Stancol.... We offer TurboTax "desktop" and TurboTax Online so people have a choice as to how they want to use the TurboTax product. The desktop version, which runs completely as a desktop application, can be purchased online, at retail or directly from Intuit. The Online version is truly an online application. There is nothing to buy or download to your computer. Just because you may have downloaded the desktop version to your PC doesn't mean it's an online application. Today, more than 50% of our customers use the Online version because it offers them everything they want without having to download or install software. Otherwise, the desktop version and Online versions of TurboTax and almost identical from a functionality perspective (desktop offers a "forms" view which some people like and allows you to prepare multiple returns at no extra charge).

There is nothing wrong with having multiple online accounts... even with the same email address. This is by design (especially those who may prepare returns for a friend or family member). Once multiple accounts are set up, we don't allow you to merge them primarily because of security / privacy concerns.

Our fees are prominently disclosed prior to any transaction. About the only additional fees a customer will incur is state electronic filing, which is optional. As for upgrades, we only present upgrade information if your transactions indicate another version of TurboTax would be more appropriate for you.

I believe many people get confused between filing online and electronic filing. They are two different things. Filing online simply describes the process of preparing your return using an online service like TurboTax Online. Even if you prepare your return online, you can still mail or efile your return. Electronic filing is the process of transmitting your return electronically to the IRS or State (instead of mailing the return). Regardless of which version of TurboTax you use, efiling is an option. For those who use TurboTax Online, we automatically save a copy (PDF) of their return in their online account so they can access it at any time. Because a customer's data is saved to their local PC when they're using TurboTax desktop, we do not save a PDF copy to any online account. This is consistent with our privacy and security processes, and consistent with our customer's expectations.

I hope this information helps.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax

"There is nothing wrong with having multiple online accounts... even with the same email address. This is by design (especially those who may prepare returns for a friend or family member). Once multiple accounts are set up, we don't allow you to merge them primarily because of security / privacy concerns."

Then why do you have so many complaints from people complaining about this issue? Your job should be to unconfuse customers not to have a system that confuses them. If you set up all of the accounts why shouldn't you be able to merge them? If it was all truly done by the same person then there wouldn't be any 'privacy concerns'.

"Our fees are prominently disclosed prior to any transaction. About the only additional fees a customer will incur is state electronic filing, which is optional. As for upgrades, we only present upgrade information if your transactions indicate another version of TurboTax would be more appropriate for you."

Prominently disclosed? Again I point to various posts in various forums all proclaiming the same problem. If it is obvious as you say then you shouldn't be getting all these complaints. What is obvious to you and your software engineers apparently isn't obvious to others.


"I believe many people get confused between filing online and electronic filing."

Now your on to something here. Need to get those software engineers working on a solution. Instead of just living with the problem maybe your software engineers could come up with a solution.

"For those who use TurboTax Online, we automatically save a copy (PDF) of their return in their online account so they can access it at any time. Because a customer's data is saved to their local PC when they're using TurboTax desktop, we do not save a PDF copy to any online account. This is consistent with our privacy and security processes, and consistent with our customer's expectations."

If you have privacy and security issues with keeping a copy of customer's data that is saved to their local PC then you should also have the same concern with your online version. Not sure which customer's your referring too but having two different policies for each version of the software isn't in keeping with any customer's expectations. If you can expect the online version to do one thing why wouldn't you automatically assume that the desktop version could do the same thing? The ability to save a copy online would be a vary powerful function but yet the desktop version which you would assume was more powerful doesn't have that function.

I suggest that instead of attempting to explaining the issues away that you take a vary serious look at some of the complaints your receiving. TurboTax used to be a vary easy and complete system to use. The various different versions both desktop and online have only added to customer confusion. Tax Returns can be confusing and frustrating enough without having various different software options and additions adding more confusion to the process.

Stancol... Thanks for the thoughtful response. As you probably know, I do read tons of email, posts, etc about our product. I do understand that some customers are confused or have problems using the product. At the same time, we have to be thoughtful about which issues to address, especially when our surveys or usability testing suggest that most people are happy about something. With 20 million customers, you can't always chase a handful of complaints at the risk of alienating or dissatisfying the millions. Nevertheless, we always try to tweak things so everyone is happy. Not always possible, but we strive for that. (And don't take my comments here as trivializing the few who may be unhappy. We do take them seriously.)

