Others say...

"Worked as advertised"
I have used Tax Cut over the past few years, for my federal returns. Tax Cut does the job, and was relatively easy to use. I do not use the state programs as I can file on-line for my state, which is simpler and faster than using the option provided by Tax Cut. I think the high on-line filing fee ($15) is a bit much, since the process probably costs about 2 cents to execute, and a stamp and envelope is not much more costly. That said, filing method is a personal preference. Having to download a state return is pain in the rump for someone without a high speed internet connection, though it probably makes business sense for H&R to structure the process this way.

"Taxcut 2006 - Okay"
Tax Cut, like Turbo Tax, is easy to use for basic tax preparation. It guides the user through an interview which makes the process simple. Additionally, the premium version comes with Deduction Pro, a separate program that is a significant help with non cash charitable contributions. H&R Block, the company behind Tax Cut, offers audit support without the fee charged by Turbo Tax.

The only drawback with Tax Cut is that the user cannot download information from investment houses, mortgage brokers, etc., as can be done in Turbo Tax. The data has to be loaded manually. For many people, that may not be a problem, nut for people with interest and dividends from more than one bank or broker, it becomes tedious.

The last thing is that there was not a rebate for the filing fee as there was for the 2005 version.

"Don't waste your time"
H&R block does a much better job marketing software than writing it. I used the on-line version, had trouble registering so chose the option to begin entering data and register later. After about an hour of painfully slow entry, sometimes just one item per page, most of the time looking at "LOADING, PLEASE WAIT" I had to keep an appointment so tried to register and save. No luck, repeated attempts to register gave unidentified error, and I could not save without registering. Finally just left the computer on and left; when I came back TaxCut had timed out and lost all my data. By the way there is a screen which looks like you are accepting the terms of a software agreement but if you read the fine print you are agreeing to let them sell your e-mail to other companies. Even if you select NO you will get frequent e-mails from H&R Block. I will save time and do my taxes on paper forms this year. When a company can't get something simple like this right, it calls into question everything they do.

"H&R Block Taxcut 2006 Premium Federal"
Have used Taxcut for years and this version does not disappoint. The import of previous year data worked well and my tax return was quickly prepared.

"A little cumbersome, but just as good as Turbotax but cheaper"
The look and feel of the software is pretty much the same as last year. However, navigating through the return is a little cumbersome. They try to dumb down the product so much that the user is pretty much forced to go through the interview screens. It is a pain to go to specific areas to input or edit because they keep taking you back to the canned interview screens for those sections. They should give the user the choice of doing a down and dirty input or using their guided entry. The disk comes with the DeductionPro program which in my opinion is a waste of downloading time. The only added benefit it provides is giving values for household items donated to charity. I don't know why TaxCut doesn't just incorporate the "program" into the tax return preparation and just make it seamless for the user.

They could also improve on the final error check process. They show errors and warnings. When you review a warning, there is no link directly to the fix. I ended up deleting a form with a warning that I thought was unnecessary and ended up deleting my whole W-2 input which made my whole return wrong. It took me a while to figure out that I just needed to re-enter the W-2, but after spending hours on my return, that freaked me out a bit.

Last note: you can still e-file with this version, but it costs $15.95 extra and you can add on a state return for $24.95. If you do need a state return, buying the bundled version will save you money.

TAX LAW UPDATE: As of Feb 3, the IRS will accept returns using the new sales tax deduction and/or the new tuition credit. I was ultimately very happy with Tax Cut's performance. The worksheets still print awkwardly and were just a waste of paper, but they did add the option to print the return to review before e-filing which is a must. I also really like the email notification that your return has been received and then again when it has been accepted along with a link where you can track your refund.

I recommend this product.