Amazon.com Product Review

None of us really wants to face the tasks of our own estate planning or writing out our living wills, but sooner or later we all should. If something should happen unexpectedly before we address these issues, our families could be forced to endure serious financial, emotional and even legal hardships.

For years Nolo has been providing top-notch "do-it-yourself" legal solutions for consumers on virtually every legal matter imaginable, and in the process they have saved consumers literally millions of dollars in legal fees. The Quicken WillMaker Plus 2005 with Free eBook, designed by Nolo, is the most comprehensive, user-friendly, stress-free, do-it-yourself software available on the market. This is the perfect software for anyone who wants to take care of their estate issues now.

What sets Nolo products apart from other legal do-it-yourself publishers is the legal breadth of their research and the ease-of-use of their products. WillMaker 2005 extends that reputation by assembling, in one software package, over 40,000 document possibilities for you to consider, and an interface that's intuitive and easy to use. In fact, if you are so determined, your will can be completed quickly in just a matter of minutes.

For most of us, however, we'll want to take our time to consider the weighty issues that estate planning and living wills involve. With that in mind, Nolo has provided extensive online help for you to access. With each step along the way, you can turn to www.nolo.com to access legal dictionaries and get answers to complex legal questions in plain English. (Anyone who's ever worked with lawyers will tell you that the "plain English" by itself will be worth the price of the ticket!) On a monthly basis Nolo also posts changes in state laws that affect any WillMaker 2005 documents on its Web site. With Nolo behind you, you'll always be in sync with the latest legal changes that affect your will.

In addition to saving you hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars by allowing you to create your own legal will, living trust, financial powers of attorney, health care directive (living will), and documents for your executor, WillMaker 2005 also provides you with invaluable estate-planning documents such as promissory notes, notices to terminate credit cards, pet-care agreements, and dozens of others. Nolo has thought of every possible need you'll encounter as you begin your planning process, making it as easy as possible for you to plan your will. Take the time and save your family from the burden of having to resolve your various financial and legal issues.

For each document, WillMaker Plus takes you through a step-by-step interview, and your documents will automatically reflect the laws of your state. Once you've completed your forms, you can print them directly, or export them to an RTF file which can be opened in any word processor. In addition to the online legal support that's available, Nolo also offers any expert technical help you might need.

For years WillMaker has been providing Americans with the power to take estate planning into their own hands, and this software has been consistently rated by leading consumer magazines and reviewers as the best estate software on the market. WillMaker 2005 Plus continues that legacy.

As an added bonus, once you register your new software, you can download the $24.99, 384-page e-book, Get a Life: You Don't Need a Million to Retire Well by Attorney Ralph Warner, for free. In its fifth edition, Warner's guide can show you how to beat the anxiety surrounding retirement by developing a plan to make your golden years the best of your life. ... Read more

Features

• Comprehensive onscreen legal manual; expert tech support available
• Choose from 40,000 legal documents; protect family and assets
• Create a legal will, living trust, financial power of attorney, and more
• Comprehensive and easy to use with step-by-step interviews
• Automatically reflects specific state laws; cuts legal fees

Reviews (1)

Easy to use, saves money, but beyond 2006?
The recent heart-breaking Terri Schiavo case in Florida highlights the importance for everyone to have a living will as well as a regular will.You can go to a lawyer, buy a standard form from a legal stationery store, or use Willmaker Plus 2005.

This latest estate planning and family law software from Nolo Press is distributed by Quicken.Nolo is a company that has been publishing self-help legal books for many years, and their website provides a wealth of information.(Since I'm not a lawyer, I can't comment if their information is always accurate, but it's at least accessible to laypeople like me.)

Willmaker 2005 is for more than just writing your own will.It has many other legal documents which you can fill in, print out, and sign (in front of a notary public in some cases) to make them legally binding.The estate planning section is pretty comprehensive and works in every state except Louisiana.(I wonder why.)Setting up your legal will and living trust is pretty much a hassle-free, expense-free and lawyer-free process.The other types of documents you can create with this program include responses to those dreaded debt collection notices and filing consumer complaints.This is really a "family lawyer" package.(Quicken used to publish their own family lawyer program but has since replaced it with Nolo's more superior Willmaker.)

The software takes an interview approach.You pick a document you want to work on.It asks you a few questions and then drafts the document for you.You review the document and then print it out and follow the simple steps to make it legally binding.The "simple steps" often just involve you and two witnesses (including a notary public in some cases) signing the document; for simple letters such as a reply to a debt collection letter, you don't need witnesses.

While it would have been a lot nicer if the program could automate things a bit more, e.g., asking who you are and then choosing the documents for you, I guess writing a will or any legal document should not be a totally brainless thing; you have to understand what it's all about and what's involved, since we are talking legally binding documents here.(Of course, you must be mentally valid in order to create a will.)

The program comes with a printed user manual.While the manual is a little confusing and makes using the program look more complex than it actually is, it's nice to have printed documentation which you can refer to readily.

I like the software and, being a paranoid that I am, like doing my will and doing it for free.I can also do the wills for my family.

My only concern about using the software stems from this passage from the second page of the manual:

"Product support (including Web update) for Quicken WillMaker Plus 2005 ends on January 1, 2006. ... Please note that legal documents created and signed before January 1, 2006 will remain legally valid and enforceable if you have used Web Update regularly. You will need to upgrade your software only if you want to create new documents or update existing documents."