About merging online accounts and saving a desktop copy of the tax return to our servers... This really has to do with privacy and security. I should repeat "privacy and security" 10 times because these two concerns are always big concerns for us. There are issues with merging accounts where with joint filers, both parties may not want this. There are other subtle issues too. As for saving a desktop customer's return to PDF and storing online... It's easy to save an Online customer's return to PDF and host on our site because the data is already there and the customer accepts that. A desktop customer is another story. We don't host the data file nor do we have access to their desktop. While this could be done, we just haven't pursued it because it has not hit our radar in terms of a big enhancement that many people request.

Thanks for your feedback. We're listening and evaluating it.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax

"especially when our surveys or usability testing suggest that most people are happy about something."

Which is better a survey, usability testing or actual real world customers? I'd say that one real world customer is worth about 10 or 20 surveys. There are soooo many ways a survey can go wrong. Once saw a survey for a company that suggested that they need to better communicate with their employees. While the employees meant one thing by communicating the management thought it meant something else. Management proceed to speed thousands of dollars trying to fix a communications issue they didn't have.

"you can't always chase a handful of complaints at the risk of alienating or dissatisfying the millions. "

Every bankrupt company started off serving the millions before they went under. It's never the large things that kill you it's the small over looked items that kill big businesses. Fixing problems should never alienate or dissatisfy the millions. If they are happy with the current product then they should be happier with the new and improved product. Can't please everybody but I think you're looking at bigger issues than your surveys have discovered for you currently.

"About merging online accounts and saving a desktop copy of the tax return to our servers... This really has to do with privacy and security."

You really lose me on this one. If I create an account and type in all my information that I already have access to and then later accidentally start another account why couldn't you merge the two accounts? Seems to me like even if I'm doing a tax return for somebody else I've already seen their SS number, address and anything else I could steal before I typed it into the program. Since I'm the one entering data both times merging the two accounts would only make sense. I can see where PROVING that the same person owns both accounts could be tough but if you were sure it was the same person twice allowing them to merge wouldn't be a security issue.

"A desktop customer is another story. We don't host the data file nor do we have access to their desktop. While this could be done, we just haven't pursued it because it has not hit our radar in terms of a big enhancement that many people request."

This is the biggest reason I'm switching from TurboTax to product X. The inability for a company to see the obvious in it's own products leads me to think that the company is satisfied with the status quo and has stopped looking outside the box. The way you've answered most of my questions also leads me to think that you've stopped thinking outside the box.

My complaints about your software all began with my hard drive crashing. I ASSUMED that the more powerful desktop version would have an online backup just the same as the web version did. BIG mistake...one I won't repeat because I'm looking elsewhere for a more progressive thinking company.

I do thank you for your kind responses. Most people don't take criticism of their software as well as you did. You did an exultant job of addressing my complaints without offending me. (Not an easy task). I'd encourage you to look back though your comments and attempt to reread them as I took them, which was, "Thank you very much but we don't have any need to improve."

I'll leave you with one final thought.

“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.”

William Pollard

I have to agree with virtually all you said, especially surveys. Yes, they are one of the most unreliable means of measuring things. When I say usability, this does include using real customers/prospects in their home setting.

If my comments came across suggesting "not out of the box" stuff, my fault with words. I can assure you we are always looking for doing things better, etc.

If you electronically filed with us and you need your prior year TurboTax data file, let me know (turbotax_advocate@intuit.com) and I'll have it pulled from our archive.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax

OK the last paragraph confused me. If I used the Desktop version I was lead to believe that you don't have a copy. So how can you pull a prior year TurboTax data file if I didn't use the Web Version?

We can access your data file if and ONLY if you electronically filed using the desktop version of TurboTax. When you electronically file with the IRS, your return is routed through our servers, we batch them, and then retransmit them to the IRS. By law, we are required to archive a copy of the return.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax