H&R Block TaxCut Reviewer's Comments

First time filers or time pressured pros, TaxCut, created by H&R Block, has you covered. Filers save time, money and reduce your tax stress level with our "TopTenREVIEWS Bronze Award" winner—TaxCut Premium + State + E-file.This product includes the necessary tools for the average homeowner, the taxpayer with investments and those looking to itemize their return. Included is H&R Block’s tried and true Worry-Free Audit Support, and one session of Ask a Tax Advisor, where you can talk directly to an H&R Block tax pro via phone or email. TaxCut offers almost everything the #1 product, TurboTax offers except year-to-year deduction comparisons.

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Intuitive Navigation:  

TaxCut boasts a simple but effective interface, allowing for easy navigation forward and back.  If you change your mind about a selection or need to update information quickly while using TaxCut, navigating your way back to where you need to be is a snap.  The tax interview process is straight-forward, but sometimes presents questions and explanations that may seem cryptic to the average taxpayer.

Novice-Friendly:  

Many taxpayers are still intimidated by the daunting task of preparing their own tax return because they don't have a background in math. One of the strengths of TaxCut is that you don't need to have accounting experience of any kind. Simply answer the questions the program asks you. If you are unsure of an answer you can check the extensive help section for guidance. TaxCut automatically checks your return for common errors, but if you are still unsure of yourself, you can ask an H&R Block professional for customized tax advice.

Ease of Sign-up:  

As simple as providing a valid email address, choosing a user name and supplying an answer to a secret question, it just doesn’t get any simpler. You can even start filling out your return without creating an account at all, but remember that in order for TaxCut to save your information, you have to create an account.

Feature Set:  

TaxCut Premium offers a comprehensive feature set that includes at-your-fingertips tax advice and has the ability to import tax or financial data from TaxCut Online, TaxCut Software, and TurboTax Software. TaxCut provides an extensive explanation of tax regulations and helps you make the most of your tax return. The service also has many features for future planning, including a Retirement Savings Enhancer and Tax Planning reports.Filing your tax return is easy through TaxCut, you can check the status of your return and have the refund deposited directly into your bank account. One unique feature that we liked was the comparisons against national averages. TaxCut also has added Worry-Free Audit Support through H&R Block, so if you get audited, an H&R Block representative will guide you through your dealings with the IRS, and even represent you, the taxpayer.A feature we found missing in TaxCut is year-to-year deduction comparisons. If this feature is important to you, you may want to look at TurboTax.

Help/Documentation/Search:  

Perhaps the most important attribute of a good tax service is the information and help the application provides. TaxCut gives easy to understand information during each step of the process. Relevant questions are located on the screen at all times so you can quickly find answers to common tax questions. Multimedia help is also available to explain recent tax law changes and tax term definitions.  Also included is a free one-time consultation with an H&R Block tax professional, a helpful resource for those one or two pressing questions.

Summary:  

Overall, TaxCut is an excellent tax product at a low price; TaxCut Premium + State + E-file is just $44.95. The user interface is very simple and easy to understand and the help menu is useful in finding the answers to all tax related questions.TaxCut Premium + State + E-file is available in a software box version or download.  The software includes federal and state filing and all of the convenient features of the online version, plus TaxCut Business, which helps prepare

corporate, S-corp, partnership, LLC and payroll returns. The advantage of the box version is you can import from many personal finance software packages, including TurboTax, Quicken, Microsoft Money, and H&R Block DeductionPro. The disadvantages are you have to install the software on your computer and update it yearly.  If you go with the box or download version, remember to back up your files!

Click here to purchase the TaxCut Premium + State box version.