Does this mean I'll need to buy a new version each and every year from now on?(I fancy my financial and family situation will change over time and thus require additions and/or amendments.)While upgrading the software still beats a trip to the attorney, it would nonetheless be quite an annoyance.

(In all fairness, both Quicken and Microsoft are moving to a subscription-like model for their financial software, so I guess that's the inevitable trend.)

Happy estate planning!
... Read more

Product Description

Kiplinger TaxCut Complete Home & Business 2004.TaxCut Complete HomeBusiness includes two software programs with everything you need to file your personal and business tax returns. With customized tools and advice specifically designed for the small business owner and an improved Schedule C interview, TaxCut Complete HomeBusiness offers a comprehensive tax solution. FEATURES Includes everything from TaxCut Premium plus: ⢠All the Federal Forms You Need Two full programs with forms to prepare Self Employment, Corporate, Partnership, Estate, Payroll, and Non-Profit returns.⢠Extra Depreciation Assistance Tools for depreciating assets and maximizing your business tax savings.⢠Home Office Advisor Get advice on the pros and cons of each potential home office deduction.⢠Business Expense Assistant Explains how to categorize and claim all your business expense deductions.⢠New Industry-Specific Business Tax Tips Advice tailored to your business.⢠Business Tax Interview Additional help and guidance to make preparing your business return easier.⢠Accounting Method Assistant Helps you sel the best accounting method for your new business. ... Read more

Features

• Free TaxCut State, DeductionPro, e-filing, and Microsoft Money Standard 2005 after mail-in rebates
• Quickly and easily complete business and personal tax returns
• Advice on depreciation, expense deductions, and other business considerations
• Pros and cons of potential home-office deductions; industry-specific business tax tips
• Improved Schedule C interview; all forms needed to complete Federal tax return

Reviews (13)

Execrable
When I installed and ran this software, I was told the "Interview was missing" for my 1120S. That's nice. It immediately reminded me of when I installed Doom 3 and was told "3D Rendering Engine Missing," or when I bought Microsoft Word and got the message "Fonts and Printer Drivers Missing."

I did what Tax Cut told me to do to connect and update my forms and the stupid thing kept hanging at 4% of download. Maybe they were having server trouble, but I'm not a patient man, especially when I have all my forms and files laid out and I'm ready to do my taxes NOW.

So I went and got TurboTax. The difference was night and day. TurboTax is a well-designed, highly polished and refined product. It updated to the current version with no problems. By contrast, from the moment that first install dialog popped up, Tax Cut for business reeked of shoddiness, as if it were rushed out the door. (Even the dialog boxes looked unprofessional and strangely misaligned.)

I used Tax Cut in 2002 and 2003 but after this experience I never will again. Maybe the guts--the tax code itself--are a bit more robust than TurboTax, but if I can't get the thing to work at all then what difference does it make? The finer points of deductions are not a great concern to me. If they were, I'd have an accountant. Come tax time, I just want a program that works. TurboTax worked. Tax Cut didn't.

Possibly the worst business tax software ever written
This is the second year I have used TaxCut for both my personal and small business returns. I switched from TurboTax when they started using their copy protection stuff that seemed to give every user a nightmare. Well, all I can say is, there must be two totally different software development teams working on TaxCut programs, because, while TaxCut personal is a fine program, TaxCut for business is ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!

Where do I start? First, it cannot even import data from files the 2003 version created. When I tried, it hung every time, eventually forcing me to re-install the entire software package. The error log it generated showed dozens of import errors. Apparently they changed number formats (floating point etc.) and the 2004 version can't handle it. The error log also says to contact the development team but gives no way to do that. And yes, I did update the program from the web before I started.

Ok, so now I'm entering everything by hand. Like Turbo Tax, it has an interview feature, but unlike TurboTax, the interview interface is dreadfully inconsistent. Sometimes you enter info in the interview feature and hit return on your keyboard and the cursor moves to the next field, and sometimes it moves the cursor to the form! Sometimes you can enter data in interview format, sometimes you have to enter it onto the form itself. Were the programmers simply too lazy to write that feature for each page? There is simply no logical reason to make me bounce back and forth between methods!

Next, as expected, the interview has many questions where you answer yes or no if you are elegible or required to fill out certain info. However, even if you answer NO, it still takes you to those pages! Oh but of course, that only happens sometimes, other times it DOES skip the pages!

I also purchased the state business componenet for TaxCut. Despite reporting that it loaded successfully, TaxCut professional didn't seem to know the state version was there! Of course, it was more than happy to display (right next to the "help" button)a link to BUY the state version!

Oh but wait, if you exit the interview mode, and click on "go", (not the logical tab in my opinion, which would be "FORMS"), you see a list (under "my forms") of all your forms, and golly, if the state forms aren't there! Of course, you can also add forms to your return under the forms tab. Careful, as you poke around trying to find the form you thought you added to your return, you may add the form again from the "forms" tab. The program, instead of taking you to the form you added, will instead add another copy of the same form, which you can later NOT delete from your return. I know there may be circumstances where you DO want a second copy of the form, but mostly you don't. Would it be too much for the "forms" section to ask if you want a new copy or to go to the one you already added?

Now, you'd expect, since the main program doesn't appear to know the state forms are there (or maybe it does ?!?!) you would have to enter data into the state forms by hand, but it's not that simple! SOME forms have SOME data automatically transferred in them, SOME forms have NONE!

