I did that, last Tuesday. It's now a week later and guess what, my taxes are still not filed. Want to know why? Because one of two pieces of software suck. I have been using Turbo Tax for the past three or four years now. It's very simple, and it actually fills in about 1/2 of the information for you. It knows my 1099-INT from my Savings Institution (re: Bank) it knows how much I paid (or received back) in taxes from the previous years. It even tells me how my tax return compares to the rest of the country, and even if my tax return would send off any audit flags. Everything is A-ok! However, there's still this issue about not filing yet, and the unresolved suckiness.
Apparently, Turbo Tax will no longer open on my computer. I installed it last week. I used it this week. And today, it won't open. No biggie, I'll uninstall and reinstall. No dice. How about this, I'll uninstall again. Because, Windows always likes us to do things twice, just to make sure we really want to do it. 2nd time's a charm right, wrong. Doesn't open. Oh, it makes it LOOK like it wants to open... the little hour glass flashes up there, the hard drive makes some sort of whirring noise. Even the install CD asks me if I want to run it straight from the CD Drive. But, each and every time it just refuses to open.
Ah, I know... I have a 2007 copy from my dad. He must have registered the software, and now it's locking me out. So, I went online, purchased ANOTHER version of the 2007 Turbo Tax software, and installed that on my computer. Another double click of the mouse, and... nothing. Not even a blip in the Task Manager. So, now I have to ask myself, is this a Turbo Tax problem, or a Windows XP problem. I have no f'in idea. The idea I do have, is to pick up my computer and throw it at Bill Gates. (While I applaud his humanitarian efforts and general care and regard for the environment, his software sucks!) What the hell could have caused this? Did I reboot in the last week? Nope. Did I get some virus on my computer? Nope. Did Windows install a security update without telling me? Nop.. oh wait, what's this? It.. it did. Windows did install a security update without telling me. THAT, must be the problem!
So, into the control panel, click on the add/remove software icon, check the "updates" box, and there it is, 4/11/08, multiple windows Hotfixes. More clicking, more waiting, more rebooting of the computer... Up comes the screen, all the icons are waiting, double-click on the Turbo Tax icon... nothing.
Nothing he says. Not a beep, not a whir, not a tax return at 12:07, the morning on April 15th. I guess I have several options.
1) Try to print out the PDF I have of my return, and figure out where the hell to mail it to, and how I'm supposed to get the proper bar code and everything on it.
2) Bring the 2007 Turbo Tax disk to work, secretly install the software and file my return at work. Then, quickly uninstall the software making sure that no one actually sees me doing this.
3) Or, since I talked with my dad for about an hour tonight trying to figure out this ridiculous problem, I can take my files to his house (with a working version of Turbo Tax 2007) and hope that I can file my return on his computer.
This whole ordeal is ridiculous, and I just want to get it over with. Oh, did I mention I called Turbo Tax's consumer hotline? Just a hour to wait before I could talk with a Tax Consultant. The problem is, I don't want a tax consultant, I need someone to fix my computer, or my software, or whatever the problem is. I don't think they'll be doing that over the phone...
I'm off to bed. Maybe the software will magically repair itself and work when I wake up? We can all fantasize, can't we. Happy have Happy, Jolly, Merry Tax Season.
BEN
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