TurboTax Business + eFile 2008 [OLD VERSION]

by Intuit

Product Features

• Prepare and print unlimited federal returns; e-file up to five federal returns (per IRS guidelines) at no additional charge
• Includes free federal efile -- receive IRS confirmation and get your refund in as few as 8 days
• Customized interview tailors itself to your type of business (corporation, partnership, or multi-member LLC) and provides extra guidance to simplify tax preparation and help you maximize tax saving
• Maximizes business deductions, finds tax write-offs by industry, PLUS easily imports QuickBooks tax-ready info to save time and ensure accuracy
• Lets you prepare returns for multiple businesses, even if they are different entity types

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001GL8UJK
• Item model number: 408074
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 23, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (88 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,101 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #87 in Software > Tax Preparation

Product Description

Amazon.com

TurboTax Business helps taxpayers prepare and file tax returns for an S Corporation, Partnership/LLC, C Corporation, Estate, or Trust. The software guides customers step-by-step through their federal business return in plain English. It categorizes business expenses, offers helpful examples, and provides guidance on depreciation. In addition, TurboTax Business also calculates and prints W-2, 1099-MISC forms and Schedule K-1 for employees, contractors and partners.

Asks easy questions about your business Asks you questions in plain English, then puts your info on the right business tax forms for you. Click to enlarge.

Efile for a fast refund Efile with direct deposit to get your refund in as few as 8 days. Federal efile included.

It's easier than ever to do your own business taxes.

Knows Your Business and Does the Hard Work for You

With TurboTax Business, you don't need to know a thing about business taxes. Its customized interview tailors itself to your type of business (corporation, partnership, or multi-member LLC) and provides extra guidance to simplify tax preparation and help you maximize tax savings. Just answer simple questions and let TurboTax do the rest.

Improved Imports Your QuickBooks Data
Saves you time and retyping and helps ensure accuracy. You can use your QuickBooks tax-ready data to easily import your Profit and Loss statement. If your chart of accounts is not tax ready, TurboTax automatically imports your QuickBooks income and expense accounts and classifies them in the appropriate tax categories that you can edit.

Improved Simplifies Entering Income and Expenses
Speeds you through entering all your business expenses, no matter how you track them. If you have a Profit & Loss statement, TurboTax streamlines data entry so you can quickly enter all your income and expenses. If you track expenses manually, TurboTax gives you all the guidance you need to ensure you've covered all income sources and expense categories.

Improved Even Easier for Returning Users
Saves time by transferring last year's data, including all depreciable assets, to your 2008 TurboTax Business return. A new year-over-year comparison to last year's return provides extra guidance.

Creates W-2 and 1099-MISC Forms
Helps you prepare forms for employees and contractors. Does all calculations and prints on plain paper--no need for special-colored-ink forms. There's no limit on the number of forms you can prepare.

Handles Multiple Businesses
Lets you prepare returns for multiple businesses, even if they are different entity types. Provides extra guidance for entering multiple businesses.

Filing Multiple Returns? It’s Easy with TurboTax
You can prepare and print unlimited federal returns and e-file up to five federal returns (per IRS guidelines) with TurboTax at no additional charge. You get all the features and benefits of TurboTax, like year-over-year transfer and audit support tools.

Federal e-filing is easy, fast and more accurate than paper filing and eliminates paperwork hassles. You'll receive IRS confirmation your return has been received and best of all, you'll get a faster refund—in as little as 8 days.* And you can start and work on as many returns as you like and still use all the tax planning features (scenario and alternative planning) you've come to value without having to pay extra.

*IRS typically estimates 8-15 days for efile with direct deposit.

Includes Extra Guidance for New Businesses
Shows which start-up costs new businesses can deduct.

Improved Makes State Business Taxes Easier, Too
No retyping necessary! Transfers your federal data to TurboTax Business State so you can complete your state return quickly, easily and with greater accuracy.

New Federal Efile Included
Federal efile is now included with TurboTax Business. It's easier and more accurate than paper filing and is the IRS's preferred filing method.

