Software that is far less taxing - TurboTax for Business; TurboTax Deluxe - Software Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, March, 1996 by Joel T. Patz

Intuit TurboTax for Business TurboTax Deluxe

Rating: * * * *

WIN / WIN 95

Paying the bills may not be the toughest part of doing your business and personal taxes. Just filling out all the paperwork is what really eats up the hours and leaves you with countless doubts about whether you gave too much money to the government. Sure, you can hire an accountant, but that professional just knows what questions to ask. You still have to sweat out each and every answer. So it isn't surprising that a growing number of small-business owners are turning to to tax software, and the runaway best-sellers are TurboTax for Business and TurboTax Deluxe, Intuit's powerful and easy-to-use duo.

Using a fill-in-the-blank technique, the Easystep Interview in both applications elicits key facts and figures about your business or personal situation. The Interview has built-in smarts; for example, it won't ask you a series of questions if they don't apply. Your progress is tracked by the Information Navigator, which prompts you when you leave out important items.

If you have questions about a particular issue, there are context-sensitive links to IRS instructions and help is given in plain English.

TurboTax for Business lets you select the correct return for your company type and adjusts the program accordingly. For example, if you're a sole proprietor, you'll get special tax-savings suggestions for retirement plans and information on the self-employment tax and business use of your home. Deduction Finder points out items you may have overlooked, and Audit Flag picks out potential hot spots that may trigger FRS attention. You'll find all the major IRS business publications available at a mouse click as well as Taxs Savvy for Small Business by tax attorney Fred Daily.

TurboTax Deluxe for Windows is available on CD-ROM and includes everything you need to file whether you're a sole proprietor or an ordinary taxpayer. The Easystep Interview leads you through the process, fills out the forms as you provide the information, questions and prompts as you go along, does will the calculations, and then checks everything before you print the return.

The Tax Center feature in TurboTax Deluxe provides a video library of more than 90 outstanding videos that feature Marshall Loeb and Mary Sprouse on such topics as family, investments, vehicles, house/rental, and business issues. The Tax Library includes How to Pay Zero Taxes by Jeffrey Schnepper, the Money Income Tax 1 Handbook by Mary L. Sprouse, 30 IRS publications, and a section on tax strategies that make this aspect of the program a gold mine of help and information.

TurboTax Deluxe even color codes information appearing on the forms so you'll know whether you or the program entered it or whether the details were transferred from a federal to a state return.

Both programs allow you to print your return on plain paper and the Final Review feature verifies that everything is in the right place, offering great peace of mind.

Details

TurboTax for Business TurboTax Deluxe

Publisher: Intuit, 619-453-4446, 800-964-1040. List Price: $79.95 for TurboTax for Business, $49.95 for TurboTax Deluxe System Requirements: Windows, 4MB of RAM, 18MB of hard-disk space, VGA monitor

CIRCLE 119 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Communications

Talking Modems

U.S. Robotics Sportster Vi 28.8 Fax/Modem With DSVD

Rating: * * * 1/2

WIN / WIN 95

Teleconferencing enables two users in different locations to work together, quite a useful and productive concept. Until recently, however, teleconferencing required two telephone connections, one for connecting computer modems--and their remote-control software such as Carbon Copy or PC Anywhere--and a second for verbal communication on a regular telephone.

A new modem technology called digital simultaneous voice and data (DSVD) converts an analog telephone signal into digital format so that it can be sent simultaneously with computer data over a single telephone line, making teleconferencing simpler and less expensive. We chose to test the 28.8Kbps U.S. Robotics Sportster Vi because in addition to DSVD and fax capabilities, it's bundled with Intel's $299 Proshare teleconferencing software, making it a terrific value.

Installing an internal high-speed modem can be frustrating, but the utility programs supplied with the Sportster help make the process quick and painless. Other U.S. Robotics modems we have tested have been reliable and hassle-free performers, and the Sportster Vi was no exception. Over the course of our testing, we routinely established trouble-free high-speed links with a variety of online services without a trace of the temperamental glitchy behavior we have run into with other high-speed modems.

Although the DSVD feature can be invoked with almost any telecommunications program, Intel's Proshare shows it off to best advantage. The basic operation of ProShare uses a notebook metaphor, where the documents being worked on are placed on various pages of a notebook, enabling connected users to view, mark, and edit them. During operation, it feels like working on slides or pages in a presentation, a natural and intuitive process.