European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 06, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tax help on a disk by Peter h. Lewis new York times t is time to think about taxes. While returns Are not due until april 16,1990. Now is the time to think about computer assistance in preparing your tax return get a copy of tax Cut. The completely reworked version o the tax planning software from Meca ventures inc. It is $79.95 for ism pcs or compatibles with 512 kilobytes of memory Telephone 203 222 9150. The 1969 version of tax Cut combines the Wisdom of two of our favorite financial advisers Andrew managing your Money Tobias and Daniel a a Dan about your taxes Caine. Tobias Broad perspective on personal finance and Caine s expertise on tax issues wrapped together in a simple menu driven format make tax Cut our Choice among tax software this year. Because Uncle Sam is not quite done with the final version of the 1989 tax code the 1989 tax Cut program that is now on Sale is a preliminary version in late january after the internal Revenue service has put the finishing touches on its Many forms the final version of tax Cut will be ready. It will be sent free to anyone who has purchased a preliminary version assuming the customer has sent in the registration card. For those who do not need to do any last minute tax planning it makes sense to wait until the final version is ready before buying the program. According to the irs about half of the taxpayers who file returns use a professional tax preparer such Ash a Block or an accountant. The others prepare their own returns. Tax Cut and other tax preparation programs can help both Camps. Our Standard caveat is that tax software is no substitute for expert advice from an adviser and that holds True this year even though tax programs in general Are much better than they were a few years ago. Tax Cut is especially helpful to the do it yourself taxpayer because of its expert advice system developed by Caine a Harvard trained tax lawyer. Sets graphic Susan hts his ask Dan tax program now incorporated into tax Cut functions As an expert in a Box. The program in effect interviews the user in Plain English determines which irs forms Are pertinent prompts the user to Supply the needed information and plugs it into the right place on the right form. As with other tax programs it does All the calculations automatically. In the words of Daniel Schley president of Meca ventures the new tax Cut is powerful idiot proof and  in other words it s my kind of software. If the taxpayer strays into dark areas such As depreciation Caine embodied in the software is there to illuminate the path. Depending on which answers Are Given the questions Branch out into different areas. Thus the program tailors itself to the particular needs of each user. The program automatically pulls up the proper forms to be filled out. No other tax program we have seen offers such hand holding our favorite feature is the  Many of us keep a Box or folder of miscellaneous tax papers ranging from w-2 and 1099 forms to scribbled receipts for tax deductible expenses the Shoebox menu in tax Cut is a Way to get this information into the proper irs form quickly. By answering two or three simple questions the user is taken to the exact line of the form where the information should be entered. The Shoebox works on the principle that we May not know where the information goes in the tax return but we probably know where the information came from an employer for example or the lawyer or the broker or the Bank. If we say employer it then asks if it is related to wages pension expenses or something else. We say expenses and poof we Are at the exact line of the proper form. Even for those who use an accountant. Tax Cut can save Money by prompting the user to gather and organize material. The accountant s expensive time can be used More efficiently. The late january version of tax Cut will include electronic filing to the irs a new feature in personal tax programs. Once the user has prepared a return it can be stored on a Diskette and mailed to a company that will transmit the return electronically to tha irs s computer. There is a $19.95 fee for this the advantage of electronic filing is that the irs promises to Send out refunds if any within three weeks. Also Meca ventures will verify that the electronic return reached the irs safely. In addition there is a form that the user can fill out to authorize the irs to Deposit the refund directly into the user s Bank account. There will also be a Means of drawing information directly from the pc version of managing your Money another Meca ventures program. If the user has been diligent about entering financial and tax information throughout the year the link to tax Cut will save the user from re entering the data. Best of All the Cost of tax Cut May be tax deductible. How does one know whether it is just ask the program. Stars and stripes bookstores / Luj cd 1og stars and stripes bookstores a shocking techno military thriller 5 an East German defector Dies in a tragic Accident. Kenneth Aubrey Britain s master spy Catcher was supposed to bring him Back alive. Now he must face the Wrath of an unstoppable enemy a woman whose unlimited control of East German intelligence gives her supreme International Power. A woman whose rage Over her son s death is matched Only by her ruthless political ambition. A woman who seeks the ultimate revenge. On a global scale. A shocking techno military thriller that Only Craig Thomas could write this sweeping epic of nonstop suspense will take you from the top Headquarters of London and Moscow to the infernos of East Berlin and Nepal. Fyn Wildcat is a stars and stripes top 10 paperback selection for january available for o $5.35 10% off the regular cover Price of $5.95 at stars and stripes bookstores. It bookstores stars and stripes bookstores 3d Tom a Cdo o saturday january 6, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 17