Which TurboTax® Tax Software product should I use this year?

[PauletteGoddard]

Up until this year, I have filled in the 1040 on paper, as we have a house, itemized deductions including donations, child tax credit, and also under $200 interest income. I am not really into paying $14 more for using TurboTax® Premier if I have under $200 interest income to declare, but Premier is marketed as preferable if you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or rental properties. If I own a home, made donations or have medical expenses, TurboTax® Deluxe is recommended.

Has anyone with a smidgen of interest income used TurboTax® Deluxe to full satisfaction?
Should I just sharpen a lot of pencils and get to work on the paper?

[adpiterp]

Up until this year, I have filled in the 1040 on paper, as we have a house, itemized deductions including donations, child tax credit, and also under $200 interest income. I am not really into paying $14 more for using TurboTax® Premier if I have under $200 interest income to declare, but Premier is marketed as preferable if you own stocks, bonds, mutual funds or rental properties. If I own a home, made donations or have medical expenses, TurboTax® Deluxe is recommended.

Has anyone with a smidgen of interest income used TurboTax® Deluxe to full satisfaction?
Should I just sharpen a lot of pencils and get to work on the paper?

I used TurboTax Deluxe this year to file my taxes. I had interest income and thought the Deluxe version was fine.

I don't own a home or have children though.

[Aristippus]

I thought long and hard about this

And opted for pencil and paper (ok, actually Excel).

Our situation is similar to yours: very simple. 2 paychecks, no stocks, dividends under $200. Deductions for mortgage interest, state income tax withholding, and charitable contributions. American Opportunity Credit for our daughter in college. One or two other adjustments to income (adding in last year's state tax refund, subtracting teh penalty for early withdrawal on a cd we cashed in).

The whole thing took maybe half an hour lay out on a spreadsheet; filling out the form took maybe another half hour. I just don't see what we would have gained with a software package. In the end, our life seems just too simple to justify the TurboTax outlay.