And what if you need help? The help link has a simple FAQ that has a very minimal few lines then refers you to the IRS instructions. Well if the IRS instructions made any sense, I wouldn't be using a help section of a tax program. Especially one written by TAX EXPERTS!

I could go on and on, but since I've just spent an ENTIRE DAY doing these taxes, I'm burned out. FYI, I run a SIMPLE small business, I can't imagine what kind of nightmare this would be for a business with inventory, and employees etc.

Please, please, please, stay as far away from this program as possible. I'm saying this for your own good.

I would give this 0 stars if Amazon would let me.

Bug in the IRA/Pensions withdraw Area:
If you take IRA withdraws and have a pension just stay away from this program.If you already have it and can't get hold of tech support, email me and I'll tell you the work around they came up with.The sad thing is we could not have been the first to encounter this, (the tech people acted like it), so who knows how many retired people overpaid.

Should have bought Turbo Tax for Business
I've been using Tax Cut for years and this year I had bought a business.The business program does NOT import in your Quickbooks data into the program.I have to key everything in and figure out what goes where.The business side is not as developed as the personal side.It looks like a different company created it and H&R Block just put the two different programs in the same box.

I would buy this product again
I have used both TurboTax and TaxCut.I found both very similar (you can even upload your prior year's taxes done with TurboTax to this year's TaxCut program). I like TaxCut better mainly because I completed both my business and personal taxes with one program. I saved over $70.

The "Ask a Tax Advisor" option (money-back rebate included) is helpful, especially if you want to do your taxes yourself, but think you may have a few questions. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Money 2005 Premium is the automated personal finance solution, providing consumers with a quick and easy way to view, improve and optimize their finances. Completely rebuilt for simplicity, Money makes handling finances easy with speedy setup, automated tools that reduce the need for manual entry, and adaptable Essential and Advanced features that enable a more personal experience. Following is an overview of the software's new and enhanced features. Money has been redesigned to bring more people into the personal finance category. Everyone’s financial wants are different. For the user who doesn’t want to spend time on their finances but just focus on the essentials, they can easily access their account balances online, have their transactions automatically categorized and instantly see where their money is going. They have ALL their financial information in one place, with minimal to no typing. For those people who like to pore over the details, Money gives you more with its advanced views. Money 2005 –one product, different user perspectives. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft® Money 2005 Deluxe Microsoft Money 2005 Deluxe includes everything in Money Standard; plus, it gives you all the help you need to improve credit and reduce debt, organize taxes, and automatically consolidate all of your transactions in one intuitive place. With online connections to more than 5,000 financial institutions, Money 2005 Deluxe makes balancing personal finances effortless. And with Money’s customizable Home Page, you can easily see the finances that matter most to you—from current account balances to where you're spending your money to your cash-flow forecast. Money has been redesigned to bring more people into the personal finance category. Everyone’s financial wants are different. For the user who doesn’t want to spend time on their finances but just focus on the essentials, they can easily access their account balances online, have their transactions automatically categorized and instantly see where their money is going. They have ALL their financial information in one place, with minimal to no typing. For those people who like to pore over the details, Money gives you more with its advanced views. Money 2005 –one product, different user perspectives. ... Read more

Features

• Set up a full budget, or compare actual spending to financial plan
• Personal finance solution with award-winning Portfolio Manager
• Automatically consolidates online bank and credit card information
• Essential tools for improving credit and organizing taxes
• Provides current account balances and transactions in one place

Product Description

Kiplinger TaxCut State 2004.TaxCut State 2004 programs are faster, easier and friendlier than ever with new enhancements to the Interview process. Instantly transfer all of your personal federal tax information into your TaxCut State program and just answer a few questions. ... Read more

Features

• Option of filing electronically or printing ready-to-file state forms
• Step-by-step guidance for filing State tax returns
• Automatically transfers info from 2004 TaxCut federal return
• Access state instructions directly; entry manager for staying organized
• Refund/owe meter monitors amount-due changes

Reviews (5)

It STINKS
The problems with this program as well as all the others by H&R Block are too numerous to mention here, but take it from someone who learned the hard way, don't waste your money on this product.

I reported bugs in both the federal and state editions 3 years ago and they STILL haven't been corrected. One of which is the employer ID number allows for 14 characters but some employers have 15 or more. Another, if you go back and make a correction and forget to TELL the program to recalculate, everything that follows, including your taxs due or your refund amount will be incorrect. Isn't this what you pay for? A program that ELIMINATESerrors instead of creating them? If you buy this product, DOUBLE CHECK EVERYTHING BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR RETURN.

Can't do part-time DC resident...disappointing.
I am a part-time DC resident and bought TaxCut State DC only to discover that it cannot do part-time DC resident filing... so I had to do it by hand... most annoying and not advertised anywhere on their site... I am requesting a refund.

TaxCut 2004 State is terrible!
I've been using TaxCut Deluxe and TaxCut State since the 2002 tax year but 2004 will be my last TaxCut year. Next year, I'm switching back to TurboTax.

The 2004 version has lots of bugs and the software has several mistakes that will mess up your tax refund.
When printing my state return (MN) the program sends an erroneous command to the printer that caused it to lock up after the first page. I had to get the Adobe version on the MN forms and fill them in by hand so they could be printed. Also, the software keeps asking you to update when you've already updated and there's no new update available. You have to select "Update Later" to get around this bug. Very annoying!

[...]
If you're thinking about buying TaxCut 2004 Deluxe or TaxCut 2004 State, don't do it. Get TurboTax instead. TaxCut is not worth the money or the grief.

DO NOT BUY THIS SOFTWARE!
This is probably the worst tax software I have every purchased. I've been using TurboTax and TaxCut for years and this year I have had nothing but problems from the state program and the Federal.

For one, there are "fixes" that won't download. Everytime I do, the program crashes during installation.

I am hoping that I get a refund from Amazon for the $89 I spent on the TaxCut Complete for Home & Business (same problem by the way) and the 24.50 I spent on the state program.

I'm always going to purchase TurboTax from now on because the technical support at for this product blows. All they did was tell me the same stupid thing over and over again (in other words, they had no idea what to do!) ($9.95 for calls to get tech support, isn't that nice?)

Beware - this CD only allows you access to their website!
Your state tax information is NOT on this CD.You might as well just go to the TaxCut website and download your state's software because that's all this CD does - that is, if the website even works for you.All I get is multiple system crashes and a malfunctioning shopping cart program.Very disappointing. ... Read more

Product Description

Kiplinger TaxCut Premium 2004.TaxCut Premium provides extra tools and advice to help you save money on your federal taxes. You'll get valuable tools for managing home ownership, investments, and retirement planning. FEATURES Includes everything from TaxCut Deluxe plus: ⢠HR Block Premium Tax Tips and Advice Save money with more than 25 new topics like Dividends, Capital Gains, and more.⢠Home Ownership Tools and Advice Extra guidance for homeowners with tools for Home Basis, Mortgage Refinancing, and more.⢠Investment Tools and Advice Tax-saving tips and tools for managing your investments, stock gains/losses, deductions, and more.⢠Premium Retirement Tools and Advice Make the most of your retirement savings with our collection of retirement resources and tools ... Read more

Features

• Kiplinger tax and financial planning library
• Fast, easy-to-use federal-tax filing software with money-saving tips
• Helpful investment, retirement, and home ownership tools and advice
• 25+ new topics like dividends, capital gains, and more
• Live professional tax advice online or by phone from a trained professional

Reviews (11)

Fed Ok, States Not
The Federal program worked ok for me, though the interface is a bit clunky.However, the MD state program has some minor glitches, and the WV state program doesn't handle part-year residents, which of course I didn't know until I fired it up at the last minute...

cut out this software -- find something else!
I wrote a nice long review but as it happens my computer shut down before the review was submitted. However, I'm going to do it again here because I don't want you to waste your time like I wasted mine on this software this year, my first year doing my own taxes.

My main beefs --

- Rebate process was probably more annoying than if I had read the IRS detailed tax instructions.
- DeductionPro is useless; didn't even install it since I just took the standard deduction they give you instead of itemizing.
- Videos are annoying; you can't fast forward or rewind. I also felt like I was being talked down to or needlessly being sold on the software I had already purchased ("alternative minimum tax is way complicated, but don't worry, we'll help you out!")
- Useless questions that could be automated away. For example, why do I need to tell the software what 1040 form I want to use? Isn't that the point of the software?
- Lack of question explanation in the text. For example, how am I supposed to figure out if I have Hope or lifetime learning or deduction credit? If I wanted to look at detailed documentation or find an online reference, I wouldn't have bought the software.
- Ads of the H&R Block tax advisor service and all the other extra junk they try to sell you. Ask yourself, what's their incentive for making the questions and question flow clear if their intention is to sell you on the extras if you're confused.

And the straw that broke the camel's back and led me to anotheronline service (free and better!) --

- Huge bug where it deducted my Roth IRA contribution. I didn't know much about the tax system but one of the things I did know is that Roth IRA contributions are not tax deductible. I considered filing an official complaint against the software, but am sick of dealing with it so this review will have to do.

About the only thing that didn't make the software completely worthless was that I did my state tax return with it. The online service I used for federal didn't have the part-year resident form I needed for my state. Even then I made sure to double check the numbers it spewed out since I had lost trust in the software's accuracy.

I had thought that the H&R Block name would've been an advantage in accuracy, etc. But really, I feel like the software's existence is to make people migrate toward their brick-and-mortar professionals. Also, it's no wonder the software has bugs if the IRS forms themselves were not yet finalized when the software was released (an online update of the software is required). Although, to be fair, the accuracy problems I entered both upped my refund; at the risk of getting audited!

Bottom Line:

If you're really lazy -- pay a tax professional or bribe a knowledgeable friend.

If you're medium lazy -- go with an online service or the other popular software package

If you're willing to spend time learning about taxes (for future benefit e.g. to optimize refunds, catch software mistakes) -- go directly to the IRS instructions and consider doing double checking and e-filing with an online service.

Tax Cut Premium
I have used this product frequently. This is the first time (and the last time because we will not order it again) WE HAVE USED PREMIUM.

For a simple return it is great!This product is TAX CUT PREMIUM!
It has all the bells and whistles according to the desriptions- Right ! If you have a more complicated return.....:

1. The software may not directly support input with their tax information. The info is canned and pasteurised for Mr. Joe or Jolene average. But you have assistance !
2. The $9.95 help claims that anything not on their interveiw is "TAX ADVICE"!.. KACHING... GO TO TAX ADVISOR FOR TWENTY FIVE BUCKS.!!YOU HAVE A COUPON TO BOOT.
3. Tax Advisor?? Spend half a day awaiting a callback on three occasions and receive the same answer three times ; "unable to contact client. Try again.

