Many of our visitors are interested in the TurboTax 2012 Free Edition. The TurboTax Free Edition is TurboTax's simplest product and is adequate if you do not require much guidance and have a simple return.

TurboTax Company Review 2011-2012


Pros:

  • Free live tax support on all products
  • Excellent on-screen guidance and navigation
  • Excellent free live tax support
  • Excellent tech support
  • Trusted and reliable brand
  • Can access past returns for up to 10 years for free
  • Offers professional tax review: tax advisor manually goes through your entire tax return for $39.95
  • Audit triggers meter: shows your likelihood of being audited
  • Offers Audit Defense: full service representation if you are audited for $39.95

Cons:

  • High cost for filing state tax returns
TurboTax Pricing
Price Range Free - $74.95
State Add-On $27.95
Free Federal E-File
TurboTax Company Ratings
Ease of Use:
Tax Support:
Tech Support:
Reliability:
Overall Score: 19/20

TurboTax Conclusion

We've found that TurboTax offers excellent tax products. The biggest advantages of using TurboTax's software are its error checking, on-screen guidance, and tax support. In fact, TurboTax is the only vendor to provide free live professional tax support. The only downside of using TurboTax is that their products are relatively expensive compared to their competitors. We recommend TurboTax to any user who needs robust guidance and support.

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TurboTax: Ease of Use

TurboTax’s tax products provide one of the most user-friendly and helpful online interfaces we have reviewed.  TurboTax offers helper text bubbles to explain jargon and guide you through your tax return. They warn you to save your progress before changes are lost and let you flag pages you want to return to.  TurboTax displays a refund meter that calculates your refund as well as an audit triggers meter, which calculates your chance of being audited. Past returns for the past seven years may be accessed for free with all plans except the free plan. TurboTax double-checks your W-2 for proper Social Security, Medicare, and Federal Income Tax withholdings.

TurboTax: Tax Support

TurboTax now offers free live tax support over the phone and live chat for all versions of the online software. You may also contact TurboTax for support through free email correspondance.  All tax support is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT. TurboTax advertises a two-hour response rate to any tax support question. TurboTax's audit support helps you find out why the IRS contacted you, determine what it means, and prepare your next steps. TurboTax provides Audit Defense, which will represent you in the event of an audit, schedule and attend all audit appointments and handle all audit correspondence. Audit Defense costs an additonal $39.95.

TurboTax: Tech Support

When we tested TurboTax tech support, wait times for phone, live chat and email were minimal to none. (Wait times may vary with increased demand closer to the April filing deadline.) TurboTax's tech support is fairly helpful but not very thorough in their explanations. Tech support is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PT.

TurboTax: Reliability

TurboTax is an acutely reliable company, as TurboTax is owned by Intuit Inc. and has been in business for over 20 years. They provide an Accuracy Guarantee, which reimburses you if you are assessed a penalty based on a miscalculation that is the fault of TurboTax. TurboTax also offers a Maximum Refund Guarantee, which ensures you get the biggest tax refund possible using their system.

TurboTax: Pricing

TurboTax offers the most expensive tax products we have reviewed. The cost of filing your federal tax return ranges from free to $74.95, depending on which product fits your needs. If you need to purchase a state add-on, it will cost you $36.95, which is fairly expensive when compared to competing products from other brands. You pay the total price only after you file your return.

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TurboTax Product Comparison Grid

  TurboTax Free Edition TurboTax Deluxe TurboTax Premier TurboTax Home & Business
Federal $0.00 $29.95 $49.95 $74.95
State Add-On $27.95 $36.95 $36.95 $36.95
Federal + State $27.95 $66.90 $86.90 $111.90
Free Federal Efile
Includes IRS tax forms you need
Accuracy Guarantee
Handles life changes  
Imports 1099s and W-2s  
Additional guidance for deductions  
Additional guidance for credits  
Additional guidance for investments    
Helps with rental income    
Additional guidance for the self-employed      
Guidance for small business owners      
 
  Free federal e-file with any TurboTax software product Free federal e-file with any TurboTax software product Free federal e-file with any TurboTax software product Free federal e-file with any TurboTax software product
  Read the TurboTax Free Edition Review Read the TurboTax Deluxe Review Read the TurboTax Premier Review Read the TurboTax Home & Business Review