In TurboTax, what is a tax interview?

A tax interview in TurboTax refers to a guided series of questions designed to collect pertinent information from taxpayers. This process is essential as it helps to identify applicable deductions and credits that can maximize the taxpayer's refund or minimize their liability. As users navigate through this interview, they answer questions about their income, expenses, life situations, and various other factors that could influence their tax return.

The reason this choice stands out is that it highlights the interactive nature of the TurboTax software, which uses the interview format to tailor the tax preparation experience to each individual taxpayer’s situation. This personalized approach ensures that all relevant information is considered when preparing a tax return, guiding users to the deductions and credits they qualify for.

In contrast, the other options emphasize different aspects of tax preparation that do not align with the specific "tax interview" concept as implemented in TurboTax. A session with a tax preparer involves professional assistance rather than a self-guided process, a comprehensive review of past tax returns is a retrospective analysis rather than an active data collection, and a questionnaire for tax audit purposes is strictly related to compliance checks rather than tax preparation. Thus, the guided series of questions best captures the essence of what a tax interview in TurboTax entails.