but this means adding a second transaction to back out the old one and a third for the corrected transaction. I understand that this is important for audit trail purposes, but make it possible to collapse the audit trail into a single transaction. If you're just fat fingered like me or forget to change the date from the last transaction (this happens to me a lot), your accounts become littered with incorrect transactions and their reversals -- three transactions for each mistake. If renders any kind of reporting on account transactions almost useless, because the debit and credit columns are swelled by (irrelevant) transaction errors and their corrections. I'm a one-man business -- I don't need an audit trail to show that I messed up the date of a payment or invoice. It obscures the view of how well/badly my business is actually doing.

The user interface compounds these problems. For most transactions, you want to enter the date, the payee or payor, the amount(s), and the account(s) to book the expense/revenue against. However, the forms are not laid out in this order on the screen. You'll need to navigate by mousing and clicking extensively to get to these fields and enter the relevant information. This is why it's so very easy to get the wrong date for a transaction -- not only is the date field not the first on the form, you need to press Tab more than 6 times to get there from the payee/payor field. To enter the account efficiently, you'll need to have memorized its 4 digit code. No, you can't start typing the first few characters of the name of the account and have the software auto-complete. If you click on the pick-list of accounts, they are ordered by account code and not alphabetically, which makes it vastly harder to find the account you want to use.

Finally, the software assumes you are fluent in accounting jargon, terminology and practices. It claims to have a mode where it uses "non accounting terms" but this is more confusing than using the actual terms themselves. There's no help for novice business owners -- you'll need to get a basic grounding in account-keeping because the software and manuals offer little to no help. ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Inc (292569) TURBOTAX BASIC V2004 ... Read more

Features

• Assists calculating optimum withholding situation for personal needs
• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Imports data from Quicken, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Money software
• Puts answers on IRS-approved forms; double checks return for accuracy
• Includes latest tax law changes; download and import W-2 and 1099 forms online

Reviews (28)

Not all tax programs are equal
We used TurboTax for a couple of years then switched to TaxCut on the advice of friends. We were amazed at how much more money TaxCut saved us! TaxCut is more knowledgeable when it comes to making the most of ones deductions. We are sorry we didn't switch last year.

I should have filled out forms by hand.
I guess TurboTax is a *little* bit better than filling out forms by hand. I've used TaxCut the last few years and found its interface fine, if not spectacular. I decided to try TurboTax this year because I got the Mac and PC version on one disc and I wasn't sure which computer I was going to do taxes on yet. While both programs cover a lot of the same ground in the same way, I keep running into extremely frustrating aspects of TurboTax. For example:

* Several times, I have been asked to calculate amounts myself. Didn't I buy software so I wouldn't have to do that?

* A few times I have been given cryptic choices on how I want my obligations computed. In TaxCut, these would always have a recommendation ("We recommend not claiming the dog as a dependent").

* To get actual advice with TurboTax, it costs a minimum of $29.99 and you must sign up on their webpage. TaxCut provides enough answers to questions with the software that I've never had to call their (free) advice line.

* Some things just aren't included with the program. For example, I donated a lot of furniture to charity this last year. I had to compute the resale value for everything myself. There's a utility for TurboTax which computes values for you. You can order it off the website for $20 (more than TurboTax costs).

None of these are show stoppers, really. But they are significant slower-downers. I definitely haven't saved any time and money this year because of purchasing TurboTax and in the past four years, I've felt that I *did* save time and money by using TaxCut. And that's the bottom line.

Don't Let the Reviews Scare You, Turbotax is Still Great
I was reluctant to buy Turbotax again this year because of all the negative reviews.I decided taking a chance with Turbotax was still more desirable than paying someone to do my taxes for me, though, so I bought it anyway.It worked perfectly.I had no problems loading or using the software.However, I do recommend downloading the updates; they must be there for a reason.

Did the trick for me
I have used both TurboTax and TaxCut over the years and I prefer TurboTax.TaxCut gets the job done, but TurboTax is a more polished product.I did my 2004 taxes with TurboTax Basic and it did everything I asked of it.Install went smoothly.While the Basic edition lacks some of the features of the the upmarket products, I still managed to do what I needed to do, which includedseveral mutual fund sales this year.