Maximizes Business Deductions

Helps You Get Every Business Deduction You Deserve
Shows you what business expenses you can deduct including:

• Vehicle Expenses: Shows you whether you'll get a bigger refund using actual expenses or the standard mileage rate. Provides extra help for splitting vehicle expenses between business and personal use.
• Supplies: Your paper, ink, postage, staples, CDs, coffee, and more can add up to big savings.
• Large Purchases (Assets): Tells you if you should fully deduct equipment this year or if you need to depreciate.
• Promotion and Advertising: Learn how to deduct expenses like brochures, business cards, web sites, and sponsorships.
• Travel: Tells you when (and how much) you can deduct for meals, airfare, taxis, hotels and more.

Identifies Industry-Specific Deductions
Walks you through typical deductible expenses by industry to help you spot commonly overlooked deductions.

Improved Simplifies Asset Depreciation
Reviews your large purchases (assets) and helps you determine the most advantageous, tax-saving strategy for your assets. Then guides you through calculating and reporting depreciation.

Provides Support and Guidance Each Step of the Way

World-Class Help Built Right In
Provides FAQs, tax topic videos, easy-to-follow tips and how-to's, troubleshooting articles, government instructions, and IRS publications, so you can get the answers you need every step of the way.

Why TurboTax Business is the easiest choice for you... TurboTax Business is the do-it-yourself business tax software you've been looking for. Now you can complete your business taxes on your schedule--and save money doing it. TurboTax Business covers your federal business tax return for: Multi-Member LLCs (Form 1065) Partnerships (Form 1065) S Corporations (Form 1120S) C Corporations (Form 1120) Estates and Trusts (Form 1041) TurboTax Business works best if your small business: Is an S Corporation, C Corporation, partnership, or multi-member LLC Has revenue of less than $250,000 Has fewer than five employees Sole proprietors, consultants, 1099 contractors: use TurboTax Home & Business. After you do your business taxes, you'll also need a TurboTax personal tax preparation software product. We recommend TurboTax Deluxe.

24/7 Support Web Site
Easily search the TurboTax.com Support knowledge base for answers to your specific questions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

FREE Technical Support
Got a software question? No problem! Get answers from a TurboTax expert via e-mail, phone or live chat.

Also Available: Live Tax Advice
Offers one-on-one, live support from highly qualified tax professionals, skilled at answering questions specifically related to federal tax law. Additional charges apply.

Helps Reduce Audit Risk

Your risk of an audit is already low: less than 1% of all C Corp, S Corp, and partnership returns are audited (as compared to more than 3% of Schedule C returns). TurboTax helps you reduce your risk even further.

Accurately Calculates Your Taxes, Guaranteed
Does all the math for you and we guarantee its accuracy. Chances are slim, but if you should get hit with an IRS or state penalty or interest because of a TurboTax calculation error, we'll pay you the penalty and interest.

Checks Your Return for Errors
Double-checks your return for accuracy and completeness and helps you fix any errors before the IRS spots them.You can be confident your taxes are done right.

Alerts You to Audit Red Flags
Points out deductions and tax situations that may increase your risk of an IRS audit.

Also Available: Audit Defense
Provides full-service representation by a trained tax professional. You will never have to meet with the IRS, unless you want to.

Compare TurboTax Software

Choose the tax preparation solution that best suits your needs:

Product Description

Includes everything you need to complete your business income taxes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars TurboTax Business Free??????????????????, January 13, 2009

By 

Digimc "Digimc" - See all my reviews

This review is from: TurboTax Business + eFile 2008 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Something is seriously wrong here. I purchased TurboTax Business 2008 last week and now find out that the full edition is a free download from TurboTax with their blessings??? Do I feel like a chump? In the immortal words of Sarah Palin, "YOU BETCHYA"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here it is folks:

http://www.turbotax.com/lp/ty08/ppc/ttb-learn-more-biz-free.jsp

This TurboTax company has a lot of nerve!

