Get the help you need with TurboTax Support. Find TurboTax FAQs, ask a question in our community, chat with agent, or give us a call. Community Support Go to TurboTax.com Sign In. TurboTax Home & Biz 1 answer; last activity 21 year old stressed over taxes on scholarships. How do I proceed? Intuit Turbo Tax Home & Business tax software is designed for sole proprietors. One of the things I like best about TurboTax is its time-saving ability to import financial data from Quicken, QuickBooks, Microsoft Money or any program that can export TXF files. Walmart # 566039307 This button opens a dialog that displays additional images for this product with the option to zoom in or out. Intuit TurboTax Home & Business 2017 Federal & State.
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Staples Turbotax Home & Business 2015
TurboTaxmade our list of the top free online tax preparation services, and for good reason.
TurboTax is one of the most popular online tax preparation and filing software programs in the United States. Major TurboTax competitors include popular online tax filing software such as H&R Block, TaxAct, eSmart Tax, and TaxSlayer.
I’ve personally used TurboTax to file my taxes in the past. Its free filing package has long been one of the best free tax filing options around – that was my go-to before freelancing rendered my tax situation too complex – and it’s only growing more robust.
That’s not to say that TurboTax is perfect. Though its interview-based filing process is highly intuitive and the mobile-friendly platform is a snap to use, it’s a pricier than most competitors and requires people with even modestly tax situations to upgrade to more expensive plans. I’ve encountered sporadic technical issues in that past that hampered the filing process and overall experience, too. And though I’ve never gotten a bigger refund from another program, TurboTax isn’t the fastest filing service I’ve ever used.
Plans, Pricing & Features
TurboTax‘s default is an interview-style DIY process that uses your answers to a series of simple questions (such as “Do you have any children or dependents?”) to evaluate your tax situation and determine which forms and schedules you need to successfully complete your return.
DIY Options
Many TurboTax filers begin by choosing from one of four DIY plans. If during the prep process TurboTax recognizes that your return requires a form or function that isn’t supported by your current plan (such as itemized deductions or self-employment income), it automatically prompts you to upgrade without losing the information you’ve already entered. If you opt for a paid plan, you don’t have to pay until you file.
TurboTax Live
If you need (or prefer) more prep assistance than TurboTax’s DIY resources can provide, TurboTax Live is right for you.
TurboTax Live is a hybrid package that pairs filers with credentialed CPAs or EAs for on-demand assistance during the prep and filing process. The expert appears by video on a split screen next to your tax prep interface, so you can follow along with them and take suggested actions in real time.
All TurboTax Live packages include thorough, line-by-line reviews prior to e-filing. When you complete your return with TurboTax Live, your CPA or EA signs your return before sending it off to the IRS.
All DIY TurboTax packages, save the free version, are available as a Live package, just at higher price points.
A Note About Pricing and Guarantees
Be aware that TurboTax customarily raises its prices in March, so if you want to lock in the pricing indicated below, it’s best to file early.
It’s worth noting that, regardless of the plan you select, TurboTax guarantees the accuracy of its calculations. If it’s responsible for any errors that result in an IRS penalty, TurboTax promises to pay the penalty and any associated interest costs.
1. Free Edition
This plan offers free federal and state tax returns. Since it doesn’t support most schedules, it’s only appropriate for very simple tax situations – no itemized deductions, rental property income, or stock sales, for instance.
The Basic plan, a TurboTax Live-only option, is very similar to the free plan. It costs $49.99 for your federal return (rising to $79.99 a few weeks before the filing deadline) and $29.99 per state return.
2. Deluxe
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Deluxe is ideal for filers with more complex tax situations, such as those involving itemized deductions and some miscellaneous income. It comes with all the features and functions found in lower-priced plans, plus:
3. Premier
TurboTax Premier offers support for most common schedules, including B, D, and E, so it’s appropriate for filers with investment income, rental income, and other forms of non-wage income.
This plan comes with all the features and functions found in lower-priced plans, plus:
4. Self-Employed
With full support for all credits and deductions related to Schedule C, Self-Employed is ideal for freelancers, solopreneurs, and small business owners. TurboTax Self-Employed comes with all the features and functions found in lower-priced plans, plus:
Additional Features
Additional TurboTax features available across all packages include:
Mobile AppsTurbotax Home & Business 2015 Download For Mac Mac
TurboTax has slick, user-friendly mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices. The apps have all the important features and functions of the main website, which is pretty mobile-friendly in its own right.
Pay Filing Fees With Your Refund
Regardless of which plan you use, TurboTax lets you pay your filing fees with your federal refund. The charge is rather steep: usually $34.99, but variable depending on your package and the complexity of your situation. In some circumstances, this service may be altogether free.
Real-Time Refund Display
TurboTax calculates your estimated federal and state refund in real-time, visible in the upper left corner of the interface. As soon as you enter a new piece of information that affects your tax liability, this number changes to reflect it.
Automatic Information Transfer to State Returns
If you need to file a state return after completing your federal return, TurboTax automatically transfers all relevant information to the state forms. This cuts down on redundant, tedious entering of basic information on two different sets of forms.
