Comments on: Can You Use UFile Standard Edition for Self-Employment Income? http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/ Freelance Writing, Personal Development, and Making Money with Freelance Writer Michael Kwan Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:38:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-82400 James Fri, 14 Jan 2011 04:11:29 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-82400 The potentially misleading part to a self-employment consumer trying to decide which version of Ufile they may require is when they compare the checklist at the back of the box of each version. The checklists are under the heading: "Ufile can do all kinds of tax returns - including yours!" Standard Edition checklist: No mention whatsoever of self-employment income and rental income being included features. Premium/Plus Edition checklist: Has the same checklist of features AND self-employment income and rental income. The Premium/Plus Edition states on the front of the box: "Right for all kinds of personal tax returns" and "Ideal for small and home-based businesses." The Standard Edition states: Ideal for all kinds of personal tax returns and does not mention anything about small and home-based businesses who require self-employment income return forms. Why is the Premium/Plus considered "Ideal for small and home-based businesses?" You state this is due to the added feature of free telephone support, which is not included in the standard edition. While that may be true, I suggest that reason is not clearly evident and another reason is evident. An average consumer might believe that the reason the Premium/Plus version is "ideal for small and home-based businesses" is because such businesses require the self-employment income feature and since such is specifically acknowledged as a feature in the Premium/Plus edition and specifically omitted as a stated feature in the Standard edition. Solution: Ufile Standard and Ufile Premium/Plus should use the same back of box checklist including self-employment income and rental income. Any differences in the checklists between the two versions should only be "true" additional features i.e. 16 vs 8 returns, free telephone support vs. not free telephone support. Consumers can then fairly determine what features are different between the two versions and decide whether or not they would like to pay $10 more for telephone support or an additional 8 tax returns. Ufile did not fix this issue after it was brought to their attention last year. I hope Ufile will consider providing clearer packaging information next year. The potentially misleading part to a self-employment consumer trying to decide which version of Ufile they may require is when they compare the checklist at the back of the box of each version.

The checklists are under the heading: “Ufile can do all kinds of tax returns – including yours!”

Standard Edition checklist: No mention whatsoever of self-employment income and rental income being included features.

Premium/Plus Edition checklist: Has the same checklist of features AND self-employment income and rental income.

The Premium/Plus Edition states on the front of the box: “Right for all kinds of personal tax returns” and “Ideal for small and home-based businesses.”

The Standard Edition states: Ideal for all kinds of personal tax returns and does not mention anything about small and home-based businesses who require self-employment income return forms.

Why is the Premium/Plus considered “Ideal for small and home-based businesses?” You state this is due to the added feature of free telephone support, which is not included in the standard edition. While that may be true, I suggest that reason is not clearly evident and another reason is evident. An average consumer might believe that the reason the Premium/Plus version is “ideal for small and home-based businesses” is because such businesses require the self-employment income feature and since such is specifically acknowledged as a feature in the Premium/Plus edition and specifically omitted as a stated feature in the Standard edition.

Solution: Ufile Standard and Ufile Premium/Plus should use the same back of box checklist including self-employment income and rental income. Any differences in the checklists between the two versions should only be “true” additional features i.e. 16 vs 8 returns, free telephone support vs. not free telephone support.

Consumers can then fairly determine what features are different between the two versions and decide whether or not they would like to pay $10 more for telephone support or an additional 8 tax returns.

Ufile did not fix this issue after it was brought to their attention last year. I hope Ufile will consider providing clearer packaging information next year.

]]> By: Joanne http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-82351 Joanne Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:17:18 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-82351 Hi James, We do not recommend the Standard version for self-employment returns as we find that these types of taxpayers need the telephone support that the only Plus product offers. UFile's Standard product reads: Ideal for all kinds of personal tax returns. I regret the confusion and respectfully ask you contact me directly at joanneatufile@gmail.com to discuss a refund. Hi James,

We do not recommend the Standard version for self-employment returns as we find that these types of taxpayers need the telephone support that the only Plus product offers.

UFile’s Standard product reads: Ideal for all kinds of personal tax returns.

I regret the confusion and respectfully ask you contact me directly at joanneatufile@gmail.com to discuss a refund.

]]> By: James http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-82313 James Thu, 13 Jan 2011 02:47:49 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-82313 Ufile has done it again! I didn't know about this and went into Futureshop and bought the 2010 ufile plus because I was convinced by the information on the packaging of each version that the self-employment portion had been stripped from the standard version. Too bad I had already opened the package before I located this webpage! If the 2010 standard version does include self-employment income, then I have spent an extra $10 as a result of MISLEADING advertising. Ufile has done it again! I didn’t know about this and went into Futureshop and bought the 2010 ufile plus because I was convinced by the information on the packaging of each version that the self-employment portion had been stripped from the standard version. Too bad I had already opened the package before I located this webpage! If the 2010 standard version does include self-employment income, then I have spent an extra $10 as a result of MISLEADING advertising.

