MacInTax Deluxe 1998 Federal 1040 CD
Intuit Inc.
Estimated Price: $49.00
http://www.macintax.com

Timing
Due to the necessity of preparing this review before actually using MacInTax Deluxe (MITD) to complete my personal federal 1040 return, I will concentrate on the aspects of the software and support users initially encounter. I have every reason to expect MITD's Easy Step Interview will guide me (and you) through the maze of tax preparation and filing, as it has done for me each of the previous four years.

Installation
Make sure you study the READ ME files before installing, because users need to be alerted to missing forms on the v98.00 CD, and potential problems with printing. The EASY INSTALL places the application, additional files, forms, help data, and fonts in any designated spot on your preferred drive, totaling 33.3 MB on my system. Don't worry if you get no progress bar or "countdown" clock during installation; it's happening in the background.

Easy Step Interview = Smart Interview System
The interview has been rewritten and greatly improved. Intuit now calls it the Smart Interview System, and it is really smart, says this reviewer.

MacInTax Deluxe wastes no time with preliminaries, because first you need to become aware of tax law changes and new features in the software, all accomplished via QuickTime movie presentations. The Smart Interview seamlessly and cleverly requests and updates information one screen at a time, streamlining the process whenever possible.

A new browser format, complete with underlined blue links, adds customized versatility to each page, and is much easier to use than describe. Imagine the best possible marriage between a browser, help application, and data auto-fill, all on an uncluttered screen.

One Click Updates
As the user goes through the interview, one of the first things the interview suggests is updating the product before beginning the review.

I decided to update the software automatically using the web, which is impressively routine. The download happens in two phases, requiring a bit more time than my AOL timeout connection allowed, but should not be a problem for users with either 56k modems or non-AOL Internet connections. Telephone support promised to send me the update disk as soon as it is available. The update itself is substantial consisting of 94 items, more than 80 of which are new forms.

Importing Financial Data
My favorite aspect of MacInTax is when last year's tax return is imported into the new version, complete with all my personal info and itemized 1099 forms. Yep, it worked again, and motivated me to gather up my bundle of paperwork and keep going, but...

Running the program
I had been advised that MITD starts off slowly on a 68k system, and the first several calculations are indeed S-L-O-W. Be patient if this happens to you, and have some good music handy. Remember to take regular breaks and move around, for personal physical and mental well-being's sake.

Intuit informs me that the latest update, available via web download, significantly improves speed and performance, drastically reducing calculation time. Bravo!

MacInTax now has more than 2,000 context-sensitive FAQ links that change with each new screen, and offers direct links to abundant printed data built into the application and CD. Intuit continues to impress me and the other reviewers whose comments I have read.

System Requirements
Macintosh with a CD-ROM drive, running Mac OS 7.1 or greater (requires 60800 IIcx processor or higher).

Summary
Applying the My Mac Magazine Q/D/S/V reviewer's standard to this perennial favorite is easy:

QUALITY of software remains high, and the improvements this year are vast;

DOCUMENTATION is built into every aspect of the program, and is more thorough than most users will ever require;

SUPPORT is adequate from the website, and is top-notch via telephone (long distance call required from most locations);

VALUE is absolute for taxpayers who prepare their own 1040 returns and who keep all of their annual financial paperwork.

I give MacInTax Deluxe 1998 my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION, once you understand that there is a time commitment inherent in learning and using the product. My personal thanks go to Jennifer Roberts, Public Relations Specialist with the Tax Division of Intuit, Inc. With her assistance, I will indicate special features and alerts in MITD encountered during the preparation of my Federal return.

Jennifer reminds me, and I agree 100 percent:

You might want to let your readers know the benefits of filing electronically this year. The IRS has publicly stated that it has a goal of having 80% of all returns filed electronically by the year 2007.

When taxpayers file electronically:

1. They receive any refund due usually in 7-10 days, rather than weeks or months.

2. Reduce the possibility of errors substantially (manually prepared returns have an error rate of 20%, where as returns submitted electronically have a less than 1% error rate).

3. Taxpayers with taxes due can now pay by credit or debit card.

John Nemerovski
nemo@mymac.com