TurboTax Basic 2002

by Intuit

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006UHPF
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 1, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 1.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (121 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,616 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

TurboTax Basic guides you through preparing and filing your taxes quickly and easily. The EasyStep Interview process guides you through your return step-by-step, then double checks for errors and overlooked deductions. Information can be instantly imported from your Quicken or QuickBooks program (2001 or later) and quickly transferred from last year's federal return. You can even file your return electronically.

The software also allows you to retrieve and input your wage, mortgage interest, and investment data with instant data entry by automatically retrieving W-2 wage data, 1098 mortgage interest, and 1099 investment data from participating employers and financial institutions. It then enters the data into the right forms, reducing manual data entry and simplifying tax preparation.

TurboTax Basic also helps you identify entries that could trigger an audit. Audit Alerts check your return for items that might raise a red flag with the IRS, and provide information on key documents you should keep. In addition, TurboTax Basic helps you make the most of the changing tax laws: it is up-to-date, with all the latest tax law changes.

All federal versions of TurboTax desktop products for Windows include product activation to better ensure customers use the product in accordance with the License Agreement. An independent test of product activation technology in Intuit Inc.'s TurboTax desktop software products confirms the technology does not negatively impact computer performance or compromise customer privacy. The findings of the tests, performed by PCTest Corporation, an independent software-testing lab can be found at http://www.pctest.com/intuit/index.htm. You can still prepare multiple returns from one computer, and install and prepare your return on multiple computers. To fully uninstall the the SafeCast/C-Dilla element of TurboTax, you must download the free uninstall application at the TurboTax Support website. For additional information about product activation, go to http://www.turbotaxsupport.com and refer to TurboTax Product Activation in the News and Tips section.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

96 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A previously superb product falls from grace., December 10, 2002

By 

Bibliophile - See all my reviews

This review is from: TurboTax Basic 2002 (CD-ROM)

I have used, enjoyed and positively reviewed TurboTax for the past several years. This will be the last year I use it. Negative changes and how they affected me include:

- the installation of lots of extra marketing slime-ware on my computer. Hey, I've paid for the product...why is Intuit now trying to sell me on it's various marketing partners? I'd expect this from some fly-by-night company (like Real Audio), but Intuit? How far they've fallen.

- New "improved" installation policy. Normally, I installed a copy of this software on my main home PC and a copy on my laptop. I'd do all my financial calculations and entries in advance of my yearly visit to the accountant's office - just so I'd have an idea of what I owed, what documents I'd need, and what questions to ask. Typically, I took my laptop with me and was able to show where numbers came from and what I was thinking. Not any more. You can only install this baby on one computer. So much for flexibility. So much for trust. Intuit doesn't trust you, their customer. Additionally, the C-dilla spyware is installed on your system...and can't be un-installed even if you remove Turbo Tax. This is a total invasion of privacy!

- They've disabled the prior year import feature from the basic edition! In another slimy (there's that word again) effort to extract more revenue from its' customer base, Intuit has disabled the prior year import feature from the basic version!!! You have to buy the "Deluxe" version to get this expected feature. I purchased this version without noticing this and now am forced to re-enter all my depreciation information, social security and address information, etc. What a pain! (Later edit: my prior years' file was corrupt. You can import uncorrupted Ttax files from past years.)

Congratulations Intuit! You've gone from a reputable company with a good product, to just another group of smarmy weasles selling an inferior product. To the potential cusotmer: if you're thinking about buying this product, look for alternatives. There are several that I intend to explore in the future. As a matter of fact, I'll be taking a long, hard look at replacing my Quicken 2002 with the competing product originating out of Redmond, WA. I never thought I'd be this disappointed by Intuit, but the day has finally come.

Review summary: Avoid this software like the plague!

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Beware, it installs spyware, January 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: TurboTax Basic 2002 (CD-ROM)

Intuit, in its (rightful) decision to protect its product from casual copying made a very very wrong decision by installing a service called C-Dilla on the user's machine. This service, which runs all the time and won't uninstall even after you've uninstalled Turbotax is often considered as "spyware" by various source on the internet. It installed without the user's permission, and is not even refered to in the license agreement.

I would strongly suggest staying away from Turbotax products this year. Hopefully Intuit will have learned its lessons next year and removed this.

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Can only print and read forms from one machine, January 7, 2003

By 

debit281 - See all my reviews

This review is from: TurboTax Basic 2002 (CD-ROM)

Stay away from this years Turbo Tax because:
1) The new activation scheme limits you to use it effectively on only one machine. The company says you can install it on different machines but you can only print and see the forms on the one machine that has been activated. The only thing you can do on any other machine is go through the interview process. You can not see the resulting forms or print without activating. How totally useless!
2) If you upgrade your hard drive (easy to do with prices falling for hard drives) or get a new machine you must buy another copy of Turbo Tax, even if you removed the first install. Its like selling a wrench to a mechanic that can only be used on one car only.