Recently, a reader asked me a question about GenuTax, the free tax preparation software that I write reviews for each spring. Specifically, the reader was investing in a new home computer and was curious whether GenuTax could run on an iMac: so I asked GenuTax support.
Does GenuTax Work on an iMac?
This is the information provided to me by GenuTax Support in August 2014:
“Unfortunately, as our System Requirements page indicates, GenuTax Standard software is designed for Microsoft Windows operating systems only.
“At the current time, our company does not have any plans to port GenuTax Standard software to the Macintosh platform. In addition, creating versions for more than one operating system requires a doubling of the time required to have GenuTax Standard approved by the Canada Revenue Agency.”
For those of you who are ready to file your tax return as soon as NETFILE opens, you’ll know how aggravating it already is waiting for the CRA to approve the various software options. I can understand how that would be troubling to a company like GenuTax.
Will GenuTax Support iMacs in the Future?
The following comment was provided by GenuTax:
“We may reconsider our decision not to have a Macintosh version in the future as the Mac’s market share increases.”
I’d just like to add that if more people voluntarily contributed to GenuTax after using their software, and asked for iMac support in a letter with their donation, that might be helpful too!
Is There a Work Around to Use GenuTax on an iMac?
The GenuTax Support person added the following comment:
“Depending on the version of Mac OS you are running, it is possible to use a Windows emulator to run the software on your Mac. For example, Mac OS X includes Boot Camp for running Windows applications:”
http://www.apple.com/macosx/what-is/compatibility.html
“However, this is not something our company [GenuSource Consulting Inc.] directly supports, and if you encountered any difficulty running GenuTax Standard software on the Mac, our Support Department would not be able to assist you.”
Just to be clear, I could not help you either. I am not currently using a Mac.
Conclusion
So it looks like the answer is a definite “maybe.” While GenuTax does not run directly on an iMac, it may be possible to run it successfully using a Windows emulator if you are willing to try it without any tech support.
Personally, I’d just find a friend or relative who would let me use their computer for an hour or so to run GenuTax and NETFILE my return.
Related Reading
Join In
Have you ever run GenuTax or StudioTax on an iMac? Did it work? Did you have any trouble using NETFILE? Please share your views with a comment.