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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.01

                                   INTUIT INC.

                        1996 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

                           As Adopted October 7, 1996
                       As Amended through January 19, 2000


        1. ESTABLISHMENT OF PLAN. Intuit Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Company"), proposes to grant options for purchase of the Company's Common
Stock, $0.01 par value, to eligible employees of the Company and its
Subsidiaries (as hereinafter defined) pursuant to this Employee Stock Purchase
Plan (this "Plan"). For purposes of this Plan, "Parent Corporation" and
"Subsidiary" (collectively, "Subsidiaries") shall have the same meanings as
"parent corporation" and "subsidiary corporation" in Sections 424(e) and 424(f),
respectively, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"). The
Company intends this Plan to qualify as an "employee stock purchase plan" under
Section 423 of the Code (including any amendments to or replacements of such
Section), and this Plan shall be so construed. Any term not expressly defined in
this Plan but defined for purposes of Section 423 of the Code shall have the
same definition herein. A total of 2,800,000 shares of the Company's Common
Stock is reserved for issuance under this Plan. Such number shall be subject to
adjustments effected in accordance with Section 14 of this Plan.

        2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Plan is to provide employees of the
Company, or of any Subsidiary designated by the Board of Directors of the
Company (the "Board") as eligible to participate in this Plan, with a convenient
means of acquiring an equity interest in the Company through payroll deductions,
to enhance such employees' sense of participation in the affairs of the Company
and Subsidiaries, and to provide an incentive for continued employment.

        3. ADMINISTRATION. This Plan shall be administered by a committee
appointed by the Board (the "Committee"). If two or more members of the Board
are "Outside Directors" within the meaning of Code Section 162(m), the Committee
will be comprised of at least two (2) members of the Board, all of whom are
Outside Directors. As used in this Plan, references to the "Committee" shall
mean either such committee or the Board if no committee has been established.
Subject to the provisions of this Plan and the limitations of Section 423 of the
Code or any successor provision in the Code, all questions of interpretation or
application of this Plan shall be determined by the Committee and its decisions
shall be final and binding upon all participants. Members of the Committee shall
receive no compensation for their services in connection with the administration
of this Plan, other than standard fees as established from time to time by the
Committee for services rendered by Committee members serving on Board
committees. All expenses incurred in connection with the administration of this
Plan shall be paid by the Company.

        4. ELIGIBILITY. Any employee of the Company, or of any Subsidiary
designated by the Board as eligible to participate in this Plan) is eligible to
participate in an Offering Period (as hereinafter defined) under this Plan
except the following:

          (a) employees who are not employed by the Company or Subsidiaries
fifteen (15) days before the beginning of such Offering Period;

          (b) employees who are customarily employed for less than twenty (20)
hours per week;

          (c) employees who are customarily employed for less than five (5)
months in a calendar year;

          (d) employees who, together with any other person whose stock would be
attributed to such employee pursuant to Section 424(d) of the Code, own stock or
hold options to purchase stock possessing five percent (5%) or more of the total
combined voting power or value of all classes of stock of the Company or any of
its Subsidiaries or

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                                                                     Intuit Inc.
                                               1996 Employee Stock Purchase Plan


who, as a result of being granted an option under this Plan with respect to such
Offering Period, would own stock or hold options to purchase stock possessing
five percent (5%) or more of the total combined voting power or value of all
classes of stock of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

        An individual who provides services to the Company, or any designated
Subsidiary, as an independent contractor shall not be considered an "employee"
for purposes of this Section 4 or this Plan, and shall not be eligible to
participate in the Plan, except during such periods as the Company or the
designated Subsidiary, as applicable, is required to withhold U.S. federal
employment taxes for the individual. This exclusion from participation shall
apply even if the individual is reclassified as an employee, rather than an
independent contractor, for any purpose other than U.S. federal employment tax
withholding.

        5. OFFERING DATES. The offering periods of this Plan (each, an "Offering
Period") shall be of six (6) months duration commencing on December 16 and June
16 of each year and ending on June 15 and December 15 of each year; provided,
however, that the first Offering Period shall commence on January 1 1997 and end
on June 30, 1997, and the second Offering Period shall commence on July 1, 1997
and end on December 15, 1997. The first business day of each Offering Period is
referred to as the "Offering Date." The last business day of each Offering
Period is referred to as the "Purchase Date." The Board shall have the power to
change the duration of Offering Periods with respect to future offerings without
stockholder approval if such change is announced at least fifteen (15) days
prior to the scheduled beginning of the first Offering Period to be affected.

