Missing Forms from the forms bar.

Sorry, I just don't know enough about the forms to offer a theory as to why they're not included, but I did check ProSeries programs going back to TY05, and those forms have never been included. Why or why not, I don't know. I peeked at the 8908 and it seems to be a form unique to building contractors. I ran out of time and didn't look at the 8909 other than to see it has not yet been updated by the IRS. Maybe someone else will know for sure.

The forms are not available until after 1/16/09 from the IRS and they had not finalized them as of yesterday so pro series will probably not have them available until sometime next week

Read my answer carefully. I don't think they're ever coming.

I understand not a widely used form, however when viewing all strategy and opportunities for the client, it would be productive to have the Forms as issued by the IRS in the program. Why pay the inflated cost of ProSeries and not have full functionality? I've been with Intuit for 13 years now, since 1995, and every year it seems the costs go up, the availability goes down and the general indication I am determining is that it may be the time to review other providers. I am solicited often throughout the year after the filing season ends, and I wonder if ATX or TaxCut or others may offer full forms function. I know they do offer all the various and sundry State forms that are additions to ProSeries. These are the forms used to compute the energy tax credits for both materials and appliances under the EnergyStar program. Energy Efficient Appliance Credit and Energy Efficient Home Credit. Useful forms to have and able to compute in order to maximize what would have been the tax liability. May need to access the IRS Forms site, print, and us the snail mail method to submit these returns. Ah, the good old days, before the computer took all our skills away.

I'm not contesting that there is room for improvement in ProSeries and definitely room for improvement in Intuit's attitude towards its customers. On the whole, though, I'm satisfied with the ProSeries tax program. You mentioned ATX and Taxcut. I know nothing about Taxcut, but I came close to switching to ATX about 5 or 6 years ago. I demo'd the program, and I mean really demo'd it. My opinion was that it was pretty close to a joke as far as a professional tax program goes. At that same time, Intuit made the CPA across the hall from me mad about something so he actually did switch to ATX. He let me know after using it for a tax season that switching had been a big mistake. I'm not saying there aren't other tax programs out there worth considering, but ATX is not one that I would ever count on to do taxes professionally. I think it's pretty much on its last legs anyway. I don't expect it to be around much longer. Drake is a worthy contender, but it uses a menu-drive interface rather than a forms-based interface like ProSeries, and I have concluded that after 16 years of forms-based input, I just can't make the switch to menu-based. I do wish Intuit were more in tune with what its customers need and want rather than what the eggheads at the company dream up for us (Document E-Sort? Come on.)

It would be very simple. Intuit should ask 1,000 of its customers to name (a) the top 10 things they like about ProSeries and/or Intuit, (b) the top 10 things they hate, and (c) the top 10 things they would like to see in the program. Then just keep (a), lose (b), and come up with just 5 out of the 10 things in category (c), and its customers would sure be a lot happier with the product.