You are assigning blame to the software for being difficult to understand. Software doesn't think, the operator does. It is not the fault of the software for decisions made upon data input.
We use, in our practice, software that has an annual license fee in five figures. I have yet to come across a situation that cannot be correctly filed. It sometimes takes knowing tax law and appropriate application of the law. I am responsible for that.
I think I see now why we are seemingly talking past each other. I think this will help.
You seem to be suggesting that the non-professional software works like your professional software. As someone who has used both, they don't. I guess I assumed you had used both at some time, but maybe you've never had reason to try the retails software on the market?
The retail software asks questions and inputs the data based on how the person answers the questions....which then triggers (or doesn't trigger) additional followup question(s). The answers inputted then dictate how the IRS tax forms are completed by the software. The user doesn't directly input anything unless they specifically force the program to switch over to direct input to IRS forms.
The latter is how your professional software always works. Correct? As a tax preparor, you are picking and choosing the correct inputs and where to enter them and the proper schedules, etc. The retail products don't work that way. All the applicable line items, forms, and schedules are completed by the software based on how the user answers the questions it presents to them.
How a question is asked and what support the software provides to the user in understanding what the question means (if they don't understand), definitely does affect the end product on how the forms are eventually completed. Two different people could interpret poorly worded/supported question and thus, the software will complete their forms differently than each other if it is not clear how to answer correctly.