Yesterday, I got my 1098 for my mortgage and decided to do my taxes.  I typically do them early…mainly, because I typically get a refund.  My taxes are very simple and easy to do. 

The first year that I did my taxes, I did them manually.  It wasn't that bad but I wouldn't do them that way every again.  Ever other year, I have always used TurboTax.  Each year, the software got incrementally better. 

This year, I used H&R's TaxCut.  The day after Thanksgiving, Staples ran a special where if you purchased TaxCut + State for $30, you got Microsoft Money 2006 Deluxe for free and also a free shredder.  I couldn't pass up this deal so I gave TaxCut a chance.  I figured it doesn't really matter and all of these packages are about the same and after I used it once I would never use it again.

I soon found out how immature the product it was.  I also found it confusing the message that H&R was sending.  It seems like they were always encouraging you to complete your taxes using the application and then bring them into one of their regional offices.  I guess I am using the application so that I can just get them done.  If I wanted someone to do them for me, I would bother with the program.

Also, I was constantly getting lost in the app.  Usually in a "next, next, finished" application, you can hit back and go back 1 step.  Actually, this one would take back to the previous section or somewhere else.  Also, they had "sub" screens that sometimes only available by hitting "begin" instead of "next" ….kinda unpredictable. 

It prompted me to update the program multiple times in the same session.  I found this irritating.  I did the update right away and it worked.  But then it said, I need to download a patch for Money 2006 separately.  Considered these were bundled, I found this disturbing.  Why couldn't this update automatically happen within Money or Taxcut.  It instructed me to go to the website.  I finally found the link by searching their FAQ's.

Something else peculiar was this warnings that it found on my taxes.  It didn't like my FICA and SS withholdings.  It said that they were too low and should be a specific % of your wages.  I did the math my self and my values were a penny below.

When I finished, I was very surprised that no save as PDF option was available.  I guess I took this for granted.  When it printed the returns, it would print directly to your printer instead of giving you the print dialog box.  In order for me to print to Acrobat, I had to change my default printer.  Finally, they give you the optional of printing supporting documentation.  The forms spanned pages and layout and page breaks were all messed up.

At least it's over and I am getting a refund.