Tax Preparation Software Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Tax Preparation Software. See our ratings criteria

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Tax Preparation Software Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tax Preparation Software Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	The Tax Man Cometh Sean Carroll Feb. 18, 2008		In this comparison review, Sean Carroll samples TaxCut Home & Business, TurboTax Home & Business and TaxAct Deluxe and State for the 2007 tax year in this detailed hands-on review. This year, TurboTax retains a tiny edge over TaxCut; Carroll says TaxCut's interface isn't quite as polished, and it doesn't do quite as good a job maximizing deductions, but TaxCut is less expensive and very easy to use. TaxAct is said to get better and better each year, and it "surprisingly powerful" considering the low price.
2. CNet.com	Tax software reviews Elsa Wenzel Feb. 12-14, 2008		CNet.com also compares TurboTax and TaxCut in detailed hands-on reviews. While TurboTax is said to maintain an edge over TaxCut for 2007, editors were able to stump both programs with questions about reporting prior-year state tax refunds, and with both programs, testers felt there were inadequacies when it came to explanations of tax laws or advice on how to enter data. For simple returns, TaxAct is recommended, but it doesn't appear that CNet has tested the 2007 version yet.
3. About.com	TaxCut vs. TurboTax: Which Tax Software to Buy for Tax Year 2007 Shelley Elmblad Jan. 29, 2008		In separate articles, About.com's Guide to Financial Software, Shelley Elmblad, reviews the 2007 versions of TaxCut and TurboTax. She compares the different versions of each program, and then she compares the two programs with one another in this article. Elmblad says both programs are comprehensive and reliable. Elmblad also offers comparison charts of the two programs, along with a list of related articles. A brief article explains the differences between basic, deluxe and premier programs. Elmblad is not a tax professional, but describes impressive expertise with financial software. Her choice of the better program differs from last year, which is a strong indication of objectivity. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are both owned by The New York Times Company.)
4. About.com	Top 5 Tax Software William Perez Feb. 8, 2008		In a completely different section of the About.com website, tax professional William Perez, About.com's Guide to Taxes, reviews and ranks four tax preparation software programs. He also compares ten free services available through the IRS Free File program. Perez spells out his test scenarios and says each program gets at least three hours of testing. Programs are compared with each other and with previous versions. Of great value, Perez lists services that aren't recommended and also identifies the worst services. He adds brief comments of explanation. His criteria are cost, ease of use, speed and accuracy. (Note that ConsumerSearch and About.com are both owned by The New York Times Company.)
5. PC World >> Details/Subscribe	Online Tax Preparation Services Tina Oren Feb. 7, 2008		PC World reviews, rates and ranks five online tax filing services. The services are compared with each other, but not with desktop software. Tina Oren files fake returns to test each service. This is less useful than filing real returns, but a valid approach when evaluating ease of use. Oren encountered problems and annoyances that might plague any user. We'd like to know how the desktop versions of the same programs compare, but otherwise, these reviews are up-to-date and as useful as any we found.

Tax Preparation Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tax Preparation Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. San Jose Mercury News	How do TurboTax and TaxCut Compare? Mark Schwanhausser Feb. 11, 2008		This interesting article compares TurboTax and TaxCut in hands-on testing, but the article is more negatively focused than other write-ups, citing numerous examples that demonstrate why you might want to hire a professional preparer rather than handle tax filing yourself. Mark Schwanhausser was able to stump the programs more than once. TaxCut disqualified two dependents on Schwanhausser's test return, and it took a while to figure out that he hadn't yet entered their social security numbers. TurboTax also tripped up, duplicating a dependent at one point. Schwanhausser doesn’t ultimately come down in favor of one program over the other. Rather, his cautionary advice is that these programs can save you some money if you know what you're doing.
7. Buyzillion.com	Software Contributors to Buyzillion.com As of Feb. 2008		Software seller Buyzillion.com is an excellent source for user reviews of tax software. Each version of each program is separately rated. At the time of our visit, six programs have eleven to 65 reviews, which is a meaningful amount. Many users have tried previous versions of the programs, and some have switched from the competing program. TurboTax rates a little better than TaxCut across the board. TaxCut 2007 Premium Federal + State has the lowest average rating; some cite software glitches. Contributors complain about bait-and-switch tactics with both programs.

Tax Preparation Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tax Preparation Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

8. The Monitor (McAllen, Texas)	Tax prep softwares vary greatly, but deliver on ease Kyle Arnold Jan. 21, 2008		This newspaper article briefly reviews Intuit's TurboTax, H&R Block's TaxCut and 2nd Story Software's TaxACT. Kyle Arnold has at least installed the programs, but he doesn't mention attempting to prepare taxes in the programs. So while not comprehensive, this article is a satisfactory introduction for first-time tax software users. Experienced users and people with complex taxes will need a much more comprehensive comparison.
9. Amazon.com	Tax Preparation Software Contributors to Amazon.com As of Feb. 2008		Amazon's consumer reviewers have rarely tried competing products, so they lack the frame of reference to tell you which program is better. However, most report having used either TaxCut or TurboTax for years, and consumer reviews can reveal issues with software that would matter to filers in the same situation. The TurboTax products earn higher average scores from users than the TaxCut products. Users report a variety of glitches with TaxCut.

