bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) (12/19/90)
I saw this asked on the net recently but never saw a response. So here goes again: Which program is better, MacInTax or TurboTax? If you have seen a review or purchased/played with either or preferrably both, please let the net land know what you think of each. I want to purchase one and know that MacInTax has made many people happy over the past few years. But now that there is competition, I'd like to know which is better. Thanks for any followup postings or email to me. If I get alot of worthwhile responses via email, I will post a summary. --Bruce -- *** These are my opinions and not necessarily those of MGC *** Bruce Holm / (503) 626-7000 Mentor Graphics Corp. / USENET: bruceh@pdx.mentor.com Beaverton, OR 97005-7191 / UUCP: ...!uunet!mntgfx!bruceh
ph@cci632.UUCP (Pete Hoch) (12/22/90)
bruceh@mentor.com (Bruce Holm) writes: > I saw this asked on the net recently but never saw a response. So here > goes again: > Which program is better, MacInTax or TurboTax? Better is such a subjective idea but I will give you a few thoughts on the subject. I have used MacInTax for the last two years and it is a nice forms pacakge. However that is just about all it is. Sure there is on line help but it does not go far beyond the forms and reports that you can get from the IRS. Also historicly MacInTax has not shiped until sometime in February. TurboTax on the other hand seems to be a true aid in prepairing taxes. It is loaded with areas to enter receipt information for all of your tax related stuff, not just your W2s. It also will show you how your deductions stack up against the national averages and it checks your return for any odd things that are likely to flag an audit. This is purely for informational reasons and is not ment to be used as a tool for ceative financing. ;-} You can also attach notes to almost every entery. Also you can override all of the calculated fields, so if you have an odity in you taxes that TurboTax does not handle you can just override it and place a note there to help you remember where the number came from. Also the thing I like the best is the reason I can tell you all of this. If you order TurboTax now you get a starter version that does most everything accept next year planning. (Yes it does that too.) Then according to the documentation they mail you a free final version toward the end of January if you have registered. All this for only $50, and it was back ordered at MacConnection when I ordered so I only paid $45. Have a happy, Pete Hoch P.S. TurboTax also has a fun little tax trivia game built in.
george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) (12/22/90)
In article <45114@cci632.UUCP> ph@cci632.UUCP (Pete Hoch) writes: >I have used MacInTax for the last two years and it is a nice forms >pacakge. However that is just about all it is. Sure there is on >line help but it does not go far beyond the forms and reports that >you can get from the IRS. Also historicly MacInTax has not shiped >until sometime in February. That's odd. I could've sworn that I've been working with MacInTax '90 for the past month. Must've been dreaming. Last year I had the program in December (My first year of MacInTax) so I don't think it's proper to say that MacInTax "historicly" doesn't ship until sometime in February. I've never used TurboTax, but MacInTax hasn't brought me down. I'm happy with it. -- / George D. Nincehelser \ uunet!swbatl!george \ / / Southwestern Bell Telephone \ Phone: (314) 235-6544 \ / / / Advanced Technology Laboratory \ Fax: (314) 235-5797 \ / / / /\ 1010 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101 \ de asini umbra disceptare \
briang@bari.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Gordon) (12/22/90)
In article <1990Dec21.205935.15499@swbatl.sbc.com> george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) writes: +In article <45114@cci632.UUCP> ph@cci632.UUCP (Pete Hoch) writes: +>I have used MacInTax for the last two years and it is a nice forms +>pacakge. However that is just about all it is. Sure there is on +>line help but it does not go far beyond the forms and reports that +>you can get from the IRS. Also historicly MacInTax has not shiped +>until sometime in February. + +That's odd. I could've sworn that I've been working with MacInTax '90 +for the past month. Must've been dreaming. + +Last year I had the program in December (My first year of MacInTax) so +I don't think it's proper to say that MacInTax "historicly" doesn't ship +until sometime in February. + [...] What you (and I) are using now is a preliminary version which will be replaced in February -- bet on it. Since you probably won't have your W-4s until then anyway, it's not a big problem. -- :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: | Brian G. Gordon briang@Sun.COM (if you trust exotic mailers) | | ...!sun!briangordon (if you route it yourself) | :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) (12/22/90)
