The Bottom Line
TurboTax Basic is just what it says it is: a basic income tax preparation software package. TurboTax Basic is a reliable income tax preparation software that walks you through preparing your federal return.
Pros
- Interviews you & double-checks for errors.
- Imports from last year's TurboTax.
- Imports from Quicken, QuickBooks® 2004 and higher and Microsoft Money.
- Can be used to e-file.
- Easier than ever to navigate TurboTax.
Cons
- State return costs an extra $29.95.
Description
- Refund Monitor displays and updates tax due or refund throughout the tax return preparation process.
- TurboTax Basic runs on Mac OS X (10.2.8) as well as Windows 98 through Windows XP.
- TurboTax Basic runs $19.95, TurboTax Deluxe costs $29.95 and includes one state return.
- Use part or all of refund for TurboTax Refund Program.
- Context sensitive help with tax preparation questions.
Guide Review - TurboTax Basic
If you do not itemize deductions and have no investment or rental income to report, TurboTax Basic will help you through your tax preparation with it's interview. After you complete the interview, TurboTax Basic will run a Final Review to check for possible errors and will prompt you to correct errors before you send your tax return electronically or print it out and mail it. Remember that e-filing has a separate fee.
If you need to do a state return, you can prepare it separately by hand. If you prefer to use software to prepare your state tax documentation, buy TurboTax Deluxe, for another $10 you will get the state software included along with ItsDeductible. TurboTax Deluxe includes extra help for deductions, although if you are considering TurboTax Basic, it's not a feature you will use.
