TaxACT

Was supposed to get a$20 or $25 gift card for "referring" a friend to file with TaxAct. So, this was back in January with two people and nothing has ever showed up, nor has there ever been any contact from them. Also, when you are the "beneficiary" of receiving 20% off, when you follow the link provided it just so happens the price is about 20% higher so there is no net benefit. Also, the price is way jacked up from what it used to be and they "trick" you into purchasing a higher level of service than what you really need. You might only need the basic service, and all the sudden they throw the DELUXE price when you try to click the link. I have used them for years, but now I am done.

I've always done my own taxes and have used Tax Act since it first appeared. It's been fine if you know what you're doing and don't have a complex return. Last year's version had a big price jump, which is understandable since it was still a bargain compared to Turbo Tax.

The 2017 version has already annoyed me, however. First, I discovered that I needed the "Freelancer" version since I have to complete a Schedule C. (They did give me the upgrade for free since I'm a long-time customer.) Next, I found a bug in my state's software. Then, I found the only support is via phone -- with a 40-minute wait time. There's no email support or any other way to report the bug. For this reason I wonder if I'll be using Tax Act next year.

Update 1/29/18: I found an email address for the marketing department right here on Sitejabber and sent an email asking to forward my issue to the tech department. It was indeed forwarded and I received a reply a few days later. Turned out there *is* a way to handle my issue, but it's in the *state* section, which I had to enter via a tab which I've never needed before. So, not a bug. Perhaps if I'd gone through the state interview the software would have addressed the issue. I still feel this should appear in the program's "help" file, but I'm upping my score from 3 stars to 4.