        6. PARTICIPATION IN THIS PLAN. Eligible employees may become
participants in an Offering Period under this Plan on the first Offering Date
after satisfying the eligibility requirements by delivering a subscription
agreement to the Company not later than fifteen (15) days before such Offering
Date unless a later time for filing the subscription agreement authorizing
payroll deductions is set by the Committee for all eligible employees with
respect to a given Offering Period. An eligible employee who does not deliver a
subscription agreement to the Company by such date after becoming eligible to
participate in such Offering Period shall not participate in that Offering
Period or any subsequent Offering Period unless such employee enrolls in this
Plan by filing a subscription agreement with the Company not later than fifteen
(15) days preceding a subsequent Offering Date. Once an employee becomes a
participant in an Offering Period, such employee will automatically participate
in the Offering Period commencing immediately following the last day of the
prior Offering Period unless the employee withdraws or is deemed to withdraw
from this Plan or terminates further participation in the Offering Period as set
forth in Section 11 below. Such participant is not required to file any
additional subscription agreement in order to continue participation in this
Plan.

        7. GRANT OF OPTION ON ENROLLMENT. Enrollment by an eligible employee in
this Plan with respect to an Offering Period will constitute the grant (as of
the Offering Date) by the Company to such employee of an option to purchase on
the Purchase Date up to that number of shares of Common Stock of the Company
determined by dividing (a) the amount accumulated in such employee's payroll
deduction account during such Offering Period by (b) the lower of (i)
eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a share of the Company's
Common Stock on the Offering Date (but in no event less than the par value of a
share of the Company's Common Stock), or (ii) eighty-five percent (85%) of the
fair market value of a share of the Company's Common Stock on the Purchase Date
(but in no event less than the par value of a share of the Company's Common
Stock); provided, however, that the number of shares of the Company's Common
Stock subject to any option granted pursuant to this Plan shall not exceed the
maximum number of shares which may be purchased pursuant to Section 10(b) or
10(c) below with respect to the applicable Offering Period. The fair market
value of a share of the Company's Common Stock shall be determined as provided
in Section 8 hereof.

        8. PURCHASE PRICE. The purchase price per share at which a share of
Common Stock will be sold in any Offering Period shall be eighty-five percent
(85%) of the lesser of:

          (a) The fair market value on the Offering Date; or

          (b) The fair market value on the Purchase Date;



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provided, however, that in no event may the purchase price per share of the
Company's Common Stock be below the par value per share of the Company's Common
Stock.

             For purposes of this Plan, the term "Fair Market Value" means as of
any date, the value of a share of the Company's Common Stock determined as
follows:

             (a)     if such Common Stock is then quoted on the Nasdaq National
                     Market, its last reported sale price on the Nasdaq National
                     Market or, if no such reported sale takes place on such
                     date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices;

             (b)     if such Common Stock is publicly traded and is then listed
                     on a national securities exchange, its last reported sale
                     price or, if no such reported sale takes place on such
                     date, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on
                     the principal national securities exchange on which the
                     Common Stock is listed or admitted to trading;

             (c)     if such Common Stock is publicly traded but is not quoted
                     on the Nasdaq National Market or listed or admitted to
                     trading on a national securities exchange, the average of
                     the closing bid and asked prices on such date, as reported
                     in The Wall Street Journal, for the over-the-counter
                     market; or

             (d)     if none of the foregoing is applicable, by the Board in
                     good faith.

        9. PAYMENT OF PURCHASE PRICE; CHANGES IN PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS; ISSUANCE OF
SHARES.

          (a) The purchase price of the shares is accumulated by regular payroll
deductions made during each Offering Period. The deductions are made as a
percentage of the participant's compensation in one percent (1%) increments not
less than two percent (2%), nor greater than ten percent (10%) or such lower
limit set by the Committee. Compensation shall mean base salary and commissions.
Payroll deductions shall commence on the first payday following the Offering
Date and shall continue to the end of the Offering Period unless sooner altered
or terminated as provided in this Plan.

          (b) A participant may lower (but not increase) the rate of payroll
deductions during an Offering Period by filing with the Company a new
authorization for payroll deductions, in which case the new rate shall become
effective for the next payroll period commencing more than fifteen (15) days
after the Company's receipt of the authorization and shall continue for the
remainder of the Offering Period unless changed as described below. Such change
in the rate of payroll deductions may be made at any time during an Offering
Period, but not more than one (1) change may be made effective during any
Offering Period. A participant may increase or decrease the rate of payroll
deductions for any subsequent Offering Period by filing with the Company a new
authorization for payroll deductions not later than fifteen (15) days before the
beginning of such Offering Period.