OK H&R block is in the tax prep business...now do you get the picture?

Good job on IRA,s and Stocks
I found this program to be easy to use. Their interview style walks you right through, you don't even know you are preparing a tax return. I especially like the way it will take you right to the actual Form and show you the worksheets on how they arrive at decisions. Tax Cut showed me that we could make an $1850 traditional IRA contribution for my wife that we thought was disallowed. I also liked the way it held my hand through the capital gains, 1099, and stock buy/sell recording. It lets you skip around, go back and forth. Viewing the actual worksheets that TaxCut uses to compute the values that get entered on the 1040 was a little difficult. I had to contact their tech support to find the long term tax computations. I initially contacted them through thier on-line chat, but my browser crashed, not their fault. I then emailed my question and they responded the next day. The info was there, I hadn't scrolled down enough. All-in-all, the tax prep portion was excellent, checking the calculations took a little getting used to the software. I will be buying this next year.

Mediocre Software!
This software disappointed on several straightforward tasks:

1. The Employee Stock Option interview is terrible: it performs NO actual calculations. It gives some vague advise about how to handle Stock Options and Employee Stock Purchase Plan situations rather than directly calculating the tax impact. I had to refer to the guides given to me by the broker, AND the TURBOX TAX website to figure out how to calculate the cost basis for these situations. The software, especially software labeled PREMIUM, should have this functionality built in and I should not require a trip to a competitor's website and the use of a hand calculator! That's why I buy tax software. TurboTax actually performs calculations when you input data.

2. The download "feature" for W-2, 1099, and 1098 forms is humerous. I have used this feature in TurboxTax for my W-2 form from a major Fortune 500 company and the 1099-DIV form from the Vanguard Group. Apparently, Taxcut has no agreement with these major corporations--the list of supported employers, brokers, and mortgage companies is tiny.

3. Printing-there seems to be some formatting issues with the worksheets when printed out. It seems to print outside the printable area of a standard printer.

On the plus side, the software is relatively cheap and is probably OK for simple tax situations. Its laid out logically and imported my 2003 tax data from TurboTax competently. But I would purchase TurboTax if you have a more "complex" tax situation (although I hardly classify Employee Stock Options and Purchase Plans as complex in 2004).

I tried it because it is cheaper than TurboTax and I was curious to compare the two, but I'll be using TurboTax again next year! ... Read more

Features

• Save calculations for later review; print calculations for your own or your client's files.
• Carry a single computer for all your needs without losing your calculator's functionality.
• Calculate the way you prefer: RPN, order and chain input modes; quick access to routine functions.
• Templates appear like mini-spreadsheets, making it easy to verify your information, show clients, and work with colleagues.
• Add on or create your own templates to match the way you work.

Product Description

Kiplinger TaxCut Deluxe 2004.TaxCut Deluxe puts you in control of your federal taxes like never before. Deluxe is packed with resources to help you take advantage of the newest tax breaks and save money on your taxes.FEATURES Includes everything from TaxCut Standard plus: ⢠Free State After Rebate Complete your state tax return quickly and easily.*⢠Free E-file After Rebate E-file your federal return to get a fast refund.*⢠Kiplinger's Tax and Financial Planning Library Get the information you need to help you make the most of your money.⢠IRS Publications Get built-in access to the most up-to-date IRS publications. ... Read more

Features

• Error Check automatically reviews for common errors
• Step-by-step guidance for filing Federal tax returns
• Take advantage of the newest tax breaks and save money
• Kiplinger's tax and financial planning library; up-to-date IRS publications
• Retirement savings enhancer; helpful tax-law assistants

Reviews (65)

Problems with TaxCut
I have been using taxcut for 6 years.This year it dropped one of my deductions.The child was listed in the interview and appeared to be included, but was not submitted in the e-filing.This is pathetic.NEVER USE THIS PRODUCT.

I will never use Tax Cut again
A new addition to this year's version (when filing electronically), allows H&R Block's bank (HSBC Bank) to check your social security number with other select banks to see if you have defaulted on any loans. If you are due for a refund, they will use the refund to pay off the debt and give you the balance. I didn't see any problem with this since I have not defaulted on anything in my life. However, Bank One advised HSBC that there was an overdue loan (from 1992!) with my social security number. Since the loan did not have my name or address, Bank One's response was that it must be identity theft (I believe Bank One made a data entry error - God knows they probably can't locate the paperwork for a loan that's 13 years old). In order to prove the loan is not mine, I had to send Bank One my social security card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, tax return, and a letter from the Social Security Administration. I had to put out a fraud alert with the Social Security Administration and the 3 credit bureaus. In addition, I had to file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and the police. I am still waiting for Bank One to correct their records so I can get my refund back! Next step - lawyer!
If you must use Tax Cut - DO NOT FILE ELECTRONICALLY! Print your return and mail it in!

software Just okay, beware of rebate
The software is only okay.I've been doing my own tax simply following the instructions on the tax booklet.It doesn't give you anything new if you read your tax booklet.Reading a lot of reviewers' complaint about the software not being up to date with the latest tax law, I waited until this year to buy this package hoping that I won't have to connect to the internet to update the software.Well, the software is STILL not up-to-date.I have to connect to the internet, which I really hate to do since I have slow connection; and I wouldn't want to do my tax while my PC is online.Okay, that's that.