Unlike some of the other users who have had negative experiences, I have run into no examples of spyware and the program installed flawlessly.After an automatic update, I was able to quickly get going.TurboTax made my taxes as painless as they can be...

AVOID THIS PRODUCT -- VERY BAD
I have used Turbo Tax for the past 3 years, and have loved it. It was easy to install, pretty straightforward to use.

So when I sat down to install 2004, I didn't give it a second thought. However, the product developers probably need to go back to school on this one, and the manufacturer needs to issue a major apology to everyone who has tried to use this.

I consider myself way above average on the computer skills side. I could not get the product to load on a Compaq with Windows ME operating system. I kept getting error messages to install a second disk. It only comes with one.

I took it to another machine, and tried installing it on a Dell with Windows XP-Professional Edition. Here too, it would not install properly. It indicated that the installation was finished. However, it didn't install several files needed to make it work. It downloaded an update.You have to turn your computer off, then back on to install the update. The update wouldn't install.In fact the computer stalled. Had to reboot again, and start from scratch.

Since I was unable to install the product on either machine, I can't tell you how it handles the routines of calculating your income tax. My guess is that it is very error prone. If you used Turbo Tax, I'd pay an accountant to review your numbers to see that they are correct. Then I'd send the bills to Turbo Tax.

For me, I'm now checking out other products.
Since it won't install on either machine ... Read more

Product Description

Myob BusinessEssentials Pro - Complete Product - Management - PCBusinessEssentials Pro is a complete suite of business software that provides all the tools you need for business forecasting and planning, full-featured accounting and financial management, appointment scheduling, employee file management, and more. Rely on BusinessEssentials Pro with complete confidence to help you Mind Your Own Business. Smarter.Nice electronics is your source for everyday low prices on theMyob US MBPRW - MYOB BUSINESS ESSENTIALS PRO 2005 WIN - ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR SB and all other Myob US Software - Misc ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Ok for extremely small companies
We purcahsed this to do forecasting for our company.However, I quickly found it extremley limited for doing forecasting.For small home businesses this may be ok. After doing more research and reading reviews I use DecisionPro by Vanguard Software. Whatever you decide - avoid the Excel plug-in software programs out there altogether - those are worthless. ... Read more

Product Description

Quicken WillMaker Plus 2004 provides you with the legal forms you need to help protect your family's future. Each interactive form takes you through a step-by-step interview - Quicken WillMaker Plus assembles the documents you need based on your answers. Includes Wills and Living Trusts, Healthcare Directives, Powers of Attorney, Child and Elder Care Agreements, and more! ... Read more

Features

• Create a will that reflects your needs, to make sure friends and family are provided for
• Avoid expensive probate fees by creting a living trust, including an AB(bypass) that saves you from heavy estate taxes
• Name a trusted family member or friend to care for your finances in case you can't do it yourself
• Save money for your survivors by handling your final arrangements in advance
• Create executor documents that make sure your estate is handled according to your wishes

Reviews (1)

2004 Quicken Willmaker
This software thinks of every form you'd ever need, whether you're the person drawing up your own will or the executor of someone else's.The only drawback - it doesn't download to a Word doc for easy transport.It also stores vital contact info + provides options for different states. ... Read more

Product Description

Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 5 User .Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 is designed to assist todayâs small business owners with up to 50 employees who need robust functionality and in-depth business analysis tools for their service- or product-oriented business. By offering an advanced solution that provides userfriendly tools,multiple help options, and additional functionality such as time and billing, advanced inventory, job costing and audit trails, Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 makes it easy to upgrade your accounting to meet your expanding business needs. Peachtree Complete Accounting 2005 provides: fast start-up, check writing, invoicing, purchasing, bank reconciliation, project tracking, in-depth inventory, payroll, time and billing, audit trails, screen-level security, integration with UPS shipping and more.. ... Read more

Features

• New-company setup wizard; multiple help options
• Robust, automated accounting features for small businesses
• Bill paying; check writing; invoicing; payroll solutions; audit trails
• In-depth inventory; over 125 reports; customizable forms
• Peachtree Today for an instant snapshot of business financials

Reviews (2)

Out Dated User Interface!
Please look around and be more futuristic.
Peachtree has lots of unfixed bugs and is out dated. I tested some software and found some really good, with reasonable price: BusinessWorks, Small Business Manager (microsoft.com), Quick Business Manager (bisaim.com),Vision Point 2000 (ACCPAC), BusinessVision 32 (Softline).