]]> By: Michael Kwan http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-72318 Michael Kwan Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:12:24 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-72318 Hurry! You've got ten days to file. :) Hurry! You’ve got ten days to file. :)

]]> By: Craig http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-72317 Craig Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:06:27 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-72317 Thanks for the confirmation. I found it rather confusing as well. Off to FutureShop to buy standard right now. Thanks for the confirmation. I found it rather confusing as well. Off to FutureShop to buy standard right now.

]]> By: BlueFur.com » Blog Archive » Business 101: Who Prepares Your Taxes? http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-71876 BlueFur.com » Blog Archive » Business 101: Who Prepares Your Taxes? Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:52:41 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-71876 [...] it may be easy enough to complete the tax return on your own. There is software out there, like Ufile Standard Edition that can easily handle self-employment income. Don’t be fooled into buying the [...] [...] it may be easy enough to complete the tax return on your own. There is software out there, like Ufile Standard Edition that can easily handle self-employment income. Don’t be fooled into buying the [...]

]]> By: Alan http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-71868 Alan Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:43:45 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-71868 I concur with Manny and others such as you, Michael, who were misled by the omission of self-employment income on the back of the box of the standard edition of UFile. I have my boxes of the Standard edition from previous years and checked them. The self-employment income is specifically mentioned and checked off as being included in the standard edition. This almost led me to purchase the plus edition, thereby spending an extra $10 I did not have to. Fortunately I decided to check online first before purchasing and found this web page. Incidentally, there is no indication on the UFile web page that the standard edition includes the self-employment income on the return. I looked there too. I concur with Manny and others such as you, Michael, who were misled by the omission of self-employment income on the back of the box of the standard edition of UFile. I have my boxes of the Standard edition from previous years and checked them. The self-employment income is specifically mentioned and checked off as being included in the standard edition. This almost led me to purchase the plus edition, thereby spending an extra $10 I did not have to.

Fortunately I decided to check online first before purchasing and found this web page. Incidentally, there is no indication on the UFile web page that the standard edition includes the self-employment income on the return. I looked there too.

]]> By: Sam http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-71791 Sam Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:08:20 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-71791 I have moved from Quicktax (geeting pricey). After the initial difference in entry mode, I found data entry not too bad. However, I found that not everything is imported from a Quicktax file (specifically unclaimed capital costs). I was able to fix it manually. However, I asked tech support for a list of features that won't be imported and they refused (or could not) give me one. That is not good. I would like to know what doesn't work so I can be vigilant about what needs a manual fix/entry so I do not miss anything. I have moved from Quicktax (geeting pricey). After the initial difference in entry mode, I found data entry not too bad. However, I found that not everything is imported from a Quicktax file (specifically unclaimed capital costs). I was able to fix it manually. However, I asked tech support for a list of features that won’t be imported and they refused (or could not) give me one. That is not good. I would like to know what doesn’t work so I can be vigilant about what needs a manual fix/entry so I do not miss anything.

]]> By: Manny http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-71707 Manny Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:46:13 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-71707 Thank you for this post, Michael. I had bought the "Plus" edition precisely because I was mislead by the lack of self-employment income checkmark on the box of the standard edition. Since the box is still sealed, I'll be returning it. To the UFile people, telephone technical support statistics do not justify making it look as though the standard edition is missing a feature that it's not. If you want to encourage business customers to get the edition with phone support, say <em>that</em>. Don't make it look like the other editions aren't for business at all. What a shady company. Thank you for this post, Michael. I had bought the “Plus” edition precisely because I was mislead by the lack of self-employment income checkmark on the box of the standard edition.

Since the box is still sealed, I’ll be returning it.

To the UFile people, telephone technical support statistics do not justify making it look as though the standard edition is missing a feature that it’s not. If you want to encourage business customers to get the edition with phone support, say that. Don’t make it look like the other editions aren’t for business at all. What a shady company.

]]> By: Michael Kwan http://btr.michaelkwan.com/2010/01/21/can-you-use-ufile-standard-edition-for-self-employment-income/#comment-71623 Michael Kwan Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:20:01 +0000 http://btr.michaelkwan.com/?p=8034#comment-71623 No, not exactly. When you're in the "interview" portion, you can click on save and then on "results" to see what your refund/owing would be, but it doesn't keep a running total. It has to calculate it each time, but this only takes a second or two. No, not exactly. When you’re in the “interview” portion, you can click on save and then on “results” to see what your refund/owing would be, but it doesn’t keep a running total. It has to calculate it each time, but this only takes a second or two.

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