The Tax Software season has begun - first deal at Staples

[SafetyDance]

My current on-line Staples circular has the following:

With purchase of TurboTax Deluxe for $29.95 (after $10 rebate) get:

Quicken 2003 Basic $29.95 (FAR)
TurboTax State $29.95 (FAR)

Here's a link to the Staples site for a clearer explanation: TurboTax link

With purchase of TaxCut Deluxe for $24.95 (after $5 rebate) get:

Microsoft Money 2003 Standard $29.99 (FAR)
Either Home and Business Attorney OR WillPower $29.99 (FAR)
TaxCut State $24.95 (FAR)

Here's a link to the Staples site for a clearer explanation: TaxCut link

With purchase of ANY tax software purchase (including above):

VirusScan 7/QuickClean Bundle $59.99 before $30 upgrader and $30 rebates
Norton Personal Firewall 2003 OR AntiVirus 2003 $49.99 before $20 upgrader and $30 rebates
CheckSoft Express FREE after instant savings (I assume no MIR)

You are shelling out a lot of cash for these, but there are some good coupons out there to make this deal pretty sweet.

Mike

 

[Smoot]

You can do a really good deal with this:

Buy Turbotax Deluxe ($40)
Buy Norton Antivirus 2003 or Personal Firewall 2003 ($50)
Buy Quicken 2003 Basic ($30)
Buy/Pre-order Turbotax State ($30)
Buy the Mcafee Virusscan/Quickclean bundle ($60)

Total: (just shy of) $210

Then, apply a $40 off $200 Staples coupon, send in a $10 Turbotax deluxe rebate, a $30 Turbotax state rebate, a $30 Quicken Basic rebate, two Symantec rebates ($30 and $20), and two Mcafee rebates ($30 and $30)

Thus the final total is $210-$40-$10-$30-$30-$30-$20-$30-$30 = -$10. So you can make 10 bucks after a lot of rebates (though I've done this deal for the last 4 years and gotten every one of these rebates).

Only problems is that I cannot find the Mcafee Virusscan/Quickclean bundle rebate information anywhere on the Staples.com site. Anyone else have any luck?

 

[ww4397]

FYI. I heard a brief radio news report that, starting this season, TT is using a copy protection scheme on its product.

 

[jcrash]

FYI. I heard a brief radio news report that, starting this season, TT is using a copy protection scheme on its product.

Huh? I just loan out my disc to whoever wants to borrow it. No need to make a copy. I can't see how preventing me from making a copy (if even possible) would prevent that.

 

[ww4397]

Huh?....

From the TT site:

"The TurboTax program may be installed on a single computer and must be activated by Internet or telephone prior to use. "

 

[alm99]

I bought this software last year for the tax season, do I have to buy this again for this season?

 

[whistleclient]

Any turbotax experts here? If I get Turbotax Premier Home & Business do I need Turbotax State, Turbo Tax Business State, or both? (for my personal tax return and my home business)

 

[quincy2002]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
Any turbotax experts here? If I get Turbotax Premier Home & Business do I need Turbotax State, Turbo Tax Business State, or both? (for my personal tax return and my home business)

Yes, you need the state version as well. The turbotax you can get right now has no state stuff in it. Typically the state versions aren't available until January or later. I'm not familiar with the business state version.

 

[k000]

Actually, at Staples website, if you buy TT Deluxe or higher, your TT State is free, but won't ship till 31st Jan 2002


Does anyone know, if there is a way to use 2 states out of one State CD

Originally posted by: quincy2002

Originally posted by: tangent1138 Any turbotax experts here? If I get Turbotax Premier Home & Business do I need Turbotax State, Turbo Tax Business State, or both? (for my personal tax return and my home business)

Yes, you need the state versions as well. The turbotax you can get right now has no state stuff in it. Typically the state versions aren't available until January or later.

 

[RobD]

I'm in on this one - did the same deal last year. Federal and State tax, Quicken, and Norton AV for the price of MI 6% tax and a small army of stamps.