Rebate experience has been unpleasant.After eight weeks following my rebate submission, I finally gets a shipment notification for the state rebate.Two weeks later I still have not received the check.The deluxe rebate is stuck in process status forever.I called H&R rebate department about both rebates.The rep assumed it was my fault saying I didn't mail both of them on time or together.Well, I have copies of everything.I explained to the guy that wasn't the case.I mailed both together one week after the purchase date in February.The guy didn't let me finish with my complain or explanation.He just said he'll take care of it and that I should wait about another month, then he abruptly hung up.It's this kind of attitude of an employee that makes one avoid future business with the company.

This year's TaxCut has major flaw in AMT (alternative minima
This years taxcut has major flaw in for 6251 (AMT) line 7.It doubles the state tax refund deduction, and will cause you big trouble with IRS if you are subject to AMT.
There are other issues with TaxCut too.My e-file was repeated rejected due to TaxCut mistakes (asking me to delete a form that was empty etc).Customer service people are nice but clueless.Had to paper file.
Also there is a 30 day limit on rebate for state.I preordered in Dec and opened in Feb after my w-2 arrived, and I could not qualify.The money back garantee is a joke.

Avoid Taxcut
Taxcut Deluxe gets the award for the worst experience I have had filling out Taxes. I have used previous versions of Turbotax and Taxcut and felt that these were comparable programs -- they did not always give the same results -- but after some tweaking you could figure out waht was going on.
This year's version of Taxcut has made me swear not to use their product again. First, I had trouble getting the rebates. OK, no big deal.
Then I got a host of warnings when filling in the K-1 forms that turned out to be spurious -- they added stress.
Where I had questions, the program was largely unresponsive. Several times, asking for IRS instructions brought up absolutely nothing. Instructions for Schedule C did not bring up business codes.
I needed to file as non-resident in 1 state and resident in another. The program asks me if I would like to buy another state. The second state cost me an additional $25 -- I felt that this was high given that I had basically 1 item of income to report. Never mind, I thought, it is worth getting it for the convenience of electronic filing (another$15.95, incidentally). After I got through the entire process and got to e-filing the program would only let me e-file a single state return. After poking around I discovered from the help menu that TAXCUT can ONLY file ONE state return per federal return -- completely ridiculous -- a waste of time and money.

I found that several people offer Excel based federal and state tax forms on the web. Next year I plan to retreat to that method, since at least you are clear on the formulae and other things being used by the program and there is an ability to directly consult IRS forms. I may also give the other tax programs a look ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Great Money Saving Tool
Great program! Well worth the money. Compare the cost of the program to the cost of an attorney, and it's a no brainer. The program walks you, in an interview fashion, through the process by asking the necessary questions, and 15-20 minutes later you have your legal document. Satisfied Customer.

Safe, State-specific, and cheap compared to an Attorney
(...)

I use Quicken's Home & Business and it is pretty glitch-free.The reviews on Quicken's WillMaker Plus 2004 (which includes all the areas addressed in my old Living Trust, e.g., two types of Living Trusts, a new Will in concert with the Durable Power of Attorney documents) were impressive, so I bounced for the software.(...).I am NOT familiar with doing this sort of thing and legalese can be VERY intimidating but WillMaker Plus 2004 makes it so EASY, and until you indicate that you have printed and signed a document created in this program, you can return and change anything over and over again.If you need to amend any information in the future, the program will set you up to do this.Yeah, you still need forms to transfer you home, for example, from your name to your Living Trust name, to change your financial institution's beneficiaries to either the Trust name or "Pay on Death" recipients, but I found I could order these forms on the telephone and they were mailed to me.I actually did it myself in 3 days.What a feeling of accomplishment!

Lastly, if you doubt your ability to create a binding Living Trust with it's requisite components, you can run it by an attorney (1 hour's charge applies) just to make you feel better.You're still financially ahead by a country mile.The least expensive fee for drawing a living trust here in Portland was $1150.00

Beware the rebate...
Beware the company managing the rebate offer, ExpressGroup.I sent all of the information in, they somehow were able to log my information into the computer, but still note it as insufficient - and then never notified me of any issues.After faxing a copy of the documents, and a follow up call, they will be sending the rebate in 8 - 10 weeks.One would expect that a company whose sole job is to handle rebates would do this correctly.My experience is consistent with stories I have heard of companies like this that will conveniently lose information knowing the buying public will not follow up.
Beware of ExpressGroup

No substitute for a good lawyer...
This software is good software. But please remember that a computer program is no substitute for a good lawyer. At the very least get one to look over your completed document for you. You wouldn't want a computer error to end up costing your loved ones more time, money and hassle in the courts.

Very handy software.. almost a must-have
I must say that the current developments in Florida and my experience with Quicken software is what pushed me to buy this product. And I am very happy with it as it meets my requirements. Here are some of the reasons why ::-

1)Detailed explanation for each step as you create a document. What each option means ? What is the impact ( from legal point of view ) ? Where are the contradictions ?

2)Legal Manual :: Access to a fairly detailed Legal manual. You can review this while you are creating the document or review it separately.

3)Option to export your document in RTF format. This is useful if you want to print the document from a different computer.

4)Facility to provide a password for your set of documents.

5)Option to create a separate document sets ( say for spouse and self )

6)Has a top level view which provides details about the documents created.

7)Exhaustive list of legal documents.

Now for the sad part. Like all Quicken products, it has to have a bug :-(. "Web update" did not work for me. Removed my proxy setting / server. Still does not work. Comes back with a error message to try it again after 10-15 minutes. Currently left a message with Nolo's technical support.

