Two years in a row TurboTax has gotten me for an extra $25

[someday soon]

In many states you can file electronically on the state website at no cost.
So I can just let TT do the state return, then copy the information into the forms on the state site and file it there without paying TT a cent extra.

That's what I did this year ( CO )

 

[jpeter1093]

I use HRB Deluxe which includes free Fed e-file and 1 free state e-file. I have to file 2 state returns (CO and a non-resident NY). NY does require e-file except for non-resident returns so I printed and mailed the NY return. Then, to e-file CO; HRB charged me $19.95 to e-file that state. So I never got a free state e-file. But, a quick call to HRB customer service got me my $19.95 refunded.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Never paid to do my taxes. They are free.

 

[Agapostemon]

I had the same thing happen to me this year. The federal return got rejected, with a claim that the AGI didn't match. The rigamarole it takes to create an IRS account to get the transcript is absurd! All that, only to find that the AGI does match. Arg. I just checked our credit card, and the charge for the state e-file is still pending. I guess I should tell H&R Block, they're not getting it. I mailed both returns certified mail.

I am not counting on getting our refunds any time soon.

This year, my federal return was rejected, because the verification on last years AGI failed. TurboTax automatically filled it in. I went back and checked the saved copy, it matched. Not satisfied, I then created the IRS account and pulled up the transcript from last years return (just in case the IRS modified it), and the AGI matched there as well. State e-filing failed, because it first has to have a successful federal e-filing. So, I just printed them both and will be visiting the post office tomorrow. Out another $25 for the state e-filing this year.

 

[nafddur1]

Never paid to do my taxes. They are free.

Same here. I never understand why people pay anything to get their taxes done when they can print out the forms, fill them in themselves, keep a copy for their own records, and mail them in for free (except the cost of a couple stamps, of course).

 

[FLJim]

Same here. I never understand why people pay anything to get their taxes done when they can print out the forms, fill them in themselves, keep a copy for their own records, and mail them in for free (except the cost of a couple stamps, of course).

I have used -- and enjoyed -- TurboTax for many years. It's easy. And i don't mind paying for the TT software. I can afford it and am not the guy looking to save the last nickel on everthing he buys. Not everyone is retired and pinching pennies.

 

[Sunset]

Same here. I never understand why people pay anything to get their taxes done when they can print out the forms, fill them in themselves, keep a copy for their own records, and mail them in for free (except the cost of a couple stamps, of course).

Because if you revise your numbers, when you do paper, you have to re-do a bunch of pages and recalculate lots of stuff.

I'm very happy to pay $22 to file 6 tax returns a year using the software, and then I deduct the cost of it

 

[Sunset]

I use HRB Deluxe which includes free Fed e-file and 1 free state e-file. I have to file 2 state returns (CO and a non-resident NY). NY does require e-file except for non-resident returns so I printed and mailed the NY return. Then, to e-file CO; HRB charged me $19.95 to e-file that state. So I never got a free state e-file. But, a quick call to HRB customer service got me my $19.95 refunded.

H&R Blocks little software listing suggests you got a freebee. As all get charged for e-filing State returns, except NY. Seems like they think you e-filed to NY and were charged.
For a second you had me thinking I could get a refund on a State filing charge, but no luck.

 

[imnontrad]

The H&R Block SW also has a charge to file the state return. So I just file federal and then print out state and put it in the snail mail.

Yes, I wish I could file both. When you mail in a paper return, that means that someone most likely sits down and types in all your numbers to put all into a computer - and there is the probability that they will mistype.

I buy the SW on Black Friday when they have a discount on it for he next year.

 

[plex]

I use FreeTaxUSA, because my income is low enough for it to be free for both federal and local in any state. This year I moved and didn't realize they have separate exactly identical programs for their paid and free. So I got to the end of the usual one I use, got to local and they started asking for payment. Pulled the truck back, found out about the separate free program. The two programs are intentionally made incompatible, so I had to re-enter all my data without it remembering anything. Something that should have taken 15 minutes took me two hours, but next year it should take 10 minutes to do my taxes.

Most of the tax preparers pull this crap, with Intuit of course leading the way since the start, they make money off a service that has always used to be free and was intended to be free by congress at least for the lower income.

 

[nafddur1]

I have used -- and enjoyed -- TurboTax for many years. It's easy. And i don't mind paying for the TT software. I can afford it and am not the guy looking to save the last nickel on everthing he buys. Not everyone is retired and pinching pennies.

It is hardly `penny pinching' when someone as long retired (23+ years) as I, can easily afford something I can do myself and actually find doing it entertaining and fun, so I do it every year myself for zero $. I was merely responding to those here (like the OP) complaining about the expense of paying for electronic tax services or worse yet, paying someone else to do their taxes. Sure there may be people with complicated financial situations requiring help, but for the vast majority of us with retirement incomes consisting merely of pensions, IRA withdrawals, and SS, doing your own taxes for $0 is very doable, easy, and (as I mentioned before) even fun!

