TurboTax Deluxe 2004 [Old Version]

by Intuit

Product Features

• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Extra help for mortgages, charitable contributions, and other important deductions
• Assistance from official IRS publications and expert video advice
• Updated life events planner; medical expense expert; complete tax library
• Double-checks return for accuracy; compares last year's deductions to this year's

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00062AKK2
• Item model number: 292574
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 5, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,021 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #87 in Software > Tax Preparation

Product Description

TurboTax Deluxe software guides you through your return step-by-step with extra help for mortgages, charitable contributions, medical expenses, and other deductions. TurboTax Deluxe provides help when you need it on key tax areas from official IRS publications and expert video advice. It compares last year's deductions to this year's. The software double-checks your return for accuracy, overlooked deductions, and audit flags so you can be confident your taxes are done right… every step of the way.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Buggy and no free support, December 8, 2004

By 

Victor Silva "Victorious" (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TurboTax Deluxe 2004 [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

I bought this product because I have used TurboTax in prior years with no problems. This year they do have a buggy version for 2004. They have decided to use Javascript this year in many of their screens. I suspect this is an attempt to integrate and share much of the code for the installed TurboTax and the Web-based Turbotax.

After installing it and trying to run it I was getting a Javascript error on almost every action. Imagine my suprise when I tried to report the (confirmed) bug by calling their support number and realizing that it would cost me $9.95, JUST TO REPORT THEIR BUG.

Look at "support(dot)turbotax(dot)com(slash)forums" in the "Error Messages" forum and you will see a giant thread of users that are incensed that we users have to support this product not Intuit.

Users have come up with a fix for now that requires editing one of the Javascript files with a hex editor. Imagine you've just purchased a $39.95 piece of software, discover a bug that will cost you $9.95 just to find out there is no update yet and the only way to fix it is to get into the low level internals of Javascript yourself and fix it.

Need I say more. Avoid this title and go with something else. This is not worth buying for that ten dollar rebate.

Update 12/18/2004 -
Turbotax has implemented what I believe to be an automated free web support to address the problem of no free support. They have also claimed that the $9.95 fee per incident may be refunded if they are at fault when you call in.

Another note on these reviews. They do tend to be skewed towards the low side because people who have experienced problems are more likely to leave a (bad) review. There are quite a few reviewers that don't express much but leave a 5-STAR rating. Someone with a last name that is the same as a senior product manager at TurboTax kind of tips their hat at what is going on here. So please take the 5-STAR ratings as what they are. Also take the 1-STAR ratings as coming from someone who truly had a problem and was angry enough to give such a rating.

184 of 218 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars WARNING to Macintosh Users..., December 6, 2004

By 

D. T. Maxwell (Central California Coast) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TurboTax Deluxe 2004 [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

It is impossible to install TurboTax State 2004 on Macs. None of the keys for installing the State version work on the Mac, according to Intuit. Replacement Mac CDs will not be available until "late January or February." Obviously, this also thwarts the use of TurboTax Federal since state tax liability is deductible from federal taxes. The "solution" is to buy the minimal TurboTax Basic which does federal taxes only and calculate state tax manually, or pay a preparer to do it. This sort of thing is an ongoing problem for Mac users with Intuit products.

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not customer fiendly., December 30, 2004

By 

J. Materna - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: TurboTax Deluxe 2004 [Old Version] (CD-ROM)

I used Turbo Tax for 2003 and I thought it worked fine.
This year I had a slight problem with ordering; I called the 800 number given for help.Out of the eight calls I made, all of them were transferred to India.
I couldn't undrestand what the people were saying and they didn't seem to understand my problem, very frustration.
I did a lot of searching and got the number of corporate head quarters in California. When I talked to some lady there and explained what my problem was and that I couldn't get it solved by using their 800 number, she in a very unfriendly and snotty manner told me there was nothing she could do and that I would have to use the 800 number.

This company like many others makes it very difficult to get answers to problems with their product.

No more Turbo Tax for me!