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April 2, 2009 7:02 AM PDT

Get TurboTax Deluxe 2008 Federal + State for $35

by Rick Broida

TurboTax Deluxe 2008 is definitely a bargain at $34.95 shipped.

(Credit: Intuit)

With just two weeks left until April 15, now is the time when tax return procrastinators (like me) can save a few bucks on tax preparation software. Witness: Newegg has TurboTax Deluxe Federal + State + eFile 2008 for $34.95 shipped.

Yo! You must apply coupon code EMCLRLN33 to get that price; otherwise it's $39.95. Of course, Intuit charges $59.95 for the Mac- and Windows-compatible software, so either way, you're getting a deal.

So, yeah, TurboTax. I know not everybody's a fan, and I'll admit to being a reluctant user myself. But CNET had mostly good things to say about it, and it even slapped it with an Editors' Choice award.

In fact, a key complaint was the price, but with this deal, you're saving nearly 50 percent. Just be sure to read the fine print: The free e-filing that's included is for your federal return only; it'll cost you another $20 to e-file your state return.

Of course, you can always print that one and file it the old-fashioned way. Price: one postage stamp.

My only real complaint with this deal is the waste involved. TurboTax offers both Web-based and downloadable versions of the software, but you save almost nothing by choosing those options. Here, there's media, packaging, shipping, and so on. It's nuts!

(Kind of like the way it's nuts that e-books cost nearly as much as their dead-tree counterparts--but that's a gripe for another day.)

Rick Broida, a technology writer for nearly 20 years, is the author of more than a dozen books. In addition to writing CNET's The Cheapskate blog, he oversees BNET's Business Hacks. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers. Follow Rick on Twitter at cheapskateblog.
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by yanchineseguy April 2, 2009 7:45 AM PDT
What are the chances of ordering this and receiving the software in time to file your taxes by the 15th?
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by rickbroida April 2, 2009 8:25 AM PDT
Pretty good at this point. I think the shipping is 3-5-day ground. And in my experience, Newegg's usually very quick.
by j_a_s_p_e_r April 2, 2009 9:52 AM PDT
Great price. I got competitor Taxcut Premium with state and efile for $30 on Amazon gold box and found a $10 mail in rebate in one of those disk cases they mail to users that registered in the past. last year I waited till last minute with amazon to cut the price (one year I got a bit too close to tax day) because of a delay, but for the brave I've gotten premium for $15 by waiting last minite. It may even be worth the faster shipping or if you are a amazon prime member. Amazon subsequently cut the price to $11 just before tax day....
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by sajoab April 2, 2009 10:12 AM PDT
What about TaxAct <a href="http://www.taxact.com/">http://www.taxact.com/</a>? I've used it now for 4 years. Costs $16.95 to do your taxes online (or $19.95 to download), that includes both federal AND state, downloadable/online so NO shipping costs and NO waiting, free federal efile but costs $13.95 to efile your state return. Any way you look at it, your total is far less than TurboTax or TaxCut.
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by Spitz_Mcgee April 2, 2009 11:18 AM PDT
I second TaxAct. It works great and have used it for multiple years. And the price is perfect for a Cheapskate!!
by friscoG April 2, 2009 11:49 AM PDT
Taxslayer for me.....free, free, free for .mil
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by samhardin April 2, 2009 1:51 PM PDT
Got it a few hours ago. Thanks for the heads up, Rick (aka the tight-wad).

I hurried on over to dominos the other day after the free pizza ad, only to be disappointed. I tracked back to your post and found the explanation. Fortunately, it was 2x's Tuesdays and your "SWEET" discount worked in conjunction with the 2x's Tuesdays. 2 Large pizzas and cinnastix for $14. Not bad, my friend. Not bad.
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by rickbroida April 2, 2009 3:01 PM PDT
Please: I prefer "cheapskate" to "tight-wad." Or, if you must, "skinflint."
by leencosta April 2, 2009 5:17 PM PDT
Probably need to send a copy to Tim Geithner....come to think of it all the cabinet or appointees could use a copy

we can just the stimulus package to pay for it
Reply to this comment
by j_a_s_p_e_r April 2, 2009 7:28 PM PDT
Maybe all those tax cheats should get a copy. Where are we now? Politician #4? I heard somewhere that even though the odds of an audit are relatively low in a given year over a lifetime its more than 30% likely. I was audited on my state taxes remotely (no person visiting, just worksheet and receipt copy requests) and it was in my favor (!), ...only to turn out the auditor made a mistake and I did my taxes right. It was hard to send that check back...
by john94857 April 3, 2009 11:46 AM PDT
I did discover a couple of tax software bargains (including the one listed here). Maybe someone will find it useful at
http://www.uberi.com/hot-deals/date/2009/04?s=tax

(just search for tax @@) One of them is Amazon's digital download library, which is fast and quick.
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About The Cheapskate

The best things in tech are cheap. "The Cheapskate" scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets, and all the other tech stuff that makes life worth living. Send your own cheapskate tips to thecheapskate@gmail.com. Rick is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. Deals found on The Cheapskate are subject to availability, expiration, and other terms determined by sellers.

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