But to finish it on a high tone. It took me 15 minutes to create my Living Will ( a.k.a Health Care ). I strongly recommend this product. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft Money 2005 Small Business is the comprehensive finance solution that makes managing your business finances easy. Completely rebuilt for simplicity, Money makes handling finances easy with speedy setup, automated tools that reduce the need for manual entry, and adaptable Essential and Advanced features that enable a more personal experience. Following is an overview of the software's new and enhanced features. Money has been redesigned to bring more people into the personal finance category. Everyone’s financial wants are different. For the user who doesn’t want to spend time on their finances but just focus on the essentials, they can easily access their account balances online, have their transactions automatically categorized and instantly see where their money is going. They have ALL their financial information in one place, with minimal to no typing. For those people who like to pore over the details, Money gives you more with its advanced views. Money 2005 –one product, different user perspectives. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

MS Money 2005 Beware- Bugs, Flaws & General Issues
Money 2003 was an awesome product and I dropped Quicken after 6 years to use it. But the latest version that incorporates business forms and accounts should have remained in beta.

This is a flawed product that is a step back from previous versions. The conversion from earlier versions of Money can cause file corruption problems. The product has a feature to import contacts from Outlook but it is "buggy" and causes problems. When I called MS tech support the support rep said do not use it. They claim youcan share you information with other MS passport Users but it does not work. After two hours on the phone with MS they finally admitted it was a flaw. As the other review says, the invoice feature is a joke. You spend time customizing your invoices and then when you go to save them all images and formatting are taken out and only a text file is saved. There is no PDF capability. And you can not e-mail your newly designed invoice as it also creates a "bland" text file.

When i called Microsoft, American Express and Wells Fargo Tech support ( all support product)all support technicians said they hear nothing but problems with this product.

Money 2003 and 2004 were great. What alet down 2005 Small Business is. Stick to Quicken and Quick books and save your self hours on toll calls to tech support that results in no known fixes and no information in the MS Knowledge base.

Stay away!!
Don't make the mistake of buying this product. Learn from my mistake, I lost my hard earned $90 on this useless buggy piece of software.

I am still no able to digest the idea that you have to keep all your banking information on their servers to be able to receive bank transactions automatically. If you are concerned about security and automatic transaction updates are important to you, do not buy this product.

Other problems:
- Does not updates bank transactions consistently
- Clicking on update creates accounts one more time instead of just downloading the transactions
- Custom invoice template is a big mess. You can create custom templates and save them. But, you cannot edit them or use them to print invoices.

I wonder what kind of dimwit product manager has managed and released this product.

I wish there was some kind of consumer protection law that would let me return this product and get my money back. ... Read more

Product Description

Microsoft® Money 2005 Standard There's so much more to life than managing finances. Microsoft Money 2005 Standard makes it simple to see where your money is going by automatically consolidating all your transactions in one convenient place. It's like an always-current snapshot of your spending and budget. Money has answers to all your financial questions, so you can get on with your life. Money has been redesigned to bring more people into the personal finance category. Everyone’s financial wants are different. For the user who doesn’t want to spend time on their finances but just focus on the essentials, they can easily access their account balances online, have their transactions automatically categorized and instantly see where their money is going. They have ALL their financial information in one place, with minimal to no typing. For those people who like to pore over the details, Money gives you more with its advanced views. Money 2005 –one product, different user perspectives. ... Read more

Product Description

Help protect your family and property, quickly and easily! Create a legal will, make final arrangements, and access extensive legal information. As an added bonus, included Free on your disc is the Nolo's Encyclopedia of Everyday Law. Get answers to all those questions you couldn't afford to ask! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Solid and User Friendly, Great for Straightforward Situation
BOTTOM LINE:Quicken Lawyer Wills (`QLW') is a great, low-cost alternative to hiring a lawyer to prepare your will, which will run you a minimum of several hundred dollars.It takes just minutes to prepare a will, but its legal manual/support resources are extensive enough for those that want to spend much more time understanding the what/why behind their document.

QLW is published by Nolo Press, a well established publisher of self-help legal books.When creating a will, the software creates all of the legal language for you - you do not write a single word of legalese - and docs are tailored to each state's requirements.To get information from you and have you make decisions about the content/structure of your documents, QLW follows the typical "interview" format - easy to use and informative along the way.My wife and I each created wills in literally 20 minutes (but you probably have to put a bit of forethought into it, especially if you are married).

PROS:
- Ease of use:idiot-proof interview format
- Legal help:good offline manual, good resources at Nolo website
- Clear execution information:tells you exactly how to execute the will
- Address book: enter a person's info (i.e. you spouse) and don't need to enter again in other parts of same doc
- Ease of use for married people:prepare one spouse's will and QLW has a function to flip the names to create the other spouse's will without starting from scratch

COMPETITORS:Kiplinger and Broderbund also publish estate planning software but I've had a chance to look at them (pre-installed on my computer when I bought it) and I'd stick with Quicken.

GET A LAWYER IF:While QLW functions well as an advisor, guiding you through the specific provisions within a will, it has its limits and is candid enough to admit it during the interviews/tutorials.Get a lawyer for situations like: you expect to owe federal estate taxes ($1.5 million limit in 2003 and going up rapidly), you own a small business or you expect to have a messy family situation upon death (i.e. an ex-spouse or children that don't get along) or live in a community property state.