Good Luck in your search.

Did not test it, but I think the Multi User be worse!
I only tested the Single User one.
We are not in an industrial age any more! We want better software, much easier to use, and better interface.Why Peachtree is that hard? Remember DOS? How hard it was when Windows came about? Now peachtree is like that if you have used better software: Old tech. ... Read more

Features

• Tax software guides users through IRS returns
• Interview-based wizard system
• Up-to-date with latest federal tax law
• Checks math and audit flags
• Very simple to use

Reviews (34)

TurboTax Impossible to Download!
TurboTax may or may not be a good product; I was never able to successfully download it!

Unfortunately I needed it the day I purchased it, and the "Help" offered by the Amazon.com links were not specific enough to identify the source of the trouble.After three hours I gave up and requested a refund.

Updates a pain, but TurboTax did its job
I didn't have a problem using TurboTax last year (even with the software activation) so I used it again this year.The software with its interview format worked for me, was able to save my return as pdf and e-file without a hassle.The only real pain was getting the updates.I had to go to Intuit's website to look for info and play around with my broadband connection to get the updates to download.

My return has gotten easier over the past few years but with the update annoyance, I may just buy TaxCut next year. I don't import last year's stuff so Intuit - give me a reason to get TurboTax 2004.

Worth it if you're going to itemize...otherwise forget it
Okay, the download process was a nightmare as described by my earlier review.However, three hours later I have a very comprehensive itemized return, which would have been way too complex to do on my own without the guidance of the filing questions.The good news is that I had done my taxes by hand last night and came up with a large amount owed, and after using the deductions calculator in TurboTax ended up with a refund instead.So it more than paid for itself.
My major complaint is that there appears to be no way to review the content of your return until the very last "print and submit" step, and I wanted to check the numbers prior to actually submitting it.

Frustrating download errors!
After 20 or 30 attempts to run the V-box installer program after dowloading it from the Amazon digital library, I was just about to request a refund when my boyfriend starting doing some troubleshooting research for me.Here's what he figured out:
Once you download the installer and try to run it, if you keep getting the error: "3001 Encountered unexpected error when trying to locate product...etc.", there is a browser setting you need to change. (This applies to IE 6.0+, Windows 2000 and XP at a minimum, since I attempted the install on 2 different machines).
Go to Tools-->Internet Options in your browser menu, then to the Connections tab and the LAN Settings button.Uncheck the "Automatically Detect Settings" box if it is checked and try running the installer again.Worked for me.Just be sure to recheck the box and close your browser afterwards.
Seeing as how frustrating just OBTAINING the software was, I'm really skeptical about using it, especially after reading all the other reviews...

The Last Time I Will Use Turbo Tax
When it imported my information from 2002 it also picked up internet connection data that is no longer valid. Since then I have gone to broadband with a new ISP. It simply refuses to recognize my new connection information. When I tried to update the program by going to their support site through my browser, I simply could not get on despite repeated attempts. I guess everyone is trying to get support for this buggy software. As a result, I can't print out some of my forms because it tells me I must update first. Now it is totally useless.BEWARE ... Read more

Product Description

Intuit Inc (292596) TURBOTAX MULTI STATE 45 V2004 ... Read more

Features

• Double-checks for errors and omissions
• Step-by-step guidance for completing state taxes
• Asks simple questions and completes state-approved forms
• Transfers data automatically from TurboTax federal return
• Automatically performs all calculations for convenience

Reviews (12)

Terrible software and even worse support
TurboTax is buggy and the support is terrible!You cannot update your state information after the initial review without manually editing the tax forms.If the field involves computations, you must do these manually after changing it.If you try to re-run the interview, it just brings you to the "finish" screen.I talked to four different people from TurboTax support about this.They say it's a known bug and they have no plans to fix it.If I wanted to manually edit to forms, I wouldn't have purchased this software!If you make changes to the federal, TurboTax state isn't necessarily updated.I received the following ridiculous suggestions from support:clear your cookies (I'm not using the web version); delete this file, but make sure you empty the recycling bin (what??); go to forms and click delete form (there is no delete option).I don't know where they get these ideas, but support isn't helpful when you know more than they do!

