out of 5

Intuit, $40 U.S. Requirements: Any Macintosh. 
Recommended: printer, modem. Please note this is U.S.-specific software.

The year 1994 was a complicated one financially for my wife and me. We bought and sold a few stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, generating both short-term and long-term capital gains. We had substantial medical expenses. I had both regular (W2) income and self-employed income. It was our first year of paying estimated taxes, and my initial estimates and payments were completely inaccurate. I was unsure about whether or not to take the home office deduction. You get the idea: I was apprehensive concerning both the tax scenario and the countless forms. I needed help! I needed MacInTax. 

I ordered the Head Start version in a bundle with Quicken 5.0 from MacWarehouse for a very reasonable price. I had never previously used Quicken. (Intuit produces both, and users of Quicken will immediately feel comfortable with MacInTax.) I read the MacInTax manual, but all I learned was that I should begin with the Head Start application, and follow the instructions. I was skeptical.

The Head Start version was prepared by Intuit before the final IRS tax information was available, but everything imported effortlessly into the final version, which arrived automatically early in 1995. The manual urges the user to follow the Easy Step Interview and Review process, so I did. The only trick is to have all  your appropriate financial paperwork handy as you proceed.

Mid-way through entering my data via the interview process, I learned about a well-publicized glitch in the software. I called Intuit’s 800 number and quickly received the corrected diskettes, which also installed effortlessly. Again, all my data imported correctly. My situation was one of the rare ones to benefit from the corrected application.

By following the Easy Step interview, MacInTax calmly walks you through every conceivable tax-related event in your financial year. It is simple to take a break, quit and return, examine the appropriate forms (all of which are included within the application), and make changes or corrections. MacInTax is definitely both state-of-the-art and user-friendly. 

When everything was entered I used the Easy Step Review, which identified a couple of errors. Compared to making changes by hand, the corrections were instantaneous. I never sweated one drop or uttered one epithet the entire time.

I originally planned to file our return electronically, but missed the deadline by having to wait for some amended financial information. I decided to print out our return using the 1040PC method, which looks strange but saves a lot of paper. In the future I’ll file electronically via America Online.

A reviewer on NPR stated that only a fool would use MacInTax instead of an accountant or tax preparer. I disagree. For most of us, MacInTax handles every federal tax- related item with clarity and simplicity. I do not recommend the purchase of the State Tax version, unless your state tax return is tremendously complicated. I completed my Arizona state tax return (by hand) in just a few minutes. Intuit offers a full money-back satisfaction guarantee, but I doubt if many MacInTax users need it. MacInTax (Federal 1040) is a winner. I recommend you consider using it next January.

                                                                                                     johnemer@aztec.asu.ed