          (c) All payroll deductions made for a participant are credited to his
or her account under this Plan and are deposited with the general funds of the
Company. No interest accrues on the payroll deductions. All payroll deductions
received or held by the Company may be used by the Company for any corporate
purpose, and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such payroll
deductions.

          (d) On each Purchase Date, so long as this Plan remains in effect and
provided that the participant has not submitted a signed and completed
withdrawal form before that date which notifies the Company that the participant
wishes to withdraw from that Offering Period under this Plan and have all
payroll deductions accumulated in the account maintained on behalf of the
participant as of that date returned to the participant, the Company shall apply
the funds then in the participant's account to the purchase of whole shares of
Common Stock reserved under the option granted to such participant with respect
to the Offering Period to the extent that such option is exercisable on the
Purchase Date. The purchase price per share shall be as specified in Section 8
of this Plan. Any cash remaining in a participant's account after such purchase
of shares shall be carried forward, without interest, into the next Offering
Period; provided, however, that in the event that this Plan has been
oversubscribed,



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all funds not used to purchase shares on the Purchase Date shall be returned to
the participant, without interest. No Common Stock shall be purchased on a
Purchase Date on behalf of any employee whose participation in this Plan has
terminated prior to such Purchase Date.

          (e) As promptly as practicable after the Purchase Date, the Company
shall issue shares for the participant's benefit representing the shares
purchased upon exercise of his or her option.

          (f) During a participant's lifetime, such participant's option to
purchase shares hereunder is exercisable only by him or her. The participant
will have no interest or voting right in shares covered by his or her option
until such option has been exercised. Shares issued for the benefit of a
participant under this Plan will be issued in the name of the participant or in
the name of the participant and his or her spouse.

        10. LIMITATIONS ON SHARES TO BE PURCHASED.

           (a) No participant shall be entitled to purchase stock under this
Plan at a rate which, when aggregated with his or her rights to purchase stock
under all other employee stock purchase plans of the Company or any Subsidiary,
exceeds $25,000 in fair market value, determined as of the Offering Date (or
such other limit as may be imposed by the Code) for each calendar year in which
the employee participates in this Plan.

           (b) No more than two hundred percent (200%) of the number of shares
determined by using eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of a
share of the Company's Common Stock on the Offering Date as the denominator may
be purchased by a participant on any single Purchase Date.

           (c) No participant shall be entitled to purchase more than the
Maximum Share Amount (as defined below) on any single Purchase Date. Not less
than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of any Offering Period, the
Committee may, in its sole discretion, set a maximum number of shares which may
be purchased by any employee at any single Purchase Date (hereinafter the
"Maximum Share Amount"). In no event shall the Maximum Share Amount exceed the
amounts permitted under Section 10(b) above. If a new Maximum Share Amount is
set, then all participants must be notified of such Maximum Share Amount not
less than fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of the next Offering
Period. Once the Maximum Share Amount is set, it shall continue to apply with
respect to all succeeding Offering Periods unless revised by the Committee as
set forth above.

           (d) If the number of shares to be purchased on a Purchase Date by all
employees participating in this Plan exceeds the number of shares then available
for issuance under this Plan, then the Company will make a pro rata allocation
of the remaining shares in as uniform a manner as shall be reasonably
practicable and as the Committee shall determine to be equitable. In such event,
the Company shall give written notice of such reduction of the number of shares
to be purchased under a participant's option to each participant affected
thereby.

           (e) Any payroll deductions accumulated in a participant's account
which are not used to purchase stock due to the limitations in this Section 10
shall be returned to the participant as soon as practicable after the end of the
applicable Offering Period, without interest.


        11. WITHDRAWAL.

           (a) Each participant may withdraw from an Offering Period under this
Plan by signing and delivering to the Company a written notice to that effect on
a form provided for such purpose. Such withdrawal may be elected at any time at
least fifteen (15) days prior to the end of an Offering Period.