75 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't fall for TurboTax's deceptive price increase on e-file and multiple returns!, November 21, 2008

By 

Collin K. Ong (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TurboTax Business + eFile 2008 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

UPDATE: Intuit has tried to correct for this year's price-grab (as detailed below in my original post) by reversing themselves and including 5 free e-files and removing restrictions on the number of returns that can be created and printed with a single copy of TurboTax. For that, I am raising my rating to two stars. However, as smart consumers, we should note when they did this and infer what motivated them. During the period while the controversy of their restrictions and extra charges was raging, Intuit and its representatives did nothing but try to justify their position, but this did nothing but inflame their (former) customers more.

However, the controversy did catch the attention of Intuit TurboTax's primary competitor, the Tax Cut product from H&R Block, who then moved to take advantage by first pointing out that they did not raise their price this year (even when including e-file as TurboTax did) and were not restricting the number of returns that could be done with a single copy of TaxCut. Then, more importantly, decided to offer 5 free e-files with the TaxCut product.

Only then did Intuit realize that they were not going to sneak this price-grab by consumers, because if the two products were side by side and only one of them (TaxCut) was advertising 5 free e-files and no limits on printing, they were going to lose sales big time. They then reversed their decision and have now matched TaxCut's offer.

So what does that mean for us consumers? In one sense, it is a victory, because we are getting what we wanted in the first place: to pay a reasonable price for a product that we can use to meet our family's needs. However, while I applaud Intuit's decision to reverse a bad decision, I can also see that it wasn't because they were listening and responding to their customers, but only countering their competition (who was listening to consumers and responded to take advantage).

More importantly, H&R Block's actions with TaxCut demonstrated a certain corporate character: first, they did not try to price-gouge customers this year by raising prices when they included "free" e-file. Free equals free. Second, they did not try to get extra money for printed returns (software as service) when the customer has already paid for the product. Third, they could have just trumpeted the fact that they do not charge for extra printed returns, but they raised the bar by including more free e-files. This is compared to Intuit's corporate character of greed and selfishness, which has been demonstrated this year by price increases, user restrictions, and extra charges. A few years ago, they also showed their true colors by including damaging Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) in TurboTax to prevent it from being installed on more than one computer, preventing legitimate customers from working on their return on a work computer and finishing it on their home computer, and then preventing them from uninstalling it. Then, as with this year, they only listened and gave in when it was already clear they are going to lose. Intuit needs to learn how to balance their profit expectations with respect for their customers and it will take time before they earn our respect back.

So for me, I will give credit where it is due and purchase TaxCut instead of TurboTax this year.

ORIGINAL REVIEW BELOW:

Intuit is trying to pull a fast one on consumers this year by including e-filing "at no extra charge."

Intuit is promoting that they are including one free e-file with its software for tax year 2008, but has also increased the price of its products by about $15. In previous years, they would charge $15 extra to e-file, but you could send in a rebate to get that $15 back, which made it effectively free. This year, they charge you $15 upfront, whether you use the e-file or not, which means EVERYBODY PAYS MORE.

In addition, they have changed their product's license from allowing a purchaser of TurboTax to prepare up to five tax returns within the household in the 2007 version to allowing only one tax return (with included e-file) and then charging $9.95 for each additional return prepared, WHETHER THOSE ADDITIONAL RETURNS ARE PRINTED OR E-FILED in the 2008 version. The additional charges for additional e-file submissions would be fair, but not for additional preparations and printed returns. So what this means is that, under the guise of providing free e-file, Intuit will charge up to $54.80 ($15 + 4 * 9.95) MORE to consumers to receive the equivalent of what was provided with the 2007 version. Keep in mind, they are charging even if you prepare and print more than one return without e-filing, which means there is NO COST TO THEM, but they want to charge you for it anyway.

This doesn't sound free to me.

This will affect many users who prepare one main return, and then a few more simple ones for children or parents, etc. Even if you only do one return, you should avoid this year's TurboTax on principle. The core issue is that Intuit is trying to change TurboTax from a tool-based product model to a service-based model. However, they have not changed the pricing to reflect this change. The problem is, they want to continue pricing the product like they did before, when it was a tool that could be used multiple times, yet restrict it like a service where you pay for every use.