Tax Preparation Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tax Preparation Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. Top Ten Reviews.com	Tax Software Reviews 2008 Editors of TopTenReviews.com Not Dated		On the surface, Top Ten Reviews looks like a terrific review source. Other sources only cover the two or three leading programs, and consumers want to know about other programs, especially cheaper alternatives. The ranking of ten programs fits a bell curve, which is atypical but impressive, from a site that commonly gives excellent scores to most products. However, no testing is described. The short reviews just address features and the interface. Some reviews are largely unchanged from last year's chart.
11. CircuitCity.com	Tax Preparation Software Contributors to CircuitCity.com As of Feb. 2008		We checked all the sites that allow or encourage consumers to post their own reviews, including those that sell tax preparation software. At CircuitCity.com, reviewers add comments to their ratings for ease of use, compatibility, ease of installation and cost-benefit. For early filers, Circuit City has too few reviews to be of use. Although not statistically significant, the TurboTax programs have higher average ratings than the TaxCut programs in early reviews.
12. PC Magazine >> Details/Subscribe	TurboTax Home & Business 2006 Kathy Yakal Jan. 8, 2007		Kathy Yakal annually reviews tax software for PC Magazine, but has not yet reviewed the current programs. In separate articles last year, she reviews TurboTax Home & Business 2006, H&R Block TaxCut Home & Business 2006 and TaxACT 2006 Deluxe + State. As other reviews don't cite radical changes in this year's versions, these reviews still have some value. Although Yakal uses each company's top program as a basis of comparison, her ratings are based on factors that are common throughout the product lines: ease of use, guidance, help functions and convenience. Specific criticisms may have been overcome with new versions, but Yakal's overall impressions have been consistent in recent years.
13. Piaw's Blog	Turbo Tax 2007 Review Piaw Na Feb. 13, 2007		Piaw Na is a software engineer in the Silicon Valley. He explains, "This is a review of TurboTax for the Mac versus TurboTax for Windows." Na tests with three tax returns. The conclusion is decisive, and user comments mostly confirm it. The shortcoming is that this comparison is of last year's programs.
14. TOPCC (Thousand Oaks Personal Computer Club)	TurboTax Deluxe for 2007 Taxes Bart Koslow Jan. 2008		This amateur single-product review is by someone who claims to have used TurboTax software for 20 years. Bart Koslow actually prepares his taxes and adequately describes the process. He offers one criticism and describes a few changes for 2007. Koslow says the user interface is much improved. He makes no comparisons with competing products, and the TOPCC website has no other reviews of 2007 tax programs.

Tax Preparation Software Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Tax Preparation Software Ratings Comments on Reviews

15. How to Start a Two-Bit Operation: Small Business Tips	Quick review of online tax services: TaxCut, TaxACT, TurboTax Justin Chen Apr. 6, 2007		On this blog site, Justin Chen reports about his experiences attempting to use the online versions of the three major tax services. Note that this article applies to last year's versions. What Chen has to say is consistent with what reviewers have said over the years, and adequately covers the strengths and limitations of each program, many of which will apply to a majority of users. The review would rate higher if it covered this year's versions.
16. DrFrugal.com	Frugal Finances Mark "Dr. Frugal" As of Feb. 2008		This well-intentioned website has a number of articles about taxes. Some of the articles have good general advice, but Dr. Frugal is neither an accountant nor a financial professional. He published brief reviews of the three major programs last summer. The timing is bizarre. The articles post-date the deadline for 2006 taxes by months and pre-date the release of the 2007 programs. A two-paragraph review of Free TurboTax 2007 was published in November. The reader comments form the beginning of what could be a good discussion.
17. TranquilBeach Computing	TurboTax 2007 Review Nick Poma Feb. 1, 2008		This blog is a little longer than a user review, but no more useful. Nick Poma exhorts, "I have used the TurboTax software by Intuit every year for about five years now and it is the best I have come across." However, his only comparison is filing by hand. Readers don't even know if Poma is aware that TurboTax has competitors.
18. TurboTax.com	TurboTax Contributors to TurboTax.com As of Feb. 2008		Intuit's TurboTax website contains user reviews of all versions of the program. Not all reviews are favorable, but all versions have five-star average ratings. If the TurboTax programs had such a high level of user satisfaction, then ratings would be the same on other sites that host user reviews. They aren't. In addition to an overall rating, users rate the programs for ease of use and value. Except for that, resellers have more credible user reviews.