Customer Reviews

TaxCut from H&R Block 2001 Deluxe Filing Edition

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have used the Kiplinger/H&R Block TAX CUT software for 4 years for my family's tax returns. I am an average taxpayer -- no exceptional computer or accounting skills. I have prepared the tax returns for my husband and myself and our "student" children. The software asks all the questions that allow you to complete the tax forms correctly without having to search through the tax instructions and figure out what applies to your individual tax return. Each year, I have had no trouble submitting my forms and I have never had an audit. In the tax year 2000, I also completed our state tax forms using this software - again with no problems. The basic information entered the first time the software is used is saved and can be used each tax year without re-entering. I plan to continue using this software and recommend that you try it, too!

I bought this product last year and found it superior to TurboTax/MacInTax. This year, despite two phone calls and one email to the manufacturer, I cannot even get the program to work. If there were a zero-star rating, I would give it to this product. It is utterly and totally unsatisfactory to this purchaser.

Kiplinger put its 2001 version of TaxCut deluxe on the market for Mac users before the software was suitable to prepare taxes. This version will not print properly without an update from the manufacturer's Web site, which is not available and will not be posted (according to TaxCut's customer service department) until the end of February 2002. I have since purchased Quicken's TurboTax for Mac and found it far superior and user friendly. All of the forms and the electronic filing procedure in te Quicken product work perfectly.

This is a serious bug. TaxCut will not print to HP printers, there is no work around and there is no patch available and no word on when or if one will be available. Customer Service is no help. Not only do they not know anything about Macs, but they have no solution either. The online help is similarly worthless. This version should have never gone out the door this way. I would NOT recommend buying it until the bugs are fixed; by that time you could do your return by hand and have a rebate.

This is my second year of using TaxCut. Prior to last lear I had used Intuit tax programs for 8 years. After several problems with Intuit support both MacinTax & Quicken I switched to TaxCut. Last year was fine. This year the installation program failed the first time I ran it. On the second install program installed. When I tried to start it the extensions hadn't installed. I then dragged copies of the extension into the system folder.

Once started only a portion of the last years data was carried forward.

The were additional problems installing both the federal update and the State program.

Also not all print options are available, the left hand bullets don't print, only by selecting groups of individual documents would anything print.

I sent an e-mail to customer support on Feb 23, requesting support on the printing problems, as of Mar 5 no response was recieved.

These problems were encounted running under a new install of 8.6
running on a 604e with 64 Meg memory, and virtual memory tuned on.

If you think twiddling with installs and chasing missing extensions are too much a chore don't buy this product.

After years of doing my returns by hand I decided to break down this year and buy a tax package. I'd really love to give this product 5 stars, but I couldn't print my return (HP printer) and emails to customer service were unanswered. I e-filed which made printing less of a concern, but obviously I'd like to have a copy for my files.

Downloading updates, the state return and e-filing went without a hitch.

I notice from other reviews that there might be a patch available for the printing problem. We'll see.

You may pay a few more bucks for the TurboTax software, but you will certainly get your money's worth! TurboTax (by Intuit) is much better refined than TaxCut, and I believe that this is due to the fact that TurboTax has had much more experience in the tax software and personal finance business.

Last year, I bought TaxCut (Deluxe) and fired a refund application for the State Tax software. I have never seen the refund back. I have never received anything from them. So try to get the refund first.

I have used Turbo Tax (a competitor to TaxCut) for several years with great success. This year I tried TaxCut because of the lower price, and was seriously disappointed. The program will not let me e-file, because it misinterprets some of my data (details below if you are interested). An email to customer service was never answered. An hour-long call (at my expense) produced no help. A promised return call never came. The final answer from customer service is that I simply cannot efile with TaxCut. The program also crashes occasionally. I have to paper file this year and will never use TaxCut again.

Problem details: My wife and I both work for the same employer and both have dependent care benefits listed on our W2's. TaxCut will not e-file because we have "two employer dependent care providers," even though they are obviously the same care provider with the same name, address, and federal ID number. Overriding these fields also prevents an e-file, so there is no workaround. The information comes straight from the W2's so there is simply no way to avoid the problem if the W2's are properly entered.

Just finished doing my taxes with it. It imported my last year's data with no problems, and continued to work without a hitch. (MacOS 9.2.2, lots of memory). (haven't tried the state version, or printing to an HP printer.) If I had a nit to pick, it would be that the point in Taxcut's interview where you enter your state tax refund begins by saying "Did you or your spousereceive a form 1099-G for2001?" It eventually goes on to mention that this is the place to enter your state tax refund even if you didn't get a 1099-G, but I missed that the first time through.

On my wishlist for Taxcut would be the ability to "print" a PDF of the finished tax return. This is not so pressing, however, as there are various commercial/shareware/freeware ways of getting this functionality, and MacOS X has it built in.