Fidelity Turbo Tax -- can't find the free download offer !

[REWahoo]

They are still offering it this year.

Vanguard is? That's the question I was responding to.

If so, please provide a link.

 

[Live And Learn]

The link on Fidelity is back for free TurboTax premier. Horray !

 

[wenglish]

I was shown the "free TurboTax" link on my main page and took advantage of it.

What is confusing (to me at least) is that I am not in Private Client (although my total with Fido is slightly over $1M). The top-right of my main page says "Fidelity Premium Services", and the contact info just gives the toll-free number for Fidelity Premium Services.

I don't have a guy listed that I can call :-(

So while I am not missing out on the TurboTax offer (whoop-dee-doo), I wonder what else I am missing out on. Maybe just sales pitches? Or is there some useful free help there?

 

[Blueskies123]

Private client member here. Free TT is all I have ever gotten.

 

[foxfirev5]

Private client member here. Free TT is all I have ever gotten.

Yeah, its really the only benefit I see. To me there certainly is no reason to modify your holdings to achieve private client or flagship status at any of these brokerages. Total costs, service and web site functionality are all I really care about.

 

[Huston55]

Just checked, and it’s working for me. You should see something like this box on the bottom right of your Fido starting webpage.

 

[nvestysly]

Regarding Fidelity and TurboTax...

My understanding is Fidelity is offering only the "online" version for free. I was told this year (2018) Fidelity is not offering the download version. I may have been given incorrect information. If it's only the online version I don't want it. I like to use TurboTax on my own computer so I can keep copies of all the software and access the information whenever I want - even when I don't have an internet connection.

So... for those of you who are using the free product from Fidelity - is it the online version or did you download it to your computer?

 

[Huston55]

“Online” version, as shown in my screenshot above.

 

[audreyh1]

Regarding Fidelity and TurboTax...

My understanding is Fidelity is offering only the "online" version for free. I was told this year (2018) Fidelity is not offering the download version. I may have been given incorrect information. If it's only the online version I don't want it. I like to use TurboTax on my own computer so I can keep copies of all the software and access the information whenever I want - even when I don't have an internet connection.

So... for those of you who are using the free product from Fidelity - is it the online version or did you download it to your computer?

The offer may say online, but the download version of Premier is also free if you click on download products.

We got the download version for free.

 

[Done]

After clicking “Get started now,” choose Download “See products” and it will let you download Premier for free.

 

[baumgrenze]

I Started the Premier Online and Quit

I'm a long time, second generation Private Client Group customer at Fidelity. This year I tried the link to TTax Premier Online and gave up and bought a copy of TTax Deluxe at Office Depot. The online did not show me how to link back to previous years of TTax filing. I needed to supply every detail all over again.

What finally caused me to quit in disgust was a page I encountered well into the interview process but before any numbers were entered or downloaded. The program suggested that I would regret if I did not sign my return now, that it would be much more difficult later on. I have developing vision problems so I did not read in deep detail the Terms that preceded starting the process. I was also fearful of hitting the wrong key and e-filing before I intended; they did have my 'digital signature.'

Has anyone found a way to help Intuit see the gross error they've made that last several years by making the features associated with the Deluxe and Premier versions of the CD/Download vs the Online versions? It has resulted in their own forums being filled with user allegations that, e.g., "Schedule D is no longer included with Deluxe."

The whole experience has me evaluating alternatives for 2018 tax preparation.

thanks
baumgrenze

 

[Huston55]

Baum-

You may want to try again. I use the free TT Premier from Fido, as I have for several years, and it automatically recognizes me & pre-populates much of my return from the previous year’s info. Be sure you’re using the same TT sign-on name & password from previous years.

Let us know if that works for you.

 

[Live And Learn]

Baum-

You may want to try again. I use the free TT Premier from Fido, as I have for several years, and it automatically recognizes me & pre-populates much of my return from the previous year’s info. Be sure you’re using the same TT sign-on name & password from previous years.

Let us know if that works for you.

Same for me. If that is not working then you may need to manually find your last years tax return on your PC during the initial few pages / questions.

 

[baumgrenze]

Thanks for the replies. What I read suggests that you used the "Online" version before 2017. Before my try, I used the CD version of Deluxe which covered everything I needed. My experience suggests that TTax Online and TTax 'CD/Download" do not talk to each other, but I am open to hearing about other experiences.

My understanding is that the recently passed tax legislation, apart from the much larger standard deduction in 2018, left the preparation of a 'simple' retiree's income tax much like 2017's, i.e., Social Security is handled the same way, capital gains from even a 'cash' mutual fund require a Schedule D, and a Required Minimum Distribution from a retirement account needs to be correctly entered. Did I miss something?

