Free TurboTax 2011 Deluxe Giveaway and Review

Since it’s almost tax time, I decided to start the New Year with my first big giveaway!

I have used TurboTax for over 5 years, and I love how easy it is to input all of your information, and have it be accurate and easy. If you follow my blog, you know that beyond the basic income from working, I also have investment and small business income. These can all be challenging to deal with around tax time, but TurboTax makes it easy.

Also, this year, TurboTax has connectivity to Mint.com, which is the free personal finance organization site you can learn more about on my resources page: College Investor Resources.

So first, there are several different versions of TurboTax, including a free version, which is perfect for those who only have income from employment.

 

TurboTax Deluxe (Which we are giving away!)

This is the version that you have a chance to win for free at the end of this post!

TurboTax Deluxe is designed for those who own a home, donated to charity, had education expenses, and other deductions. It does NOT include anything for investments, so if you are an investor, you need to get the premier version.

This version is designed to maximize your deductions by asking you a ton of questions. As with all TurboTax editions, you can transfer previous year’s data over, and you can also import data from Mint.com.

 

TurboTax Premier

This is the version that most investors will need! This version includes everything the Deluxe version has, but it is tailored more towards investors.

This version is designed for those who: sold stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or options for an employee stock plan; own rental property; or are the beneficiary of and estate or trust.

With Premier, you are easily walked through the reporting of sales of stock, bonds, and mutual funds. TurboTax will automatically calculate the gains and losses based on what you input.

If you own rental property, TurboTax can help you figure out the best depreciation method. And since you can import past years data, you can continue the proper depreciation year after year.

 

All Versions

With all versions of TurboTax, you can import your financial data from your financial institutions, Mint.com, It’s Deductible, or even a PDF file (say you used an accountant in past years).

TurboTax also guarantees that all calculations in the program are correct. One of the most common reasons for an audit is math errors, and this eliminates that risk all together.

Also, you can get answers when you need them. There is an easy to use guide, as well as a great help section to research your tax questions. If you still have questions, there is a Live Community that can help.

Finally, Federal e-File is included with the purchase, so you can get your refund quickly and easily.

 

The Giveaway

The College Investor is giving away one (1) copy of TurboTax Deluxe edition to a lucky reader! The contest runs from today (January 10, 2011) to 11:59pm Friday (January 14, 2011).

So, how do you enter? Here are the ways, but you must comment on this post:

1. Comment on this post (Please submit a valid email so I can contact you if you win!) – 1 Entry

2. Sign-up for a free Mint.com account. – 5 Entries (Yes, it is an affiliate link, but it’s a great product, and it supports this giveaway!)

3. Follow me on Twitter: @CollegeInvestin and ReTweet this post (You can use the button up top!) – 1 Entry

4. Become a fan of my Facebook Page (If you already are, you are already entered!) – 1 Entry

5. Sign-up for The College Investor Newsletter and get you’re copy of my free eBook (If you already are, you are already entered!) – 2 Entries

By doing these, you have a chance to be entered a total of 10 times! Don’t hesitate to increase your odds of winning! I will use a spreadsheet and Random.org to track all entries. The drawing will take place on Saturday!

Also, since I know that many of you may need a different version of TurboTax, I will send the receipt along with the prize so you can return or exchange it to meet your individual needs!

Thanks for following The College Investor!