Audit Support![]()
This free feature is available to all TurboTax customers, regardless of plan. It includes a free phone consultation with a tax professional, during which you can ask open-ended questions about any IRS correspondence you’ve received. However, if you’re worried about actually being audited, TurboTax recommends purchasing MAX, a more hands-on package, when you file.
MAX Benefits Package
If you’re worried that your audit risk is elevated, you can purchase TurboTax’s optional MAX bundle as an add-on to any plan before completing your return (you can’t buy it after the fact). MAX costs $49.99, though TurboTax reserves the right to change the price at any time, and covers all state and federal returns in a given tax year.
MAX’s signature inclusion is Audit Defense, which activates if you’re audited by the IRS. Audit Defense provides access to a tax professional who reviews and interprets all IRS correspondence, schedules all audit-related appointments, and helps you gather any documents necessary to respond to your audit.
MAX also includes:
Military Discounts
Active-duty military members and reservists qualify for several different discounts with TurboTax. Servicemembers classified E1 (private trainee) through E5 (sergeants and petty officers) can file federal and state taxes for free using the Federal Free or Deluxe plans, or take $5 off federal filing costs under more expensive plans. Those ranked E6 (staff sergeant or petty officer first class) or higher can take $5 off federal filing costs under any plan.
Turbo Prepaid Visa® CardTurbotax Home Business 2015 Download For Mac
You can elect to receive your tax refund, if eligible, on a Turbo Prepaid Visa® Card – a reloadable prepaid debit card backed by Intuit.
Moving forward, you can set up payroll direct deposit or make manual transfers to juice your card balance, making Turbo Prepaid Visa® Card a great credit card alternative for those with poor credit or aversions to credit cards. If you log into your account and load a second recurring direct deposit (not your tax refund) of at least $250 by July 10, 2019, you’ll get a $10 refund bonus.
Certain card actions incur fees and charges, so check the Turbo Prepaid Visa® Card page for more details.
Advantages
1. Customer Service and Knowledge Base (AnswerXchange) Is Extremely Comprehensive
TurboTax’s customer support system, anchored by the interactive AnswerXchange knowledge base and a phone support hotline, is impressively robust. I’ve never had a question that couldn’t be answered by searching through the AnswerXchange, and I’m usually the type of person who prefers a back-and-forth conversation.
That said, TurboTax’s phone support is impressive too, with short wait times (less than 10 minutes every time I’ve called, though I’ve never waited until crunch time to do my taxes). And, for filers who want quick answers to complicated issues without picking up the phone, the SmartLook screen share/chat feature is a lifesaver.
2. Military Discounts Are Better Than Some Competitors
TurboTax offers discounts or completely free filing options to active-duty and reserve military members. All servicemembers qualify for at least a $5 discount off federal filing fees, and lower-ranked enlistees qualify for a free upgrade to TurboTax Deluxe (regularly a $39.99 to $59.99 value). These deals are better than those offered by competitors that don’t offer free upgrades for lower-ranked enlistees.
3. Automatic Transaction Importing and Cost Basis Calculation
If you have a brokerage account, you can quickly and easily import a complete transaction record (up to a limit of 500 individual transactions, so probably not ideal for active day traders) for the previous tax year by selecting “Add Other Documents” from the Import Summary menu in your TurboTax interface. (You don’t need to download a PDF or any other file type – the importing is automatic.)
If you made lots of securities trades during the year or simply don’t like the tedious process of entering each transaction individually, this is a big help. Some cut-rate competitors require you to enter transactions manually and separately – a potential time sink.
4. Ideal for Mobile Users
With a mobile-responsive website (bright colors, clean navigation, large-font text, and minimal clutter), as well as apps for iOS and Android, TurboTax is ideal for filers who prefer to use mobile devices. Though the tax prep space has by and large grown more mobile-friendly in recent years, some laggards remain – notably eSmart Tax and FreeTaxUSA aren’t as mobile-friendly. Both have cluttered text and navigation systems that are difficult to navigate on a touchscreen.
5. Popup Menus Can Be Useful
I’m normally not a huge fan of popup windows. However, TurboTax’s sparing use of popup windows is helpful. For instance, early in the filing process, a window appeared, briefly explained that I could use the top toolbar to navigate to any point in my tax return at any time, and then disappeared with one click. This was useful because I had assumed that the toolbar was more of a status indicator and that I couldn’t use it to go back or forward in my return.
6. TurboTax Live Is Great for Filers Who Need More Help
Even if you’re not a small business owner, the ability to connect with a CPA or EA on demand is a big confidence-booster. Though Live packages are more expensive than their DIY counterparts, the service is still substantially cheaper than in-person tax prep, which can cost as much as $500 with well-known providers such as Liberty Tax. If you don’t want to hire an independent CPA or use one of the in-office prep services, it’s a great compromise. Disadvantages
1. More Expensive Than Most Competitors
Of all the major online tax filing programs, TurboTax’s sticker prices are the highest, ranging up to $170 for a single federal return (and potentially higher as the filing deadline approaches). By contrast, comparable paid plans from H&R Block cost about half as much without compromising on any features, forms, schedules, or support. TaxSlayer’s paid plans are even cheaper.
