Review by Long-Suffering Technology Consumer

…and all I can base my review on is my own experience with the product. Yes, I know others had issues related to what schedules they needed, whether they used the 2013 version and the balky response from Intuit. No review of this version of TurboTax should ignore the extended dust-up at the start of the the 2014 tax return season, when Intuit took a lot of negative press (totally deserved). This is version of TurboTax bore the brunt of that on these pages and in the consumer software media. This was primarily not because of its functionality, but because of the perhaps not-so-obvious-to-customers changes in what schedules were included in this version of TurboTax for 2014 (fewer than in 2013…to the surprise of many purchasers who found these schedules missing).

Three comments about this events:n(1) My tax situation did not expose me to these issues.n(2) Intuit implemented the change in version/pricing structure badly, and further bungled its response (in at least three different ways that I can count).n(3) Yes: had I not received the same functionality that I’d enjoyed the year before, I would have be in the chorus of 1-star reviews for this product and would and bailed for alternative tax software. Since I wasn’t, all I can report is how this version –which met my tax filing needs out of the box– worked for me.

And, I’m happy to report, it worked great.

I’ve been using TurboTax for a generation, and this year’s worked just fine. Installation and updates following the install (on both Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines) have been totally problem free for both federal and two state packages.

After installation, TurboTax recognized the most significant of my prior years’ information already in the computer. Both federal and state returns were therefore pre-populated with much of the employer, financial institution and payment data that I would have otherwise had to enter by hand.

I have a relatively simple tax situation am lucky enough to have my deductions in equilibrium. It took about three hours start to finish for TurboTax to complete and efile my federal refund and prepare for tax-day mailing of my state payment.

No hiccups, good error trapping and headache free tax preparation. Modest efforts to upsell other services are present, but are easily declined.

I understand that many Intuit users were upset. They can vote with their feet, and I get it.

However, it performed well for me, continuing to take the sting out of the onerous administration of tax returns. While Intuit deserves what it got from both customers and the media, remember this: the true pain of tax time comes from the governments that collect them and frame your liabilities (for all of earning, savings and spending) and NOT from Intuit).

If you’re a tax-time procrastinator: April is right around the corner. Now is the time to select with confidence.