           (b) Upon withdrawal from this Plan, the accumulated payroll
deductions shall be returned to the withdrawn participant, without interest, and
his or her interest in this Plan shall terminate. In the event a participant
voluntarily elects to withdraw from this Plan, he or she may not resume his or
her participation in this Plan during the same Offering Period, but he or she
may participate in any Offering Period under this Plan which commences on



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a date subsequent to such withdrawal by filing a new authorization for payroll
deductions in the same manner as set forth above for initial participation in
this Plan.

        12. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT. Termination of a participant's employment
for any reason, including retirement, death or the failure of a participant to
remain an eligible employee, immediately terminates his or her participation in
this Plan. In such event, the payroll deductions credited to the participant's
account will be returned to him or her or, in the case of his or her death, to
his or her legal representative, without interest. For purposes of this Section
12, an employee will not be deemed to have terminated employment or failed to
remain in the continuous employ of the Company in the case of sick leave,
military leave, or any other leave of absence approved by the Committee;
provided that such leave is for a period of not more than ninety (90) days or
reemployment upon the expiration of such leave is guaranteed by contract or
statute.

        13. RETURN OF PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS. In the event a participant's interest
in this Plan is terminated by withdrawal, termination of employment or
otherwise, or in the event this Plan is terminated by the Board, the Company
shall promptly deliver to the participant all payroll deductions credited to
such participant's account. No interest shall accrue on the payroll deductions
of a participant in this Plan.

        14. CAPITAL CHANGES. Subject to any required action by the stockholders
of the Company, the number of shares of Common Stock covered by each option
under this Plan which has not yet been exercised and the number of shares of
Common Stock which have been authorized for issuance under this Plan but have
not yet been placed under option (collectively, the "Reserves"), as well as the
price per share of Common Stock covered by each option under this Plan which has
not yet been exercised, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or
decrease in the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock of the
Company resulting from a stock split or the payment of a stock dividend (but
only on the Common Stock) or any other increase or decrease in the number of
issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock effected without receipt of any
consideration by the Company; provided, however, that conversion of any
convertible securities of the Company shall not be deemed to have been "effected
without receipt of consideration"; and provided further, that the price per
share of Common Stock shall not be reduced below its par value per share. Such
adjustment shall be made by the Board, whose determination shall be final,
binding and conclusive. Except as expressly provided herein, no issue by the
Company of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares
of stock of any class, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall
be made with respect to, the number or price of shares of Common Stock subject
to an option.

        In the event of the proposed dissolution or liquidation of the Company,
the Offering Period will terminate immediately prior to the consummation of such
proposed action, unless otherwise provided by the Board. The Board may, in the
exercise of its sole discretion in such instances, declare that the options
under this Plan shall terminate as of a date fixed by the Board and give each
participant the right to exercise his or her option as to all of the optioned
stock, including shares which would not otherwise be exercisable. In the event
of a proposed sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, or
the merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another corporation,
each option under this Plan shall be assumed or an equivalent option shall be
substituted by such successor corporation or a parent or subsidiary of such
successor corporation, unless the Board determines, in the exercise of its sole
discretion and in lieu of such assumption or substitution, that the participant
shall have the right to exercise the option as to all of the optioned stock. If
the Board makes an option exercisable in lieu of assumption or substitution in
the event of a merger, consolidation or sale of assets, the Board shall notify
the participant that the option shall be fully exercisable for a period of
twenty (20) days from the date of such notice, and the option will terminate
upon the expiration of such period.

        The Board may, if it so determines in the exercise of its sole
discretion, also make provision for adjusting the Reserves, as well as the price
per share of Common Stock covered by each outstanding option, in the event that
the Company effects one or more reorganizations, recapitalizations, rights
offerings or other increases or reductions of shares of its outstanding Common
Stock, or in the event of the Company being consolidated with or merged into any
other corporation; provided, that the price per share of Common Stock shall not
be reduced below its par value per share.


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        15. NONASSIGNABILITY. Neither payroll deductions credited to a
participant's account nor any rights with regard to the exercise of an option or
to receive shares under this Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or
otherwise disposed of in any way (other than by will, the laws of descent and
distribution or as provided in Section 22 hereof) by the participant. Any such
attempt at assignment, transfer, pledge or other disposition shall be void and
without effect.

        16. REPORTS. Individual accounts will be maintained for each participant
in this Plan. Each participant shall receive promptly after the end of each
Offering Period a report of his or her account setting forth the total payroll
deductions accumulated, the number of shares purchased, the per share price
thereof and the remaining cash balance, if any, carried forward to the next
Offering Period.

