H&R Block’sTaxCutmay be theRockyof tax - training computer software — it has come back to the Mac after a year in retreat . Citing “ lowly involvement from Mac users , ” the society discontinued TaxCut for the Mac program for the 2005 filing time of year , but it is back for the 2006 season .
For many , the task of filing a return borderline on the dread , but TaxCut Premium + State + E - File does everything it can to make the mental process more sufferable . Upon installment , the curriculum automatically checks for available tax - computer code and software updates , and then prompt you to begin a raw return .
TaxCut can import records from Intuit ’s Quicken and TurboTax , as well as older version of TaxCut , among others . Tax returns I had previously created with older versions of TurboTax import cleanly . The program strongly suggests that you have last twelvemonth ’s counter plus your identification entropy in front of you before you begin , and once you do , TaxCut lead you through each division with questions and suggestion . For each dubiousness , the program offer FAQ - style suggestions in its right column . It tracks each ledger entry , offering to bring through the tax return at regular intervals and prompting you if an answer you give or an amount you enter does n’t bring up .
A recap cycle at the death of the data - recruit process double - checks what you ’ve entered and provide warnings about possible errors . get through on one of the reported error , and TaxCut takes you back to the appropriate question or section so you could correct mistakes .
Despite some melioration to its calculate - and - feel ( the program keeps a friendly looking questionnaire on screen instead of confront the user with an intimidate official - looking word form ) , TaxCut continues to have some flaw in its interface . At clock time , my workings written document was too large for the window , and I had to manually resize my window to fit everything on covert .
H&R Block went out of its way of life to retread the software and related to services this year , and the effort shows . The addition of the Worry - Free Audit Service , which offers the firm ’s aid , advice , and even physical presence at an audit , is reassure and makes the product a good value . In addition , a complimentary need a Tax Advisor phone school term is include with the software .
Macworld’s buying advice
TaxCut Premium has fall back swinging and stand on a par with its competition , TurboTax Premier ( ) . ( We ’ve receive a relative review of the two tax program elsewhere on the internet site . ) However , TaxCut still want some port improvements . Despite this , H&R Block has adapt its attention to fiscal particular to the new version of its software and create something very utile for this year ’s taxation season .
[ Chris Barylick is a technology journalist whose work has seem in Mac Observer and theWashington Post . Despite having gone to business sector schoolhouse , tax season still gives him the willies . ]
