CCH CompleteTax

CCH CompleteTax offers a straightforward user interface, allowing you to answer multiple interview questions on a single screen. CompleteTax does expect the user to be firmly in the driver seat, as some data entry options are presented without a lot of contextual support. CompleteTax presents users with a wide range of options at the beginning so the software will display only those sections most relevant to the taxpayer. This makes the rest of the data entry somewhat faster compared to other software. CompleteTax is especially appropriate for people who don't need the hand-holding from interview-style questions.

CompleteTax is a no-nonsense tax preparation program lacking the bells-and-whistles of the fancy premium software packages. The clean, simple user interface makes maximum use of the computer screen, so you don't waste time answering just one question at a time. The software operates only in an interview format, but you can find where to put information using the help search box. CompleteTax can import data from GainsKeeper for easy calculation of capital gains and losses on Schedule D.

Because CompleteTax does not contain a lot of contextual help, the software is best suited for tax-savvy individuals who want to speed through their tax return with a minimum of clicking.

CompleteTax does not have a forms view. You have to use the program's interview format to get to the data entry screens. I was unable to copy and paste numeric data into the software. In fields where you can choose from a list (such as industry codes for self-employed persons or municipality codes for state returns), CompleteTax offers a popup screen displaying the available data, but users cannot conduct a keyword search of the data using the browser's find function.

Of greater concern to me is that CompleteTax does not offer calculators or what-if scenario building to compare different tax planning options. CompleteTax does have one promising utility, the ability to optimize IRA contributions by selecting to maximize a deductible IRA or to maximize how much can be put into a Roth IRA. However when I selected these options, CompleteTax continued on with the interview questions without informing me of the results of their calculations. On the other hand, CompleteTax does calculate the maximum amount that a self-employed person could save in a SEP-IRA or solo 401(k) retirement plan, a feature that's entirely missing in other tax software packages.

CCH CompleteTax comes in three Web-based versions:

• CompleteTax Basic: $9.95 for a federal tax return + $29.95 for a state return.
• CompleteTax Deluxe: $34.95 for a federal tax return + $29.95 for a state return.
• CompleteTax Premium: $49.95 a federal tax return + $29.95 for a state return.