Turbotax Failed
Don't believe the rating of one.A minus 5 would have been more appropriate. After six years of being a faithful Turbotax user, the changes they have made in 2004 are convincing me never to use their product again - even if I could.After purchasing the downloadable version it failed to unzip. Three hours on the phone with representatives in India did not solve the problem. Finally I got them to send me a CD, which seemed to install but hung up on the question "Select a tax return type" that offered zero choices and no pull-down.I can't believe they would release a product that seems designed to frustrate their customers!!!

Worked As Advertised For Me
I have used TurboTax products since 1995, with the exception of trying TaxCut last year, which was a disaster. The TurboTax State product had no difficulty quickly and accurately completing tax returns for my state (Minnesota) after finishing my federal return.

As some other reviewers have correctly noted, the name of the product ("Multi-State") is somewhat deceptive, in that you get to choose one state return to file; if you have to file for more than one state you have to pay for additional state downloads. This is the primary reason I gave the product four stars: functionally it was easy to use and intuitive, and I had no problems of any sort with it (I have Windows XP running on a 2003 vintage computer).

This product isn't perfect, but it does a good job, and is enormously superior to TaxCut in every way.

Filing in multiple states
As other reviewers have said, this is a single-state CD.If you have to file in more than 1 state, don't make the mistake like I did of buying a CD for each state.You have to buy 1 for your primary state and then download additional states from the "Download State" section within the federal CD.Either that or download from the intuit website.Really annoying!I have always had good luck with turbotax but this is disappointing.Now I have to try to return my (opened) 2nd state CD.

Decent
TurboTax State installed without any problems on my Mac, running 10.3.8. The program was free after rebate and I received my rebate promptly from Intuit. The program is decent, although it does not do much. PA taxes aren't that complicated to being with. One complaint is that the program dumped me into a PA Schedule C instead of asking whether I want a PA Schedule C or a PA Schedule C-F. I went to forms and created a schedule C-F, then went back to the interview, and my schedule C-F was there. This procedure would not be obvious to someone who was not already very familiar with this program.

I am not sure why someone would want to pay $14.95 for the State e-filing. There is no rebate for the state filing. So when you file your taxes electronically, make sure you select Federal only, then print out your state tax return and mail it in.
... Read more

Features

• Financial management system for businesses
• Import data from popular office software
• Easily manage accounts payable and receivable
• Create business plans using existing data
• Advanced accounting, inventory and asset tools

Features

• Create a NACHA formatted ACH Origination File ready to be processed by your Bank
• Very easy to use - Menu Driven With Screen Prompts - No need to Import or Export data
• Collect payments from an unlimited number of bank accounts at different financial institutions
• Automatic Pre-Note Incorporation
• Compatible with all Banks and Credit Unions that follow the NACHA standards

Product Description

QuickBooks Basic 2004 is fast and easy to set up, learn and use - and starts saving you time right away! Enjoy the convenience of having all your financial information organized in one place. With just one click of a mouse, create reports to see how your business is performing. ... Read more

Features

• Financial management system for businesses
• Import data from popular office software
• Tools for invoicing, paying bills and tracking expenses
• Easily create forms and reports
• Simple guides for most common business procedures

Reviews (11)

Interface is NOT intuitive
Although there is no way i would ever try to do my small business accounting with pencil and paper, I wish this software was more intuitive!!I am 20 years old and am very knowledgeable about workign with different types of software.I also have a strong accounting knowledge.All of the microsoft software I use is very intuitive and user-friendly--the entire office suite, internet explorer, windows XP, etc. All of the small things that matter to people who want to get things done fast- are absent in quickbooks.Very very frustrating.Examples-- when generating a quick report to see customer history, the software defaults to last fiscal month to date EVERY TIME. I look through the help menu for 10 minutes and it will not show me how to reset the default.Customer names are not arrangeable by last name first that i can see!! This has happened a dozen times since i bought it.I already paid a quickbooks pro advisor $150 to set me up and answer a few questions!! I will not pay $15 more for each small stupid question that should be intuitive for the user anyway!!!!!!!

I would read the reviews for microsoft money-- it has GOT to be more intutive than this software-- VERY FRUSTRATED but i'm stuck with it now.

