You may have trouble deciding which of the nine available TurboTax offerings is right for you. Intuit describes TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State 2007 as the choice for taxpayers who own their own home, donate to charity or have medical, education or childcare expenses. In other words, it's probably the right TurboTax choice for many, if not most, taxpayers.

TurboTax's long history is evident as soon as you fire up the application; it offers easily the best user interface and navigation system in the tax software industry. TurboTax uses a tabbed interface to keep the sections easily separated and allow you to quickly jump back and forth as needed.

This program uses a basic interview approach where you answer simple questions; the information you supply is used to fill in the tax forms and schedules. We especially like the deductions/credits guided interviews, which help you seek out every deduction and credit that you're entitled to. To help you with charitable deductions, TurboTax includes ItsDeductible, which provides accurate valuations for items you may have donated.

When you've completed all the required information, TurboTax will check your return for errors, missed deductions and missed credits. Should the IRS decide to audit your return, a TurboTax representative will explain the process and suggest the best way to respond. If an error occurs because of TurboTax's calculations, Intuit will pay the penalty and interest.

When you're ready to file, you can use the TurboTax e-file program, or print your returns and send them via snail mail. Unlike the online editions, which include at least one free e-file, this version of TurboTax doesn't allow you to file electronically for free. Intuit charges $17.95 for up to five federal e-filings and an additional $17.95 for up to three state e-filings.

Intuit's TurboTax Deluxe 2007 may be one of the easiest tax preparation programs to use, and while we like many of its features, the added cost for e-filing left a bad taste in our mouths.


Pros: Easy-to-use interface, good interview process, includes a deduction/credit finder and ItsDeductible for valuing donated items.
Cons: E-filing is a significant added cost