THINK ABOUT QUICKEN LAWYER PERSONAL:If you have the sense to prepare a will and are in a life situation to start preparing a will, you probably could stand to have a few other basic estate planning documents like a living will/healthcare directive and a power of attorney (especially if you're married).So for a few bucks more, I might check out Quicken Lawyer Personal instead which will do all of this plus prepare a will for you (see my review of Quicken Lawyer Personal for more info). ... Read more

Product Description

Elibrium provides productivity software and services to simplify home and business life. For over 14 years, customers have trusted Elibrium to help them grow their businesses cost-effectively. Elibrium empowers users by providing task-specific finance, mailing, design and information management tools to increase business efficiency through the Internet, personal computers and handheld devices. To complement its product range, Elibrium also manufactures high-quality supplies and consumables. Elibrium MyChecks Rainbow Pack contains 300 colorful personal wallet checks in 4 classic colors. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Extremely Useful with or without Existing Online Banking
Paytrust.com is one of the most useful online services in existence.While most Internet savvy users will have online bill payment capabilities through their banking institution, Paytrust allows for RECEIPT of detailed bills at a designated mailbox in Sioux Falls, SD (sorry, there is only one location at this time). These bills are either scanned in or, if the merchant has electronic billing, sent electronically to Paytrust. They are then viewed by the user on the web site.With the separate and distinct mailing address, the service provides address privacy.

If you argue that your credit card or cell phone provider has electronic billing, Paytrust also eliminates marketing materials from these entities because they will STILL send solicitations and sell your information even after you request omission from their marketing list or use their electronic billing.Not only can you view incoming bills, which banks (as far as I am aware) do not offer, but Paytrust also helps eliminate junk mail.In other words, any junk mail that Paytrust receives in your mail box will be destroyed."Important" documents such as convenience checks and cards are mailed to an alternate postal address.

Thefunctionality and usability of Patrust are great.The web site is very easy to use and offers both a basic layout for dial-up users and a richer interface for broadband users.After receiving a bill, the users is sent an email notification telling you the payment amount and balance if applicable.You can chose to pay the bill via Paytrust or use means of your choice.

If you travel or move frequently or just hate junk mail, Paytrust can't be beat.Basically, it gives you address privacy with high level of convenience. Say good bye to the direct marketingassociation.

An absolute MUST for gypsies
I disagree with the post from October 2002.I own MS Money (a fine product), but Paytrust is a completely different animal.And the differences are striking.Paytrust is completely portable.No matter what machine you use, you will ALWAYS have access to your current bills.They're ONLINE.Sure, many vendors will allow you to pay their bills at their websites, but if you have 20 bills, that's twenty websites.Quicken has a bill service, but they ONLY work with companies that are online.What about the bills that aren't?Well Paytrust doesn't care.It can take bills from your gas company, or your loan shark.

Maybe you decide to go in with someone half way on some purchase.It doesn't matter where you are; just find a computer, log on, plug in their information and mail them a check.

And another cool thing that your vendors online won't do for you, is consolidate all of your payments onto one CD and mail it to you (nominal fee).All of your bills, scanned and stored onto one CD for retrieval whenever you want.

I've been a paytrust customer for a few years now and I'll never look back.It's cheap compared to the convenience it brings me.

Oh and did I forget to mention that you can download your Paytrust information into Quicken or MSMoney?All the tools you need to manage your personal finances at home and on the road.

Excellent product
Paytrust makes my life much easier.It is great if you travel a lot and are not home to get your bills.All of my bills get sent directly to the Paytrust billcenter.They scan them, send me an email notification, and then I just logon to the site and tell them when and how much to pay.It's worth it to me not to have a ton of bills laying around on the kitchen table.I never have to buy stamps.I also never balance my checkbook.Using the smart balance feature Paytrust can check my current bank balance and tell me what bills I have pending etc.I have used Paytrust for over a year with no problems.Get it now and simplify your life.

You are paying for what you can do for free??
Why do you need software to pay bills?Most major banks, and 3rd parties, like MSN and Yahoo offer web-based bill pay services.I did buy this when it first came out, and quickly dumped it due to finding out later I could do more by hooking MS Money directly to a bill pay service. ... Read more

Features

• Add on or create your own templates to match the way you work.
• Carry a single computer for all your needs without losing your calculator's functionality.
• Calculate the way you prefer: RPN, order and chain input modes; quick access to routine functions.
• Templates appear like mini-spreadsheets, making it easy to verify your information, show clients, and work with colleagues.
• Save calculations for later review; print calculations for your own or your client's files.

Features

• Integrated, editable notes means you don't need to carry a manual.
• Calculate the way you prefer: RPN, order and chain input modes; quick access to routine functions.
• Included templates designed for business, finance and statistics.
• Synchronize templates to keep your data up-to-date on your handheld computer.
• Save calculations for later review; print calculations for your own or your client's files.

Reviews (1)

This software is great!
This software is great! You no longer have to get bills in the mail! Receive, review, pay and organize all your bills online! I highly recommend this software. ... Read more

Features

• Integrated, editable notes means you don't need to carry a manual.
• Carry a single computer for all your needs without losing your calculator's functionality.
• Calculate the way you prefer: RPN, order and chain input modes; quick access to routine functions.
• Templates appear like mini-spreadsheets, making it easy to verify your information, show clients, and work with colleagues.
• Save calculations for later review; print calculations for your own or your client's files.