Petz Enterprises TaxBrain 1040 Premium (2009)

TaxBrain still cannot import W-2s (the manual entry form is good, though, and TaxBrain can import investment transactions from GainsKeeper). It also has not installed a refund ticker to keep you posted on what you're getting back (or what you owe) as you make your way through the process.

Independent types might not mind that TaxBrain seems to have deemphasized its help offerings this year. Its interface no longer has a column with links to the Live Chat function, important support pages, FAQs, or prior-year returns. (These items still exist; they're just not as obvious anymore.)

I am a big fan, though, of that Live Chat function; whereas most other sites either require you to call during bankers' hours or worse yet, to e-mail and in some cases pay for the help, TaxBrain lets people like me, who want to talk to someone now, get some attention. That's exactly what I did with "Jacob" one day, though in the end we never did figure out why the site kept saying "Invalid Currency" on one of the itemized deductions pages.

In most cases, the "More Info" link next to many of the input boxes is your best friend when it comes to searching for instructions with TaxBrain, but it's a hit-and-miss aid. For example, when I needed help entering information about the sale of a house, More Info did a great job explaining that real estate commissions were considered part of the selling expenses, but in many cases it only offered broad advice. When asked if I'd like to deduct "certain legal and accounting fees," I was hard-pressed to find a definition or list of what exactly counted.

Alternatively, a tiny "Help" link will redirect you to a separate site that offers more IRS instructions but little strategic advice. This just-tell-me-the-number-and-I'll-tell-you-what-you-owe approach may turn off some users.

Overall, TaxBrain is decent, but it has relatively high prices ($70 for a federal return, plus $30 for a state one), compared with other tax-prep sites.

--Tina Orem