And state filing fees at those competitors are comparable to or less than TurboTax’s, which clock in at up to $39.99.
2. Frustrating Website Errors
My experience with TurboTax has marginally improved since the 2014 tax year, when I encountered some perplexing website errors that could plausibly have resulted in data loss.
At several points that year, I got an error message or nonsensical request when attempting to enter my account dashboard or navigate to a previously completed page from the most recent page on my return.
Separately, when I tried to do something that wasn’t supported by my current TurboTax plan, the text on the upgrade prompt screen was replaced by plain HTML text reading “Bad Request” – a standard web page loading error. I could still cycle through the upgrade prompts (separate pages outlining cost and confirming that I wanted to upgrade) by hitting “Continue” repeatedly, but couldn’t see any text or images on the pages. Free zip software for mac.
Despite TurboTax’s improvements, I can’t shake bad memories of my early experience with the service. When you pay this much for DIY (or expert-assisted) tax prep, you expect a near-perfect user experience, and I haven’t found that with TurboTax
3. High Processing Charge When You Pay Filing Fees with Your Federal Refund
If you opt to pay your TurboTax fees with your federal refund, the company charges a stiff processing fee of $34.99. This is a hefty sum to pay for avoiding out-of-pocket filing fees. By contrast, TaxSlayer doesn’t charge any processing fees when you pay with your refund.
4. Doesn’t Offer a Refund Bonus
In previous years, TurboTax used to provide a 5% refund bonus to customers who elected to receive their refunds on Amazon.com gift cards. Unfortunately, the company discontinued the deal for the 2015 tax year, and hasn’t reinstated it since. Turbotax Home & Business 2015 Download For Mac
Some competitors still offer similar, or even better, promotions. For instance, H&R Block offers bonuses of 5% when you elect to receive your refund on an Amazon gift card.
5. Misleading Setup to the Free Filing Option for Returning Customers
When a returning customer (someone who filed with TurboTax the previous year) signs into their account for the first time in the current year, they’re immediately told that they can file their taxes for free. The next screen asks if they’d like to transfer information from the previous year’s return to their current-year return. If they agree, TurboTax shows what information has been transferred – AGI, address information, previous year’s refund/amount owed, address, employers, and lots of other data. It then says something to the effect of, “If you want to keep all this information and not start from scratch, sign up for the PLUS Plan,” which costs $29.99.
You have the option to select the Free plan here, but doing so wipes out already-stored information, lengthening the time it takes to file. While it’s understandable why TurboTax would want to push the PLUS plan before beginning your return in earnest, there’s probably a more straightforward way to do it.
6. Many Forms and Schedules Unavailable With the Free Plan
TurboTax’s Federal Free edition can only handle relatively straightforward tax situations. Since it doesn’t support Schedules A, C, D, E, H, or K, it’s not ideal for filers who wish to itemize deductions, pay self-employment tax, or report investment income or losses. If any of those situations apply to you, you need to upgrade to a paid plan.
7. Prices Usually Jump a Few Weeks Before the Filing Deadline
TurboTax’s paid plan prices usually jump by 50% or more about a month before the mid-April filing deadline. For instance, the Deluxe Plan’s federal return cost rockets from $39.99 to $59.99. That’s a major inconvenience for people who wait until relatively late in the game to file their taxes, and a potential deal-breaker for people with complicated tax situations, who sometimes don’t have all the requisite forms in hand until a few weeks before the filing deadline. Final WordTurbotax Home & Business 2015 Federal
Most people don’t have the luxury of trying out multiple tax prep options during tax season. No matter how smooth the filing process or straightforward the tax situation, there’s simply not enough time to do anything other than pick a known quantity and tough it out.
That might partially explain why TurboTax remains so popular. For all its faults, it enjoys enviable brand recognition. In a competitive industry serving time-pressed customers, it’s easier to go with what you know than stray too far afield. That’s not to say that TurboTax doesn’t shine on the merits – just that, if you’re looking to go with what you know, it’s hard to beat TurboTax.
For more options, check out our full list of the top-rated free online tax prep services.
4.0 / 5
Rating
TurboTax benefits from immediate name recognition and has a first-rate customer support infrastructure. Its website and interface is great-looking and boasts superior mobile functionality. Automatic transaction importing and cost basis calculations are great for more advanced tax situations too. Hands-on CPA support through TurboTax Live is ideal for filers who can’t or don’t want to go the all-DIY route.
However, TurboTax is a bit pricey, suffers from frustrating website errors, and doesn’t offer a refund bonus. And the misleading setup for free filing customers might give you pause.
Advantages include extremely comprehensive support resources, mobile-friendliness, solid military discounts, appealing and informative interface, and robust importing and cost basis calculation features.
Disadvantages include high baseline costs, limited free version, steep processing charges for those paying with their refunds, nonexistent refund bonus, potential website functionality issues, price jump during the final month, and misleading setup to the Free plan.
Overall, TurboTax is ideal for people seeking extra help (or hands-off service with TurboTax Live) for moderate to complex personal tax situations.
Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airline, or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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