TurboTax Review

Pricing

TurboTax offers several different tax software options that are suitable for both individuals and small business owners. Several of TurboTax's plans are available in an online version and a CDE/downloadable version, offering users the utmost felxibility to file in manner that works bes for them.

Features

TurboTax offers a range of features that simplify the online tax preparation process. Among our favorite features are built-in tools that search for the maximum allowance credits and deductions that can save you money. Those who use TurboTax can also enjoy direct deposit of refunds (when applicable), electronic filing (with a confirmation receipt) and assistance from a professional tax preparer for an additional fee. We also appreciated that TurboTax offers free online tax filing for federal reports (though users should note that TurboTax's paid services may offer a more favorable calculation of tax deductions). Other useful extras include a tax preparation library to help explain the process and a constant prompter that informs users of their refund or amount owed as they fill out the questions. Small business owners may appreciate that TurboTax seamlessly imports data from popular accounting software such as Quicken and QuickBooks which are also products of Intuit.

	Free Service	Basic Plan	Deluxe Plan	Premier Plan	Home & Business Plan
Federal filing included
State filing included
Automatic transfer of information from prior year's filing
Real-time assistance	Phone support is for paying users only
Data transfer from other financial websites
Provides IRS forms	Some but not all
Measures and reduces risk of audit
Provides guidance for investments
Guide to reporting retirement income
Downloadable Audit Support Center
Step-by-step guidance
Coverage for all needed forms
Use of Education Expense Optimizer
Extra guidance about tax breaks, deductions and credits
Guidance for self-employment income

Ease of Use

For most people with little or no accounting background, tax preparation is an overwhelming endeavor, and there's no question that TurboTax provides excellent resources to those who are new to the system. An organized interface, coupled with explanations throughout the process make online tax filing with TurboTax almost entirely straightforward. We especially appreciated the ability to try the software for free before committing, so that we could understand exactly how it worked and make sure the system was manageable before paying.

From the very beginning, TurboTax offers direct instructions with assistance available on the right sidebar when extra help is needed.

As you continue throughout the process, the help section adjusts itself as necessary, and various popups are available to provide relevant information and explanations without cluttering up the tax preparation screen. One thing that was specifically helpful was that all dates and other numbers were automatically filled with the proper dashes and slashes, so that no guesswork about the formatting was required to fill out the sections.

It is important to note that users who have not registered for the service will not be able to save their information until they create an account. Fortunately, TurboTax provides this prompt before users can accidentally erase their progress. It should also be noted that registration is free and that users can choose to pay at any time when they decide to submit their online tax return. We highly recommend creating a user ID immediately upon entering the TurboTax website, because you can lose your information unintentionally by leaving the site for 20 minutes or more, as evidenced in the screen shot below.

If you are a registered user, your information will be saved automatically after each step, and TurboTax's software will provide filing guidance relating to the information you've submitted.

Likewise, as you proceed in the process, you will be continually updated about what you owe on both the state and federal levels so that you can chart your finances during the process.

Updated filing information

Overall, we found the online tax preparation process to be not only easy, but nearly enjoyable, when using TurboTax, as we could see throughout the process that we were inputting the information correctly. And, in the times we weren't, help was only a click away.

Audit Protection

If you're nervous about getting audited, you can choose to pay $39.95 for TurboTax's supplemental Audit Defense service which is run in conjunction with TaxResources. This service must be purchased before the audit is commenced, and is relevant only to returns filed on time. Through Audit Defense, a team of tax professionals will try to resolve the audit on your behalf so that you don't have to worry about it. Those who filed their online tax return late can contact the company for assistance.

Free audit support is also available for all users of TurboTax personal tax products, but does not cover TurboTax products for businesses. This service helps filers understand why they've been contacted and to plan their next steps in the process.

Additional Features

In addition to Audit Defense services, TurboTax offers several supplemental services which are available for an additional fee. A review of your tax return by an industry professional is available for by phone with the Ask a Tax Expert for $29.95 for 20 minutes (and $19.95 for an additional 20 minutes if necessary). With the company's Pro Review Service, which costs $39.95, you can set an appointment with a tax professional who will review your filing (which you send them), and will direct you on how to correct any changes before filing your returns.

Customer Support

In light of the company's extremely easy tax preparation service, we were surprised to see that TurboTax's chat support was somewhat hidden on the site. Still, once we found it, we did get a response after less than a minute of hold time.

Summary

Positive Features

• Extremely easy to use
• Active online community is helpful for assistance
• Knowledgebase assistance and helpful explanations every step of the way

Negative Features

• More expensive than other services
• It takes many steps to find the company's phone and chat contact information