It also insists on entry of charity addresses and donation dates even though tax returns don't require this info. It didn't import all my charities from previous year file. Maybe it's because I shut off its Internet access, but who need this extra page to blow off, as it's not actually required to use the program?
Every startup it's as though it was the first time I started the program, it asks for registration info instead of the following window showing what returns have been started.
I've always found it more reliable to use their manual update page to download the update executables and install at my leisure, with fewer chances of problems due to Internet interruptions and their website glitches. I had to use my Zonealarm firewall to permanently block all TurboTax Internet access, as I normally don't need it. It keeps trying to access the Internet for update checks at startup even though I checked off that I did not have a connection, the check offs do not stick, every startup it reverts back to looking for the Internet.
45 sec), suspect it keeps wanting to access the Internet at startup and the bloated code slows things down on my older machine. After the installation, there's a note that TurboTax will support Windows 2000 for the 2008 tax year but not after. NET version is typically a couple of hundred MBs, so one can have hundreds of MBs on the hard-disk, each of which may only support one or two programs.
NET stuff as these programs typically require a SPECIFIC version, earlier and later versions will not do (Intuit's notorious for this), and probably only use a small portion of the. I'm always suspicious of programs that require the Microsoft. Since TurboTax can do its basic/core functions without Internet access, it really doesn't need any particular browser except for some help and interactive stuff on their website for those who care to use it. I suspect the continuing large increases in code are mostly for the yearly changing user interface and graphics (glitz), thereby requiring more and more hardware and software. NET software, so it'll install the stuff whether your want it or not. In recent years TurboTax is requiring that the user computer have installed some later version of the IE browser, and some version of the Microsoft.
Actual taxes calculations are not that demanding, any old original IBM PC from the mid-1980s has the horsepower to do it. The TurboTax programs have been growing larger and larger every year without much real increase in the basic functionality of guiding the user, calculating numbers, and maintaining forms' data consistency. Some observations about my TurboTax experience so far:
Still, after installing my software onto my Dell Dimension T500/Win2000SP2 (vintage 2000) machine, I may have to think whether TurboTax is worthwhile for me next year. I bought the Deluxe (Federal + State) version from an Amazon vendor for considerable less than the retail or other sale prices, so always check the "new and used" links for total prices (item plus shipping) that may be lower than the total offered by Amazon itself. and an opportunity to purchase at a more reasonable discount price, I decided to use it again for the 2008 taxes. With this disturbing trend I thought that it might time to consider alternatives, but since Intuit relented under pressure re the 2008 version's restrictions on printing, etc. This is the second time within a few years that I think Intuit has tried to screw its customers the first time was a short while back with their copy-protection scheme that installed itself, ran in background taking up memory and other computer resources, and never left even after TurboTax was uninstalled. Despite any assurances from these people, who know how long the data resides in those servers, and how good their security is, as there have been too many cases of data loss by even major corporations and government agencies networks being hacked due to insufficient protection or carelessness in their practices. The inclusion of eFile whether one wants it or not was part of their justification for the price increases, but some of us don't want to eFile as this can put your personal data through yet another set of third-party (commercial) network servers before it reaches the IRS, with all the usual problems of security. unlimited printout of forms) for TurboTax has given me pause. However, Intuit's marketing shenanigans late last year in significantly raising the prices and elimination of some usual features (e.g. I've used TurboTax since it started in the mid-1980s as a DOS program and have always liked it.