Shaun Heimann

When Shaun Heimann sits down to do his income taxes, it's a quick conversation between him and his computer.

The computer asks the Pittsfield resident some questions about his finances -- his income, his mortgage payments, his marital status, how many children he has -- and guides him step by step through the preparation of his tax returns.

With the click of a mouse and a few keystrokes, the returns are zipped through cyberspace to the Internal Revenue Service and the state Department of Revenue.His annual chore is now done, with minimal headaches and time to spare before the 11:59 p.m. Friday deadline.

Shaun Heimann, an A.G. Edwards financial consultant, used TurboTax to prepare his tax returns.
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Heimann, 32, is one of the millions of taxpayers who are turning to Turbo Tax and similar electronic filing methods each year.
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"I sat down at my computer, and it probably took me a half-hour," said Heimann, a financial consultant with A.G. Edwards & Sons in Pittsfield, where he helps people and institutions manage their money but does not provide tax advice.

But for all of its ease and quickness, Heimann said he doubts he would use Turbo Tax or H&R Block's TaxCut if his finances became any more complicated.If he has capital gains issues or a lengthy list of itemized deductions and several sources of income, he said he would want the expertise of an accountant, not the pre-programmed rigidity of a computer.

'Pretty limited'

"I think this program really serves a consumer like myself, but it's also pretty limited," said Heimann, who received his refunds a few weeks after filing.