In microsoft.public.money, Paul Pedersen wrote:

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It does not accept TXF files.

FWIW (& OT), I like Tax Act. It's cheap, too.


"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23pWFlBjmFHA.572[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
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They could probably get a federal grant to keep it going.


"Richard Bollar" <bollar[at]bollar.org> wrote in message
news:uoI1wfpmFHA.1204[at]TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
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Not sure what you mean by "matching interview questions" but I've used
TaxCut since version one and it has always allowed you to enter directly
into forms.

--
Michael Gordon
MVP


"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:O9IO0D6mFHA.3448[at]TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
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I have used TaxCut since TaxSaver went away, & it USED to not let you into
the forms. I think it will now, but if you put anything in there that
doesn't match the interview questions, it won't let you send.

I know for a fact that one year I couldn't get it to add the capital gains
paid by the funds on their annual/quarterly dividend dates with the capital
gains from selling positions, and there was no way to correct it.

I did notice that those kinds of things were easier this year -- I used the
web version, with the Money free offer, & it went pretty smoothly, for once.

Susan

"Chris Cowles" <NoSpam[at]For.me> wrote in message
news:ePx6fn4mFHA.1148[at]TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
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Taxcut certainly allows you to edit the actual forms.

"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:uMubv2wmFHA.3316[at]TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
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I've not looked at TurboTax in a while, but TaxCut allows you to enter data
on and edit the actual forms.

--
Michael Gordon
MVP


"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:uMubv2wmFHA.3316[at]TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
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Neither does Nevada.

I don't recall hearing about a calculation problem in TaxSaver. I think it's
too old to matter now, anyway. THE UI was much better, and IIRC it let you
see what you were doing at any step.

I absolutely loathe the way the programs now just ask you the stupid
interview questions and won't let you edit the actual forms. Sometimes you
have an unusual situation that you just don't trust the interview thing to
handle.

Susan

"Michael Gordon, MVP" <gordonm[at]denison.edu> wrote in message
news:eljSK4omFHA.708[at]TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
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Well, there was also that small problem where it calculated taxes
incorrectly (in the Fed's favor)... <g
--

"Michael Gordon, MVP" <gordonm[at]denison.edu> wrote in message
news:eljSK4omFHA.708[at]TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
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I think it has a somewhat longer life in the UK. Sales went nowhere in the
US because it didn't include a component for handling state income taxes
(Washington state doesn't have an income tax.......). My guess is they
calculated the cost of adding this capability and concluded it wasn't worth
it. Too bad, because the UI was so much better than current programs.

--
Michael Gordon
MVP


"harrelsonesq" <harrelsonesq2[at]yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23pWFlBjmFHA.572[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
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It was called TaxSaver, was available only for 1998, and was far superior to
the crap available now. I still remember it fondly, which is saying
something, for a TAX program. (I hate tax).

Susan

"Michael Gordon, MVP" <gordonm[at]denison.edu> wrote in message
news:OrUl6AgmFHA.572[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
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MS had a pretty nice tax program out for a short time, realized it, then
gave up on it. Probably as the result of some kind of cost-benefit analysis.
--
Michael Gordon
MVP


"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:O74zvKWmFHA.3656[at]TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
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I think that's where they started with Money. Then they tried to buy Intuit
and the government nixed that. Now Q still has the bulk of the market share
and Microsoft doesn't seem interested in anything tougher than a bunt
attempt with Money. They don't always win. Sometimes they even give up.

"- Bobb -" <nospam87[at]netscape.net> wrote in message
news:ej2zFd7lFHA.1148[at]TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
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Dick,

You and Jeff could write THE best financial app out there ... charging $20.
People would stop buying Money and Quicken ,,, and then ... you know what
would happen ?
Microsoft would bundle Money with the next version of Windows. They MUST be
the leader : period.
You don't agree ? Compare XBOX with PS2. I've seen / read in the past few
years - in WSJ etc - quotes from Ballmer and the other head honchos that
they were losing money on every sale of XBOX (when it dropped to about $99).
You and I could not stay in business doing this - and neither should they -
it's called antitrust by lawyers. They call it "for the good of the
consumer". The fact that their competion dies is not an accident.
Yeah, they'll pay a fine when/if they get prosecuted. Their idea of this
business is to have a big enough bankroll to squash anyone who competes.
They'll be the lowest priced seller / give it away - rather than have
competition. Check with Lotus, Netscape, RealPlayer and soon to be Symantec
et al.
They do not like to lose. Correction: they MUST prevail at any cost.