If you object to the one return policy, Intuit will just say, "Use TurboTax Online, it's free for simple returns!", but this suggestion is just a distraction in this discussion. What they are saying is like this: Suppose I bought a nice brand-name toolset for full price and used it on one project. I've now setup all the tools in the box just like I like it and become totally familiar with the tools and how they can be used, so much that I can just reach in the box without looking and find the tool I need and once I get it out I know just how hard to hit with that hammer. I finish the project and close up my toolbox for the day. The next day, my mom wants me to fix something so I get the toolbox but I now find that it is locked and has a security sticker on it saying that I'll have to pay $10 extra to open the toolbox for each additional project. Or, I can pack up my mom's item and drive it to the hardware store where they will let me borrow some simple tools to try and fix the item but if it gets too complicated over there, they'll start charging me to rent additional tools. Not to mention that I have to throw away all the learning that I've already developed with the great toolset that I already bought and learn another whole set of rental tools at the hardware store. If I wanted to rent tools, then I wouldn't have bought the toolbox in the first place (which was probably what the hardware store really wanted when they came up with this scheme).

Here is the problem people have with this scenario:

Last year, the toolbox included 5 uses. This year the toolbox costs $15 more but only allows a single use. Ok, it adds a "free" service that used to cost $15 but we may or may not want to use that service and if we did, we could send in a rebate for to get the $15 back, making it effectively free. But "Free service" aside, what happened to the value of those unlimited uses? The price of the toolbox stayed the same, but the functionality went down because we can only use it once. Maybe it would be more ok if there was a big sign at the store that said: "SAVE ON THIS TOOLBOX! YOU CAN ONLY USE IT ONCE BUT IT'S CHEAPER!" Or at have the decency to post a very big warning: "THIS TOOLBOX COSTS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE IT ONCE!"

Don't let them get away this price increase that has no basis in common sense. Avoid TurboTax this year until they change this ridiculous policy, even if you only prepare a single return with it. If you buy it, they'll use your sales data to justify this unreasonable change, then who knows what else they will try to charge us for next for doing nothing on their part.

Looking at the big picture, what Intuit probably wants in the long term is to move people away from the boxed product and over onto the online product and then kill off the boxed product. This would eliminate the costs of physical production and distribution and the bandwidth costs of distributing software updates. It would also eliminate the slice of the profits given to retailers that sell their boxed product and kill off any promotional pricing or freebies. With no retailer competition, Intuit could charge whatever they want for their online service. It would also increase customer lock-in since their data would be purely stored on their own company servers.

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars still the champ!, December 27, 2008

By 

Daniel Ford (New Hampshire) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TurboTax Business + eFile 2008 [OLD VERSION] (CD-ROM)

Like others, I was annoyed enough at Intuit's new policy of charging $9.95 for each return after the first one that I ordered up Tax Cut Home & Business instead. In addition to Tax Cut's rather poor interface, I immediately ran into problems importing information from last year's corporate tax return (prepared on TurboTax Biz). I called up customer support and in short order learned that Tax Cut can't perform this simple function! That was a deal breaker for me. (Can you imagine re-creating ten or twelve depreciation schedules dating back five and seven years?)

So I returned Tax Cut and got an immediate and no-questions refund from Amazon, and ordered TurboTax instead. This is a pricey choice, because one must buy two Intuit products to get what H & R Block provides in one Tax Cut disc. Well, not only is the TurboTax interface much better, but it's improved over last year. This is especially noticable in the Form 1040 of TurboTax Basic. (I work directly on the forms, so I see no point in buying anything other than the Basic software: TurboTax Basic Federal + eFile 2008) That, to me, is worth the extra cost.

And, oh, the power of the internet! Intuit got so many and such hostile reviews that within two days it rescinded the $9.95 charge. You can now prepare (and e-file) up to five returns from one piece of software.

Thank you for listening, Intuit, and thank you for a great product. I actually enjoy preparing my taxes, though not paying the bottom line.

(Note that TurboTax Business is for corporate and trust returns, not for the Schedule C used by many small businesses, and which are handled just fine by TurboTax Basic or any other iteration of the personal tax software.)