        17. NOTICE OF DISPOSITION. Each participant shall notify the Company if
the participant disposes of any of the shares purchased in any Offering Period
pursuant to this Plan if such disposition occurs within two (2) years from the
Offering Date or within one (1) year from the Purchase Date on which such shares
were purchased (the "Notice Period"). Unless such participant is disposing of
any of such shares during the Notice Period, such participant shall keep the
certificates issued to him or her that represent shares purchased hereunder in
his or her name (and not in the name of a nominee) during the Notice Period. The
Company may, at any time during the Notice Period, place a legend or legends on
any certificate representing shares acquired pursuant to this Plan requesting
the Company's transfer agent to notify the Company of any transfer of the
shares. The obligation of the participant to provide such notice shall continue
notwithstanding the placement of any such legend on the certificates.

        18. NO RIGHTS TO CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT. Neither this Plan nor the grant
of any option hereunder shall confer any right on any employee to remain in the
employ of the Company or any Subsidiary, or restrict the right of the Company or
any Subsidiary to terminate such employee's employment.

        19. EQUAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES. All eligible employees shall have equal
rights and privileges with respect to this Plan so that this Plan qualifies as
an "employee stock purchase plan" within the meaning of Section 423 or any
successor provision of the Code and the related regulations. Any provision of
this Plan which is inconsistent with Section 423 or any successor provision of
the Code shall, without further act or amendment by the Company or the Board, be
reformed to comply with the requirements of Section 423. This Section 19 shall
take precedence over all other provisions in this Plan.

        20. NOTICES. All notices or other communications by a participant to the
Company under or in connection with this Plan shall be deemed to have been duly
given when received in the form specified by the Company at the location, or by
the person, designated by the Company for the receipt thereof.

        21. TERM; STOCKHOLDER APPROVAL. This Plan shall become effective on the
date that it is adopted by the Board. This Plan shall be approved by the
stockholders of the Company, in any manner permitted by applicable corporate
law, within twelve (12) months before or after the date this Plan is adopted by
the Board. No purchase of shares pursuant to this Plan shall occur prior to such
stockholder approval. This Plan shall continue until the earlier to occur of (a)
termination of this Plan by the Board (which termination may be effected by the
Board at any time), (b) issuance of all of the shares of Common Stock reserved
for issuance under this Plan, or (c) ten (10) years from the adoption of this
Plan by the Board.

        22.  DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY.

             (a) A participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary
who is to receive any shares and cash, if any, from the participant's account
under this Plan in the event of such participant's death subsequent to the end
of an Offering Period but prior to delivery to him of such shares and cash. In
addition, a participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is
to receive any cash from the participant's account under this Plan in the event
of such participant's death prior to a Purchase Date.



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             (b) Such designation of beneficiary may be changed by the
participant at any time by written notice. In the event of the death of a
participant and in the absence of a beneficiary validly designated under this
Plan who is living at the time of such participant's death, the Company shall
deliver such shares or cash to the executor or administrator of the estate of
the participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed (to
the knowledge of the Company), the Company, in its discretion, may deliver such
shares or cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of
the participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company,
then to such other person as the Company may designate.

        23. CONDITIONS UPON ISSUANCE OF SHARES; LIMITATION ON SALE OF SHARES.
Shares shall not be issued with respect to an option unless the exercise of such
option and the issuance and delivery of such shares pursuant thereto shall
comply with all applicable provisions of law, domestic or foreign, including,
without limitation, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder, and the requirements of any stock exchange or automated quotation
system upon which the shares may then be listed, and shall be further subject to
the approval of counsel for the Company with respect to such compliance.

        24. APPLICABLE LAW. The Plan shall be governed by the substantive laws
(excluding the conflict of laws rules) of the State of California.

        25. AMENDMENT OR TERMINATION OF THIS PLAN. The Board may at any time
amend, terminate or extend the term of this Plan, except that any such
termination cannot affect options previously granted under this Plan, nor may
any amendment make any change in an option previously granted which would
adversely affect the right of any participant, nor may any amendment be made
without approval of the stockholders of the Company obtained in accordance with
Section 21 hereof within twelve (12) months of the adoption of such amendment
(or earlier if required by Section 21) if such amendment would:

          (a) increase the number of shares that may be issued under this Plan;

          (b) change the designation of the employees (or class of employees)
eligible for participation in this Plan; or

          (c) constitute an amendment for which stockholder approval is required
by any stock exchange or automated quotation system upon which the shares may
then be listed.



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