In article <4987@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> briang@bari.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Gordon) writes: >In article <1990Dec21.205935.15499@swbatl.sbc.com> george@swbatl.sbc.com (George Nincehelser 5-6544) writes: B >+ >+That's odd. I could've sworn that I've been working with MacInTax '90 >+for the past month. Must've been dreaming. >+ >+Last year I had the program in December (My first year of MacInTax) so >+I don't think it's proper to say that MacInTax "historicly" doesn't ship >+until sometime in February. >+ [...] > >What you (and I) are using now is a preliminary version which will be replaced >in February -- bet on it. Since you probably won't have your W-4s until then >anyway, it's not a big problem. True, although the initial release seems to be complete enough for returns like mine (1040 with itemized deductions). I don't need all those fancy forms and probably won't for a while. The February update I received last time didn't make any difference in the bottom line. I usually don't wait for the W-4s before I start working on my taxes. Right now I have everything ready to go. I just have to enter and/or check the numbers as the supporting documents start rolling in. I won't file till the last minute though...I usually owe something. -- / George D. Nincehelser \ uunet!swbatl!george \ / / Southwestern Bell Telephone \ Phone: (314) 235-6544 \ / / / Advanced Technology Laboratory \ Fax: (314) 235-5797 \ / / / /\ 1010 Pine, St. Louis, MO 63101 \ de asini umbra disceptare \
rand@merrimack.edu (12/26/90)
In article <45114@cci632.UUCP>, ph@cci632.UUCP (Pete Hoch) writes: > TurboTax on the other hand seems to be a true aid in prepairing taxes. > It is loaded with areas to enter receipt information for all of your > tax related stuff, not just your W2s. It also will show you how your > deductions stack up against the national averages and it checks your > return for any odd things that are likely to flag an audit. This is > purely for informational reasons and is not ment to be used as a tool > for ceative financing. ;-} You can also attach notes to almost every > entery. Also you can override all of the calculated fields, so if you > have an odity in you taxes that TurboTax does not handle you can just > override it and place a note there to help you remember where the > number came from. Hmmm, I used the 1989 version of Macintax and it included all of the above except for the dubious audit checking. I was very happy with it. Rand P. Hall UUCP: {uunet,wang,ulowell}!samsung!hubdub!rand Merrimack College rand%merrimack.edu@samsung.com N. Andover, MA I spend so much time doing nothing. Life's wasting away.
jsp@key.COM (James Preston) (12/29/90)
In article <20885.27787187@merrimack.edu> rand@merrimack.edu writes: >Hmmm, I used the 1989 version of Macintax and it included all of the >above except for the dubious audit checking. I was very happy with it. The problem I have with MacinTax is that it is too damned expensive. I bought it last year for the first time and it cost something like $80. Ok, fine, I'm sure a lot of work went into it. But then a few weeks ago I get the notice for the 1990 "upgrade". They want $50 for it! That is simply obscene! There just can't be that many differences between the 1989 forms and the 1990 forms to warrant them charging me that much for a wrongly-named "upgrage". Given that the price for TurboTax off the shelf is the same as the "upgrade" for MacinTax, I see no reason not to switch this year. (Are you listening, Russ?) --James Preston
James.Preston@f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG (James Preston) (12/29/90)
From: jsp@key.COM Reply-To: jsp@penguin.key.COM In article <20885.27787187@merrimack.edu> rand@merrimack.edu writes: >Hmmm, I used the 1989 version of Macintax and it included all of the >above except for the dubious audit checking. I was very happy with it. The problem I have with MacinTax is that it is too damned expensive. I bought it last year for the first time and it cost something like $80. Ok, fine, I'm sure a lot of work went into it. But then a few weeks ago I get the notice for the 1990 "upgrade". They want $50 for it! That is simply obscene! There just can't be that many differences between the 1989 forms and the 1990 forms to warrant them charging me that much for a wrongly-named "upgrage". Given that the price for TurboTax off the shelf is the same as the "upgrade" for MacinTax, I see no reason not to switch this year. (Are you listening, Russ?) --James Preston + Organization: Key Computer Laboratories, Fremont -- James Preston - via FidoNet node 1:105/14 UUCP: ...!{uunet!glacier, ..reed.bitnet}!busker!226!20!James.Preston INTERNET: James.Preston@f20.n226.z1.FIDONET.ORG