Customer Reviews

TurboTax Deluxe for Mac 2002

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Turbo Tax, in my opinion is a great program. Unfortunately, Intuit has instituted policies on the Windows version which are unacceptable. For the Mac version, they apparently weren't able to do this, instead they decided to just charge 25 percent more for the same program. These are unacceptable business practices which I will no longer be a part of. As of next year, I am switching to Tax Cut. A program which costs the same for both platforms...

...Intuit charges $10 more for the Mac product. I guess you are paying for the premium of not having to worry about activation codes, limits on printing, and numbers of returns you may process. Don't let the grousing PC users scare you off from a pretty good product -- its always nice finding those little perks for the Mac user that stick it to the WinTel hegemony.

I have always liked these Intuit products, especially if your tax returns aren't terribly complicated or exceptionally simple.

The product seems to be up to the usual level of quality, but if they do institute the security system on Turbo for Mac next year, I will probaly switch to other software.

I give three stars, since I fear for Intuit's future decisions about how to secure its software.

I have use Macintax and Turbotax for the last few years and generally have been very pleased..until this year, 2002. I am running Mac OS 9.2.2 and this is my story. I ordered the CD in mid January expecting to file my taxes at the split second that I received my W-2's. Well all was going as planned, I had my tax forms ready to file. Then I said to myself, "Self, lets check for updates using the one-click update feature just to make sure that I was using the latest forms and software". The one-click update looked like it was working..it went through all the downloads and update installation. I did the one-click update again just to be sure and it told me that the Turbotax Engine needed to be updated again. I went through the update sequence a few more times just to make sure that I wasn't doing something wrong. The updater could not be satisfied! Well after trouble shooting this for a few hours and dealing with the Turbotax Technical Support Chatline 3-4 times, I was told to wait until mid February for another Mac Update. Goodbye to the split second tax filing. Next year--Goodbye to Turbotax

This is my 10th year buying this tax program, and I'm really disappointed. It displayed the recursive update problem others have reported about in this review section (update over and over again, and it still would like me to update again). I guess that's fixed now, but at one point none of my forms W-2 ended up on line 7 of my 1040, which is great for lowering my taxes due, but not correct. Now that mysterious omission has moved on to line 8a, none of my interest income appears there despite it appearing on Schedule B line 4 (which reads "Enter result here and on form 1040, line 8a"). The state filing used to be a simple download, but now you have to buy it and get a rebate to pay the difference (not including sales tax). But the "purchase" button on the web page that TurboTax directs you to doesn't work -- I push it, and all I get is a spinning watch. I tried reporting these bugs to Intuit via their bug feedback page, but no response.

According to the reviews for the TurboTax 2002 PC version, the product can only be printed from one computer. If you change computer in the future, you won't be able to file an amended return. You won't be able to print your tax return if IRS audit you. Intuit also installs ... C-dilla on the PC. If the same [also] applies to the Mac version, I don't recommend using this product.

I am a highly experienced computer user and had been a Mac-In-Tax/Turbo Tax for Mac user for more than ten years. My negative experience with the 2002 version (OS/9) of this non-functional product was extremely frustrating, time consuming and disappointing. My recommendation to Mac users is to switch to TaxCut.

When I started working with an early release version of the software which I had ordered last year, I was unable to successfully download the TurboTax federal updates and the Pennsylvania state software. Downloads would begin, but then terminate before the download could be completed. I retried numerous times and, on one or two occasions, the download completed itself. However, the system always crashed during the installation process, and the updates could not be installed. After unsuccessful results from the TurboTax free FAQ and on-line chat (with Technical Services) I signed up for a PIN at $...for the privilege of speaking with a live person regarding the problem. This phone number put me in contact with a Windows Technical Support representative who was unable to solve a Macintosh issue - I paid for a service which I did not receive. It was finally determined that the early release software which was shipped to me in December was defective, and Customer Service sent me a new CD at no cost.

I installed the software from the new CD and encountered the same problems with the downloads and updates. Ultimately, I gave up and ordered H&R Block's TaxCut for Mac. It transferred last year's data from my TurboTax file and worked flawlessly. During installation, I had to contact Tax Cut's technical support department. I am pleased to report that they are competent and responsive, and there is no charge for the service.

I used TurboTax in 2000 and 2001; it was simple and error free. But 2000 was a nightmare in several respects. When I tried to locate the self-employed health deduction location, for instance, I simply got a message telling me what had to be done and the software didn't take me there. I had to do a manual override. It kept telling me there were errors (I was using EasyStep) but when I would fix the ones it found it would tell me there were more than before. I opted to download the current upgrades, which, it said, would take just a "few minutes." At 56k it too an hour and a half. Then it printed the quarterly estimated tax vouchers for 2003 with letter across it saying that they required a software update to print properly. We're in July of 2003 and they aren't ready? They have turned a relatively simply and effective application into an abomination. It took me 5 hours to do our simple taxes, and I eventually had to just send the forms off with "error" still being reported. The prior two years I spend about 2 hours using TurboTax.

This company has the poor customer service. When having troubles loading on a Mac I look for help. All they offer is a chat site that did not work with my operating system 8.6. Phone calls for help cost $14.95 each. If you buy TaxCut software instead you can talk to real people for free. I am returning TurboTax and buying TaxCut instead. Also, TurboTax will not import TaxCut data from last year BUT TaxCut WILL import TurboTax infor from last year (and ofcoures TaxCut from last year>

The Mac version of Turbo Tax is as realiable and hearty as its predecessors on PC with the added bonus of no spyware or installation restrictions. The downside is that importing previous tax returns is a hassle... I ended up re-entering a few essential details rather than struggle with the conversion process. Having said that, I don't regret switching to a Mac or using Turbo Tax... it's made filing my annual return a lot easier and stress free now that I've moved beyond the simplicity of basic IRS forms.

If you suffer from low blood pressure, trying to use this product is a great way to elevate it in a hurry. First, you have to download a huge update file to make the program current. Second, part of that file, the now infamous mfdiper section, wouldn't download for me and I am running System 9.2 (Intuit admits it won't work with System 8). WARNING: mfdiper can cause system freezes. Third, after failing to download the update file I tried to contact Intuit for tech support. The live chat box came up and promptly, filled with hundreds of lines of computer code. I was unable to get through with online chat which precluded any chance of calling their service number to pay for the privilege of finding out why their download won't download. I, too, am a long time turbotax user but this was the last straw. No wonder Intuit stock was just downrated...