Accountant who uses Quickbooks daily
I am amazed at the comments I have read about the popup advertisements and the payroll application in Quickbooks. You unhappy Quickbooks users...find a Quickbooks Pro Advisor on the Quickbooks website!!! Those of you who dislike the popups...turn them off!!! Click the box to not show you this reminder or message again!And those users who do not think they can write a payroll check in Quickbooks without buying the payroll tax service...for heavens sake, YOU CAN WRITE A CHECK AND ENTER THE AMOUNTS AND PAYROLL TAXES MANUALLY.You simply select to prepare your payroll manually instead of buying the payroll tax service.Please, find a Pro Advisor in your area!!!

Customer Service or Used Car Salesman?
The CD that I got from Amazon did not work - would not install despite trying everything - caused some endless loop. I called Intuit and ultimately got connected to someone in India. After spelling my shipping address at least 8 times, received a new disk 2 days later (despite address being mangled).
Installed software and called the 800 number to get a "registration number." This is a ruse by some so-called "customer support" person who obviously has past experience selling used cars, since it was just a charade to try to strong-arm me to sign up for payroll and support services. Entire conversation was offensive, and he ultimately said to me, snidely, "Well, I certainly HOPE you don't get AUDITED." Lucky for him we were separated by a phone line....
Havent' used the software enough to tell if I like it, but it was recommended by our accountant in order to save money on tax prep, so I'm sure it will do what it needs to do.
Was entirely offended by Intuit and would avoid their products in the future.

Endless marketing
I used to like Quickbooks, but all it seems to be now is a cash cow for Intuit.My Quickbooks 2002 works just fine, but it will stop working next year so that I have to buy a new version with absolutely no new features we need.You can't use the payroll function without paying a fortune for periodic updates of the tax tables (even if your state doesn't have an income tax, or if yours doesn't change.

It's a good example of a company rapidly killing the goose which lays the golden egg.If there's a viable alternative out there, I'll buy it in a minute.

The last time I experiences bad software like this was in 93
The last time I experiences bad software like this was in 1993. Second, the nag ware is equal in annoyance as getting locked into a web site that keeps spawning new pages when you attempt to close one. It makes this program a painful and frustrating experience.

(...)

My opinion, why even bother to expose yourself to this potential mess. If you have read this "opinion" and still decide to buy this software, only blame yourself when you want to fling your PC across the room.

Look at all the prior write ups and ask yourself "why am I going to be any different?" ... Read more

Features

• Tax software guides users through state tax returns
• Interview-based wizard system
• Up-to-date with latest state tax law
• Checks math and audit flags
• Contains all the forms users will need

Reviews (14)

Piece of cake!
Flawless and no problems. I have switched to Intuit because prior programs (Tax Cut and Tax Act) would not allow me to e-file my state return (Arizona), because they did not contain a form I needed for a state credit. Turbo Tax solved that issue last year and this year as well. State program installs with a blink of the eye, and complements Turbo Tax Deluxe beautifully. This was only my second year with Intuit, but plan to 3-peat next year.

correcting information in state tax form not possible
I did my federal tax with turbotax delux and my state tax also with turbotax.
I made some errors entering information. The federal form allowed me to make corrections after I was done.
However, the state interview denies me access. Maybe I need to start all over or do it by hand.
The State program is grap. I send an email to the company but did not get any reply.

New York Commuter / New Jersey Resident Still Wrong
ATTENTION INTUIT: A BAD free state download is worse than no state download.

Unfortunately, this year's version still does not know how to back out taxes paid to NY State (where I work) and apply them to New Jersey (where I live).

Will you guys just fix this already?!?!?!!!!!

TURBO TAX STATE FOR VIRGINIA ROCKS!
You're a fool if you don't use Turbo Tax State in Virginia.This is my second year using TT and it was even easier the second time around.The new addition imports everything you punched in the year before and therefore takes less time to complete.Since you can't do state without having loaded TT Deluxe, the video on the CD walks you through the process and sends you to the answer if you type in a search.I had absolutely no trouble using TTS in Virginia and had my state and federal refunds within a week of e-filing.Yeah, within a week. (...)

Additionally, by going through the step by step questionnaire TTS reminded me to include charity work and charitable contributions, which increased my refunds.You don't even need to buy the physical product.Once you've loaded TTD or the federal variation, you can download states off the internet.

This product is better than last year.I highly recommend it.You won't be sorry.