 

[manly]

k000,

In the past, with Turbotax Deluxe, you can download the free state module. Receiving a CD in the mail is supposed to cost a nominal shipping fee (although I have gotten the state CD no charge as well).

It was possible to download a state module & save the installer. That way, I theorize you could have two state modules for free as you desire. Never tried it myself though.

And it is worth pointing out that this year, Intuit has implemented Product Activation which ties the installation to one PC.

Also, federal e-filing should be still free after rebate with Turbotax Deluxe (state wasn't IIRC). So all in all, this is a pretty good deal on licensed software. For most middle income households, a CPA isn't really all that necessary (but that's just an opinion).

 

[Shagger]

I have never gotten the State version - my state return takes all of 5 minutes!

 

[Loqutious]

The multistate version does let you install multiple states, but you have to pay something like $20 for each state after the first one. You used to be able to get away with installing 1 state on 1 PC, then installing a different state on a 2nd PC (after installing the full TurboTax, of course) but with this new security that probably won't work anymore.

 

[Thump553]

If the past five years or so are any indication, wait until just before April 15th for the best deal. I don't think I've ever paid more than $5-10 net for tax software. Seems to me like they should be charging full price then, but I don't make their marketing decisions.

Also, on the big bundle deal above, I think that involves a fair number of "upgrader" rebates-you must have a prior version.

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: alm99
I bought this software last year for the tax season, do I have to buy this again for this season?

anyone?

 

[whistleclient]

yes you have to buy it again. the new version takes into account all the various tax law changes.

 

[alm99]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
yes you have to buy it again. the new version takes into account all the various tax law changes.

What? last year when I bought it I downloaded all the updates that included the new tax laws that were changed after the software was manufactured.

 

[whistleclient]

Originally posted by: alm99

Originally posted by: tangent1138
yes you have to buy it again. the new version takes into account all the various tax law changes.

What? last year when I bought it I downloaded all the updates that included the new tax laws that were changed after the software was manufactured.

they make more money if you have to buy the program every year. the 2001 version will not download this years tax law changes.

 

[alm99]

so what do I just throw out the discs from the past year?

 

[HeatMiser]

Yep...chuck 'em. Every year, you have to buy the new version (for the "XXXX Tax Year").

 

[bubba]

What is the story on TurboTax Basic vs. Deluxe? Do I need to get Deluxe, or does Basic do everything as well?

 

[mikeford]

deluxe gets you the state free, maybe some features. Cheaper than buying basic and state.

Don't throw away your old Tax software for at LEAST 5 years. Its a real PITA if you get audited and/or need to refile and don't have it.

 

[Anami]

The idea is that the tax software guys take their basic templates which cross-compare all the tax regulations, and re-program all the links to reflect the new calculations for this new set of tax regulations this year. Then they assemble it and add all-new context-sensitive help files. They probably rebuild 70% of the program each year, so they charge for it.

TurboTax is okay, but I've been using Kiplinger TaxCut each year for the past five years or so, and I've found it to be quite strong. I've been able to suck in my prior year's return each time, and it then walks me through an abbreviated inquiry: "Do you still have the property, and did you want to do the Schedule D for that again this year, set up like last year?" Each year, I do the full tax return, then I save a separate copy of the data file, reopen it, and eliminate several items, to see what they specifically cost me. Pretty handy.

 

[gof]

Each year I've been buying one of the OEM Quicken Suite disks from the cheap software places (I always seem to forget where and have to hunt for it). The Quicken Suite comes with a coupon for a free TT Deluxe (including state) and free filing (after rebate). Plus I get the latest quicken deluxe in the deal. Not quite the *cheapest* (close though), but by far the simplest. I get the suite, mail the postcard, and get the TT Deluxe version shipped free in the mail (and download the state version).

Anyone see who's selling the Quicken Suite "disk only" this year?