Thanks,
baumgrenze

 

[braumeister]

Did I miss something?

Sounds like it.

One of the first screens when using TT asks you to find a copy of your last year's return so it can populate as many fields as possible in this year's return. You should have a copy of last year's return on your machine, so you just need to navigate to it (if TT doesn't find it automatically). I would suggest starting all over with it and telling TT to start a new return.

 

[baumgrenze]

Thanks Again - A Few Closing Questions & Observations

Thanks again for the insights.

I bought a CD copy of Deluxe, which unlike the Online version does prepare a Schedule D to cover the ~$60 in long term capital gains generated as a result of MM fund asset changes. I manged to get it for $40 through 'blind luck.' My failing eyesight missed that the ad I took to the store was for the version of Deluxe with no state included. Perhaps he had no copies of the 'no state' in hand for the store manager smiled and sold me the more expensive version for the price I brought in.

My taxes are done, but not yet filed. I reviewing, I noticed that I will probably need to manually override to indicate that I want my small refunds, federal and state, applied to my next 2018 quarterly estimated tax payment. I believe that should protect me from someone else attempting to fraudulently claim them.

I will e-file the federal via TTax. I will do my best to navigate the FTB's CalFile changes and e-file my state without paying a vendor.

Remind me, has the tax preparation industry go to firm a hold on the IRS and Treasury that there is not a federal equivalent to CalFile? My next year's return should be no different than this year's, especially with the new standard deduction.

Help me understand. Perhaps I read some 'fake news' when I saw that the federal government sees having private companies e-file our taxes as 'outsourcing' that saves tax dollars if the IRS does not need to process paper filings and/or provide a tool for e-filing with no fee to the tax payer. From my perspective it is a 'hidden tax' that I pay to Intuit and/or H&R Block for the privilege of filing my taxes electronically, a tax that totally bypasses the government and passes to their bottom lines directly.

thanks
baumgrenze

 

[cathy63]

I will e-file the federal via TTax. I will do my best to navigate the FTB's CalFile changes and e-file my state without paying a vendor.

Remind me, has the tax preparation industry go to firm a hold on the IRS and Treasury that there is not a federal equivalent to CalFile? My next year's return should be no different than this year's, especially with the new standard deduction.

There are a variety of free-e-file options for those earning less than $66K in income, including TurboTax and Block. The IRS provides links to them here: https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free. If you earn more than that, you can use the fillable forms option, but you will have to know which forms to use. If you need help or want the convenience of an interview tool that recommends the right forms, then you either buy software or pay to visit a tax preparer. You may also qualify for free assistance under the IRS' VITA or TCE programs.

I don't think you can use the free CalFile if you have a Schedule D in your Federal return. I was going to use it this year, until I got excluded due to having a Roth conversion; but I'm pretty sure that while I was looking at the requirements I saw that returns with schedules C, D, E & F are not supported. If you do find that it won't work for you, you can always print the CA return from TurboTax and file that one by mail, which is what I ended up doing.

 

[baumgrenze]

Thanks for the reply.

I've been exploring, too.

Our AGI is just into 6-figures because we both have IRA's from years ago that contain 401-k money rolled in. The combined MRDs are roughly half the AGI, the rest is SS and a small pension. We do our best to treat the MRDs as capital that has been moved from a tax-sheltered status to taxable status, but is to be 'preserved' for future use. Years ago I remember reading something about 'burn rates' that would allow reasonable capital retention into ones late 90's. I don't have time to revisit that topic.

My notes from last year tell me that we, too, printed an filed. I hope to do a bit more exploring but that may be this year's fall back. The rebate is ~$150 so it will be applied to 2018. That should protect it from predators if I understand correctly some folk's reason for filing early.

Thanks again,
baumgrenze

 

[Sunset]

....

My taxes are done, but not yet filed. I reviewing, I noticed that I will probably need to manually override to indicate that I want my small refunds, federal and state, applied to my next 2018 quarterly estimated tax payment. I believe that should protect me from someone else attempting to fraudulently claim them.

.....

Give me your SSN and name and I can file a return claiming 11 children and get a big fat refund, more than your refund.

How much refund a fraudulent claim gets has nothing to do with your real return.

In H&R Block tax software, I just tell it do I want to leave the money in for next year, or be paid, or some portion of each. No over-ride needed.

 

[audreyh1]

Turbotax lets you specify to apply refunds to the next year's estimated taxes. I've done that occasionally - no problem. No override needed.