Customer reviews from turbotax.intuit.com
TurboTax Deluxe Federal & State Returns + Federal E-File 2013 - Mac/Windows
Average customer rating
4.6
(57,942 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 57,942 reviews
5 Stars
40,011
4 Stars
13,164
3 Stars
2,704
2 Stars
1,150
1 Star
913
Customer Reviews for TurboTax Deluxe Federal & State Returns + Federal E-File 2013 - Mac/Windows
Customer Rating
5
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: Steve6358
Great software that walks you through the process effortlessly.
What's not so great: The need for a PIN number to file should be more prominently stated at the front of the process as well as at the end.
Pros: My job status changed this year (switched jobs, lost a job, got a raise or promotion)
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
3
If 95% were only good enough...
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: hexspeed
The interview process is generally thorough and makes it easy to supply the info required to appropriately fill out the IRS forms. I do, however, find it helpful at times to use the "show forms" option at the bottom of the interview page so I understand the context of the TurboTax questions.
One general complaint about the interview process is the number of screens that don't seem to "hold" your answers from prior sessions. This is especially true on the Ohio interview that linearly walks you through all questions every time you go in to edit even a single item -- some of your prior answers are retained, but most pages require you to check off the same boxes you entered the last 5 times you went through.
There are still occasions where undefined abbreviations
appear ("Tell Us About Your HDHP") that even the IRS goes to the effort to spell out the first time they use it on their forms -- yeah, I see the hyperlink on the next line, but that is inconsistent with the way TurboTax generally presents abbreviations.
appear ("Tell Us About Your HDHP") that even the IRS goes to the effort to spell out the first time they use it on their forms -- yeah, I see the hyperlink on the next line, but that is inconsistent with the way TurboTax generally presents abbreviations.
My biggest complaint is the update process failures that always seem to happen. I acknowledge the technical difficulty TurboTax has in keeping up with the IRS every year, but testing in this area seems lax. This year, the Mac product always said an update was available, even if you just updated 2 minutes ago. If you're on a fast broadband connection, this is not a biggie until you try electronic filing. At that point, you're caught in a endless loop (transmit fails because "there is an update available"; you take the update and it says it is successfully applied; retry the electronic filing and transmit fails because "there is an update available", etc, etc). Google on this sequence and you find it's a common failing that has various workarounds depending on which blog you read (do a "save-as" with a new file name then take the updates one more time, quit TurboTax and restart, wait for the next full moon). If you dig deeply enough on the TurboTax support site, you can find a late-breaking "official" answer that may involve rebooting the Mac, deleting and reinstalling the product, or (my favorite) going into the Mac's file library to find and delete TurboTax application, cache and preference files -- REALLY????
And one final slam. While I was able to fix my transmit problem by doing the "file save-as, create new file name, update, quit, restart" sequence, the "save-as" has introduced a new problem!! Despite the fact that I select the "Save without a password" option, the new file is password protected when you try to open it. Did it 5 times and the same thing happened each time. I finally put a password on the file just so I could get my taxes filed, but this is absurd.
This is why my review title is "If 95% were only good enough" -- a 5% quality gap sounds small but it's not even close to being good enough. The good news is that you, TurboTax, get to do this all over again for the 2014 Tax Year -- let's hope you have a robust "lessons learned" process.
What's great about it: Is much less painful than trying to follow the IRS forms
What's not so great: There is always something big that fails every year
Pros: My job status changed this year (switched jobs, lost a job, got a raise or promotion), I bought or sold investments
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
4
Turbo Tax down at midnight
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: beep65
I guess I wasn't the only procrastinator trying to e-file my 2013 tax return at 11:50 PM on April 15th. Everything went pretty well most of my Turbo Tax time, but when I got through most of the e-file procedure, Turbo Tax found an override that it didn't like, and I had to change it which caused amount owed to go up over $500. The worst happened, though, when Turbo Tax system went down and wouldn't take my credit card information. Then, I think my internet connection was lost, so I couldn't finish e-filing until 4/16.
What's great about it: Most data input works great.
What's not so great: Error showed up during e-filing after TT said there were no errors.
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
5
Easy Tax Returns
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: CMENEELY
This program is the simplest way to fill out your taxes return including automatic downloads of taxable income from major financial institutions. Unfortunately, there is no way to check manually entered input for accuracy - maybe there could be a system to scan W2s, 1099s etc., but that could get complicated, unless the submitters could e-mail electronic forms. Last year I made a typo and didn't catch it - that cost me big-time. I am reassured that at least all the IRS regulations are followed correctly, that I addressed all possible inputs, and the electronic filing is fast and easy to implement.
What's great about it: Simple way to fill out forms
What's not so great: No way to automatically check for correct manual input
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
5
A Walk Through Taxland
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: bestf
I appreciate that it brings forward information from previous year, and I only need to check to update personal information and enter the information which is new for this year's return.
It is so helpful to use the guiding questions to make sure I am not forgetting something important.
What's great about it: Guiding questions led me through the process without getting lost in the forms.
What's not so great: Sometimes the help was not helpful
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
5
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: KO37
Last year it helped me distinguish between farm income and farm rental income. That question was removed this year. Thus, at first the farm rental income went on the wrong form. Hard to get it to change. Had to say "no material participation" the first time and, "yes, material participation" the next time.
Otherwise, TT is a God-send! I could never do my own taxes without it!
Otherwise, TT is a God-send! I could never do my own taxes without it!
What's great about it: Easy to navigate back and forth
What's not so great: Terms like "business" and "farm" are not always clear.
Pros: I bought or sold investments
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
4
Estimated Taxes: Weak
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: EstimatedTaxes
I pay estimated taxes in 3 jurisdictions -- Federal, Virginia, and North Dakota. The help for estimated taxes within TurboTax is uneven across these 3 jurisdictions, and is weak overall , particularly in regard to the Annualized Income Installment Method (Pub 505, 2014, p. 29). I have used the basic version of TurboTax, but as far as I know ( and I've asked), there's no "upscale" TurboTax version that's any better in this area. So I'm pretty much left to to my own devices, working my estimated taxes using Excel without much value added from TurboTax. If there were a better version of TurboTax available to help with this area, I'd sure buy it, But of course the market for this particular quirk is probably a little limited. Anyway, please see what you can do for me. And I volunteer to be a beta tester, if you accept customers for that role.
What's great about it: TurboTax 2013 does provide some help for calculating estimated taxes...
What's not so great: ...but that help is weak.
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com
Customer Rating
5
simple and effective
on April 16, 2014
Posted by: Warp
Simply put - wouldn't it be easier if all returns has to be filed using this system and the IRS just paid the bill to make that happen. It has to be easier that having multiple ways of doing it and then having to sort it all. TT should be an exclusive and mandatory IRS tax return filing system.
What's great about it: quick review, limited entries using past data, intuitive questions to maximize return or mimimize expense
What's not so great: Not a thing! :)
Written by a customer while visiting turbotax.intuit.com