Consumers Save $10 With Microsoft Money 98 Financial Suite and Kiplinger TaxCut
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 7, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced a $10 mail-in rebate for consumers who acquire Microsoft® Money 98 Financial Suite and Kiplinger TaxCut or TaxCut Deluxe Multimedia products before March 31, 1998.* This rebate is in addition to the $15 rebate for Money 98 Financial Suite available to current U.S. users of personal finance management software and a $10 rebate for TaxCut Deluxe Multimedia, for a total savings of $35 on both products.
“Block Financial is pleased to team with Microsoft in offering this rebate,” said Gene Goldenberg, vice president and publisher of Block Financial. “Money 98 Financial Suite and Kiplinger TaxCut will assist consumers through the complex maze of taxes, making even the most difficult subjects easy to understand.”
The $10 rebate is available through participating retailers that stock both Money 98 Financial Suite and TaxCut products. To redeem the rebate offer, consumers must mail in the $10 rebate coupon with a photocopy of the original receipt(s) plus the box top or bottom with the UPC from both Money 98 Financial Suite and TaxCut or TaxCut Deluxe Multimedia products. Rebate requests will be fulfilled within six to eight weeks from the date received. The Money 98 Financial Suite/TaxCut rebate offer ends March 31, 1998.
Smart Tax Decisions Made Easy
Money 98 Financial Suite contains a variety of features designed to assist taxpayers during the hectic tax season. With Money 98 Financial Suite, consumers are able to mark expenses that are tax deductible throughout the year. Financial data entered in the Money 98 tax estimator worksheet is automatically updated as expenses are marked deductible and as income changes throughout the year. The user’s Money 98 data also is easily exported into most of the popular tax preparation software programs, including Kiplinger TaxCut.
Money 98’s Monthly Report also assesses a consumer’s tax situation on a monthly basis – before it’s too late to make changes. Advisor FYI
™
personal finance guidance alerts users to customized tax information, such as when the user is approaching the next tax bracket, and offers suggestions to amend the situation.
Money 98 Financial Suite also provides convenient access to the Money Insider
™
interactive financial guide designed to give consumers tools and information to make smart financial decisions more easily (http://www.moneyinsider.MSN.com/) . The Money 98 Financial Suite CD-ROM contains more than 100 financial assistance articles, written by expert columnists for Money Insider, including 18 tax management articles on such topics as “Top 10 Missed Deductions,” “Cut Your Tax Bill” and “Deducting Meals and Entertainment.” Users can also link directly to the Money Insider Web site for additional information from Money 98 Financial Suite and its Web site, http://www.microsoft.com/money/ .
The Fastest and Easiest Way To Do Your Taxes
Kiplinger TaxCut flows from a unique partnership between Block Financial, an H & R Block company, and the Kiplinger Washington Editor Inc., publishers of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine and The Kiplinger Letters. The two companies provide financial and tax information and advice trusted by millions of Americans.
Kiplinger TaxCut asks users easy-to-understand questions about their tax situation and then fills out their tax returns. The program contains context-sensitive tax tips from Kiplinger and audits returns for missing data and missed deductions. Users can then print IRS-accepted forms using plain paper and their own printer, or they can file electronically to get their refund in less than half the time. This year’s edition of Kiplinger TaxCut also includes free electronic filing,** a free copy of Microsoft Internet Explorer and 30 days of free Internet access.*** TaxCut is the fastest-growing tax preparation software program on the market – more than doubling its market share in 1997.
Consumers Prefer Money 98 Financial Suite
Consumer preference for the breakthrough Money 98 Financial Suite is growing over Quicken, which historically has been the leader in the personal-finance management software category. In an independent research study conducted by Burke Marketing Research, half of current Quicken users say they would select Money 98 Financial Suite over Quicken Deluxe 98 the next time they acquire financial software.**** To date, Money 98 Financial Suite is the fastest-growing personal finance management product on the market – nearly doubling its customer base in 1997. In addition, Microsoft has introduced a version of Money 98 Financial Suite for customers in Canada.
About Block Financial
Started in 1993, Block Financial Corp., an H & R Block company, develops and provides technology-driven financial solutions. Block Financial Software Division develops and licenses software programs for distribution through the retail channel and online sales. H & R Block Inc.
is the world’s largest tax-preparation firm, serving more than 17 million customers in nearly 9,700 offices worldwide. H & R Block handled one in every seven tax returns filed with the IRS during the 1997 tax season.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Advisor FYI and Money Insider are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
* Proofs of purchase consist of a photocopy of the original sales receipts dated by March 31, 1998 (date and store where acquired must be clearly identified) and the box top with barcode from Money 98 Financial Suite and the Kiplinger TaxCut for Windows for the 1997 tax year or from Money 98 Financial Suite and the Kiplinger TaxCut Deluxe Multimedia Edition for the 1997 tax year box. Proofs of purchase will not be returned; we suggest you make a copy for your records. If you have questions about this offer, call (800) 622-4445 (8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. eastern time except weekends and holidays). No rebates will be authorized over the phone. Please allow six to eight weeks for delivery of rebate. The coupon allows for one rebate of $10 (U.S.) per one copy of Money 98 Financial Suite and one copy of TaxCut or one copy of Money 98 Financial Suite and one copy of TaxCut Deluxe. Limit of one rebate per household. Offer good only in the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. Offer not valid in U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Guam. Offer expires March 31, 1998. Coupons must be received by April 15, 1998. Only original coupons will be accepted. Offer not valid in conjunction with any other rebate offer except the $15 rebate featured in the Money 98 Financial Suite box and the $10 rebate in the TaxCut Deluxe box. Offer not valid if product acquired directly from Microsoft or Block Financial. Cash redemption value 1/100 of 1 cent. Rebates will not be sent to P.O. boxes.
** First return is free; up to two more returns are $9.95 each.
*** MCI Internet offer: Valid on local dial access only. For new customers only. Credit applies to first full invoice period; long distance or toll charges may apply. Available only in the United States. A credit card is required. Offer expires Dec. 31, 1998. Standard MCI pricing applies after promotional period. May not be combined with other MCI offers.
**** Burke Marketing Research conducted the head-to-head comparison among 202 Quicken users in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Phoenix in late October and early November 1997, with a margin of error of +/- 7 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/ on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.