Bobb

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:eU5HEVgiFHA.1044[at]tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
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"Paul Pedersen" <no-reply[at]swen.com> wrote in message
news:%23zqsVC%23iFHA.3448[at]TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
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I can't imagine that doubling price would increase sales.

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Note the target audience for the features they have added: Apparently their
research suggests that Most Users Prefer(tm) the most dumbed down they can
make it.

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Many of the postings in the NG aren't about making it work, they are about
making it work different or about fixing weaknesses on the financial
providers side of things. I don't think too many people waste time here
anymore on wish lists. We wish for things like the ability to get scheduled
classification for loan payments and we get Essential * instead. If we keep
wishing for more and getting less, sooner or later we'll have nothing.

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At best.

"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:u30gFj7iFHA.2904[at]tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
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#6 in sales? Hard to top that. (Only five have done so!) That's the kind of
record that's hard to argue with.



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They probably get it for free, but only the Standard edition.



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It's MY reason. I can't speak for others.


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One would think (I would, anyway) that it would increase sales. Apparently
Microsoft and Quicken don't agree with me. What do they know? :-)



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If the bugs and weaknesses got taken care of, it should lower support costs.



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Maybe... but from a quick scanning of this ng, it seems that mostly, people
just want it to work. More features looks like a badly-trailing #2.



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No one but the users. And who cares about them?

I agree though - it would be a big investment with uncertain payoff.

Many savvy shoppers are paying less than $25 for Deluxe upgrade. Watch the
newsgroup. Someone earlier this week was claiming purchase of M06 Premium
for $19.99--after rebate--at Costco. Sam's Club is reported to be offering
M06 Deluxe for $23.86; past experience would suggest this is non-rebate. I
was going to swear that more users buy Deluxe than Premium but the amazon
sales ranks do not support this.

(M06 Standard, $24.99 after rebates, is at #52 in software.
M06 Deluxe, $33.99 after rebates, is at #18 in software.
M06 Premium, $39.99 after rebates, is at #6 in software.
M06 Small Business, $54.99 after rebates, is at #42 in software.
M05 Deluxe, is at #956 in software.
M05 Premium, is at #300 in software.
M05 Standard, $17.99 after rebates, is at #518 in software.)

The OEMs are probably the largest purchasers. They won't pay $0.01 more. And
they're not paying anywhere near the $23.86 now. Look at how many people
posting here haven't upgraded in years. (Perhaps one reason is the lack of
improvement in the product to justify it, but that's surely not the only
reason.)

Doubling the income would not allow them to both double their profit (what's
1,000,000 times zero?) and double the amount of effort they put into it
unless it had no effect or a positive effect on sales. And that assumes that
adding function does not add support costs. The kinds of functions many of
us would like to see would surely increase support costs in the heart of the
target market.

If this were a winning business model, both Intuit and Microsoft wouldn't be
working so hard to find other ways to "monetize the relationship." You don't
see ads scattered all over Office, do you?

But back to the basic premise: can a business case be made for investing in
writing a better PFM than Money that can sell for 2x because it provides
more/better features for the high end of the market? Apparently nobody
thinks so.

"Paul Pedersen" <no-reply[at]swen.com> wrote in message
news:%23NrIv26iFHA.1232[at]TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
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1. Money costs a lot more than $20. Even the upgrade (Deluxe or Premier) is
more than that.

2. You and I can't be the only ones who'd buy. (Could we?? That would be a
problem. But I don't believe that.)

3. Double the income would allow them to double the effort put into it, and
still double their profit.



"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:OXhi7ekiFHA.320[at]TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
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I'd pay twice the price for even 20% more function. But that's only an extra
$40 from the two of us.

"Paul Pedersen" <no-reply[at]swen.com> wrote in message
news:uFkHZsiiFHA.328[at]tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
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Like I've said before, I'd be happy to pay twice the price for twice the
program.


"Dick Watson" <littlegreengecko[at]mind-enufalready-spring.com> wrote in
message news:eU5HEVgiFHA.1044[at]tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
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