Turbo Tax users here? An embarrassed about face.

[PaulKay]

Got this email today from TurboTax.

Dear Paul,

We recently tried to explain the changes made to our TurboTax desktop software and apologized for the impact it had on you. Many responded and let us know our apology and rationale were not acceptable.

You want the TurboTax desktop product (CD or download) you've used in the past to do what it has always done—handle your tax situation. We heard you. It's time we make it right.

Beginning February 7, 2015, you can buy the same product you'd normally buy, and if you need to upgrade for your tax situation, we'll help you do that at no additional cost. This means you'll get all the forms you need, including Schedules C, D E, and F, without paying anything extra. Learn more.


If you're a returning TurboTax Deluxe CD or download customer and you've already filed using TurboTax Premier or TurboTax Home & Business, we're offering you $25 cash back. Simply visit TurboTax.com/25back to claim your money.

Next, we are committed to bringing back the product you know and love. By the time you are ready to prepare and file your taxes next year, the TurboTax desktop product you trusted in the past will include the forms you've counted on for years.

I understand our actions have caused anger and frustration, and our response has been far too slow. TurboTax is committed to regaining your trust and providing you with the level of excellence you have come to expect.

Thank you for your feedback and continued loyalty,

[dickt]

I've used it for a decade and they didn't offer me anything. A few years ago I stopped buying CD's and did it online, but this year I bought the CD again because I want to do a lot of what ifs for 2015 taxes so I know whether to make quarterly payments now that I'm retired.

[Hobson]

This will be our third year of using TurboTax. We have no need for Schedule D this time, making us unaffected by the "improvement." I refuse to store our tax info in the cloud, so we did a download.

We make quarterly payments. It's not hard to do some what ifs with a simple Excel spreadsheet. Anyway, you only need to pay enough estimated tax to not owe a penalty. That being said, I think we'll be getting a refund of under $25.

[dickt]

It will be a while before I know what my real pension will be. I got the first interim monthly payment which is about $1000 short and I will get the adjustment in maybe 7 months. Plus they owed me $24K in unused vacation time and after taxes it was $13K. Then there is SS which I am not withholding taxes from but will owe tax on 85 percent

[Village Idiot]

We take our taxes to someone who knows what she is doing. Been going to her for years. She charges under one hundred bucks, and has saved us a ton of money, and has been a huge stress relief as well.

[Cosmic Wonder]

We have used turbo tax for years. No issues.

Mike

[billhammond]

Meanwhile, in Minnesota:

Minnesota officials said late Thursday that they would immediately stop accepting state income-tax returns filed through TurboTax, a popular tax preparation software, due to possible fraudulent activity.

Revenue Commissioner Cynthia Bauerly said the state would continue accepting tax returns from other software brands and through traditional filing methods. Nonetheless, the sudden halt to TurboTax-filed returns is expected to cause many to change how they file their 2014 returns.

With nearly 30 million customers nationwide, TurboTax — owned by Intuit Inc. — accounts for 60 to 65 percent of the market. Bauerly said TurboTax accounts for a large number of returns filed in Minnesota, which has about 2.7 million filers annually.

State officials had only limited information on the scope of fraudulent activity. But they said some Minnesota taxpayers had reported attempting to use TurboTax to file their taxes only to find a return had already been filed.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue said its computer systems were not breached.
Assistant Commissioner Terri Steenblock said that officials discovered problems with some returns on Wednesday night and that by Thursday, they began blocking returns submitted through TurboTax.

Steenblock said officials are working with Intuit to address the problems and learn more about the issue. “The most important thing is making sure we protect taxpayers,” she said.
Beginning Friday morning, affected taxpayers can call Intuit for more information at this dedicated phone number: 1-800-944-8596.

[jdd2]

Used to use it, switched to a US-based CPA maybe about 10 yrs ago. Didn't have them then, and don't have them now, but I held some MLPs off & on and I wonder if TT could have handled those details/complexity.

[Russell Letson]

We used TurboTax for several years, early on--it worked very well, but one thing it couldn't do (back then, anyway) was read the damn rules for me. (Stop me if I've posted this before. Oops, too late.) I recall vividly re-re-re-rereading a page of depreciation rules (I was still running a teensy little business) and finally giving up and calling an accountant who worked with a lot of small businesses. Ken not only did all the fiddly bits but explained them, at least to the limits of my understanding. He's taken care of us ever since, even through the later years when the exotic parts of our tax lives calmed down. It's nice to have someone else track continuity and follow tax-code changes. All I have to do is dig out the records and provide the raw numbers, then sign the form.

[xyrn]

We've generally used the HRBlock TaxCut CD.
Nice thing is that it will load in the previous year's stuff when you start a new return.
They probably all do that, but HRB has worked well for us, I think it ends up being about $40 for the program and the electronic filing for Fed/State.

The CD's come in the mail free, and then you buy a digital 'key' online that makes the software fuctional.

[fauxmaha]

I have a guy named Mike.

[dradtke]

Feb 6, 2015 12:59:13 GMT -5 xyrn said:

We've generally used the HRBlock TaxCut CD.
Nice thing is that it will load in the previous year's stuff when you start a new return.
They probably all do that, but HRB has worked well for us, I think it ends up being about $40 for the program and the electronic filing for Fed/State.

The CD's come in the mail free, and then you buy a digital 'key' online that makes the software fuctional.

One of the articles I read mentioned the repeat business. Most people will just stick with the software they used last year because it's easy. If people switch now (and other companies are offering free downloads to disgruntled Turbo Tax users) they have no reason to switch back next year.

We used Turbo Tax for years until the video business made things too complicated. Now we have a guy.

[Hobson]

I am our "guy." CPA, though not practicing and my job was never in the tax area. For years I created Excel spreadsheets for our taxes. Then we started getting offers through Vanguard to get TurboTax for free. The first year I actually used both my spreadsheets and TurboTax. Came up with the same answer. It was comforting to know that TurboTax did things right. I still download the forms and instructions from the IRS and the state. I may not be doing the computations myself, but I want to understand the logic.

Who ya gonna trust as far as security? I'm losing track of how many data breaches we've been involved in. Recent ones are Target, Home Depot, and now Anthem BCBS.

[Marshall]

Feb 6, 2015 13:41:48 GMT -5 fauxmaha said:

I have a guy named Mike.

[Hobson]

We're tired of all of this ID theft exposure. Mr. H and I just finished writing the letters to place a credit freeze on our files. That's a letter for each of us to each of the 3 credit agencies. That's six checks for $5 each if you're an Arizona resident.

Good article here about protecting yourself:

www.zdnet.com/article/anthem-hack-seven-ways-to-protect-yourself-right-now/