 

[target2019]

I like Vanilla Ice Cream 1.0, but some prefer Chocolate. Still, others don't like ice cream.

I'm a software junky, and enjoy the challenge of TurboTax each year. I print the NJ state filing on paper and mail that in. So I'm doing my part to keep USPS afloat.

Maybe next year I'll try e-file on the state site. But paper is more predictable. Who knows what challenges await in the NJ system?

 

[skipro33]

FWIW, H&R Block only charges your credit card AFTER the state tax return has been accepted. My federal was also rejected because the AGI from the previous year was not entered correctly as a security check. Funny, HRB actually filled that in based on last yeear's tax return I did through them. How they got that wrong, I don't know, but I got the right amount after creating a IRS account and looking at last year's return on line.

 

[Gumby]

Because if you revise your numbers, when you do paper, you have to re-do a bunch of pages and recalculate lots of stuff.

I'm very happy to pay $22 to file 6 tax returns a year using the software, and then I deduct the cost of it

Or you could do it like me. I buy the software to make sure I don't miss anything, to avoid math errors and to instantly repopulate the appropriate forms if I change anything. When it is to my liking, I print it all out and mail it in.

 

[RetMD21]

I have used -- and enjoyed -- TurboTax for many years. It's easy. And i don't mind paying for the TT software. I can afford it and am not the guy looking to save the last nickel on everthing he buys. Not everyone is retired and pinching pennies.

Although I'm not entirely delighted with TurboTax, on the whole it saves me time and annoyance. I suspect that many of the folks eschewing software have pretty simple taxes. A lot of the content of discussion forums amounts to people with different situations talking past each other since they over generalize.

 

[jpeter1093]

H&R Blocks little software listing suggests you got a freebee. As all get charged for e-filing State returns, except NY. Seems like they think you e-filed to NY and were charged.
For a second you had me thinking I could get a refund on a State filing charge, but no luck.

Whoops!

 

[Alan]

Going forward I need to remember to pay the $25 for state e-filing only after the federal e-filing has been accepted. If you choose to e-file both fed and state together, it bills you for the state e-filing no matter how the processing goes.

Last year, while e-filing, it comes back that the e-filing deadline had passed. But they didn't tell me that before taking my $25 for the state e-filing. I had to print the returns and mail them in. $25 lost on the state e-filing which never happened.

This year, my federal return was rejected, because the verification on last years AGI failed. TurboTax automatically filled it in. I went back and checked the saved copy, it matched. Not satisfied, I then created the IRS account and pulled up the transcript from last years return (just in case the IRS modified it), and the AGI matched there as well. State e-filing failed, because it first has to have a successful federal e-filing. So, I just printed them both and will be visiting the post office tomorrow. Out another $25 for the state e-filing this year.

Next year, I'm e-filing the returns individually. First the federal, which is free. Then, only after it's accepted, pay the $25 and e-file the state return.

$50 lesson. Hopefully my experience saves someone else some money.

I have just had a similar experience, except when filing at different times.

I have used TurboTax for over 20 years, usually with no issues and think it is a very good product. This year I needed to file an extension for my State taxes which I did and only e-filed my Fed Return, coming back a few weeks later to efile my State return, after I had received my Federal refund. Impossible to file my State return, even with the help of the TurboTax Community forum. The program says I haven't e-filed even though I have the Intuit email stating that the IRS has accepted my return, and I have since received the refund. After much online discussion with the TurboTax community I decided to e-file both for a 2nd time. (I had investigated and been informed that if you file twice the IRS will reject the duplicate and not penalize you as this is a common mistake.)

I then e-filed both through TurboTax, which still says I have not e-filed either, but the transmission got rejected because it says the Intuit Electronic Filing Center has already received a transmission that is a duplicate of this. It still won't let me e-file my State return so I have to print it out and send by international mail as I reside overseas. No more expensive than paying $25 to e-file the State return but a lot more hassle.

While in the TT forum I saw a similar discussion from someone who needed to file IRS form 8333 with his return as he needed to take a tax treaty position on something, and that means a paper return. He still wanted to e-file his State return for the convenience but TT won't allow a State e-file unless a Federal e-file has taken place.

Disappointing, but at least I didn't get stiffed out of $25, however be warned that if you try and e-file at different times it's possible that it won't let you.

 

[N02L84ER]

I saw this article today titled:
TurboTax customers to receive checks for $141M settlement



https://apnews.com/article/turbotax-inuit-settlement-checks-mail-0c01cf25aa34693163886d135f7a6560

 

[MichaelB]

From the link

In a settlement last year, TurboTax’s owner Intuit Inc. was ordered to pay $141 million to some 4.4 million people across the country. Those impacted were low-income consumers eligible for free, federally-supported tax services — but paid TurboTax to file their federal returns across the 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax years due to “predatory and deceptive marketing,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia signed the May 2022 settlement, which was led by James.