My only criticism of TT products is you can only e-file one time per purchase. (...)The secret to fast returns is e-filing.

Not Multistate!
I was also very disappointed to find (only after I had purchased and installed TurboTax state) that it is only valid for one state!The only reason I purchased this product was to be able to file in the three states we lived in this past year.Better labeling would have led to less frustration ... Read more

Product Description

ACT! 2005 Premium for Workgroups From the #1 selling contact and customer manager, ACT! 2005 Premium for Workgroups helps sales teams and corporate workgroups make contact, build relationships and get results. It helps teams gain greater customer insights by accessing, organizing and managing contact details; improve the bottom line with tools for forecasting, tracking and reporting on sales opportunities; increase team efficiency with centralized data, robust scalability, group scheduling and advanced security for up to 50 users; manage time more efficiently by tracking and completing calls, meetings and to-do items; and take important contact information along by working with Palm OS® and Pocket PC handhelds.Choosing ACT! 2005 Premium for Workgroups makes you a part of the Best Software family. Best Software has led the way in developing and supporting automated business management solutions. With a wide range of front office and back office solutions—including accounting, human resources, payroll, fixed asset management, contact management, customer relationship management and e-commerce—Best Software offers award-winning products and services that have revolutionized the way small and medium-sized companies do business. So you can rely on outstanding service and a commitment to providing your business with the technology it needs to succeed, today and into the future. ... Read more

Features

• Includes Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition
• Easy-to-use contact and customer-manager software
• Access, organize, and manage contact details
• Stay on top of schedule 24/7; share customer info securely
• Enhanced group scheduling; link to Palm OS and Pocket PC handhelds

Reviews (1)

After all these years I thought this product would be better
I've been a user of ACT software going back to version 3.0. Being in software sales, over the years most software vendors have adopted more souped-up CRM solutions such as Salesforce.com or Siebel or the like, so I can imagine the interest in this product category has been lacking. STILL, the feature set of this product hasn't changed much in the ten or so years sinced I used the earlier version. In fact, this product has become more bloated and buggy than any commerical software product I have ever used. I've considered listing all the bugs but it would be too long. But I will say this, other than a weird bug that sometimes mis-categorizes contacts into groups I didn't intent them to be a part of, the other bugs tend to be obvious use-ability type things. Bugs that a half asleep QA tester should've found.

Having said that, the positives are these: First, ACT! is nothing if not a good contact manager and task manager - nothing more, nothing less. I like being able to group contacts into multiple groups, and do pro-active email marketing to the members of specific groups - that feature works really well inconjunction with MS Outlook. In fact integration with Outlook and my PocketPC Cell phone is really exceptionjal. Integration with Word is also very strong. So, its this integration strength that keeps me booting this product up each day. BUT, if I was to purchase a product in this category again, I'd buy Goldmine (it wasn't on the shelf when I bought ACT! - my impatience!). Part of the problem with this product may be that its been owned by a number of different companies over the years. Best Software now owns the IP - let's hope they will issue bug fixes and then truly innovate this product in future releases. ... Read more

Features

• Financial management system for accountants
• Includes all forms and report options from Quickbooks Basic, Pro, and Premier
• Includes Fixed Asset Manager and loan amortization tool
• Remote access allows smoother communication with clients
• Save reports and forms as PDFs

Features

• Track Product Inventory
• Create Invoices & Estimates
• Generate Purchase Orders
• Manage Receivables & Aging
• Automatic Tax Calculation

Reviews (1)

This app is a dog
If you are even remotely serious about your invoicing and accounts receivable, don't even think about wasting forty bucks on this incredibly worthless application.It produces "nice looking" invoices; big deal.You can do the same thing in word processing.Buying this software will remind you of the junk you bought from ads in a comic book 40 years ago, like X-Ray Specs or Sea Monkeys.It's total garbage (from a software publisher who practically INVENTED garbage). ... Read more

Features

• Create and print your own custom business and personal checks -- including bank code number on the bottom
• Manage your finances to view your net worth, upcoming payables and receivables, schedule your bill payments, exchange transaction files and synchronize your financial data and bank account information
• Obtain your customer's bank details via the Internet, phone or fax to create a check draft for immediate deposit
• Automatically collect recurring payments or service fees
• Built-in payee database, address book and contact manager for keeping important information at your fingertips