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

[njhowie]

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.

 

[Jerry1]

That really stinks. Did you try any way to get a refund? Seems like they would issue a refund if the State doesn’t transmit.

 

[pb4uski]

A couple years ago my son's e-filing never worked and what you described for your federal return sounds like a similar issue. Since he lived in NH at the time there was no state filing fee to lose. Luckily his federal e-filing worked the next year.

Have you tried to let Intuit know and ask for a refund? Or dispute the credit card charge?

 

[dknighd]

I buy Fed and State together. It is usually cheaper to do it that way. NY requires I file electronically!

 

[MichaelB]

I buy Fed and State together. It is usually cheaper to do it that way. NY requires I file electronically!

Sure, you buy one license that covers both, but you don’t have to file simultaneously. File Federal, wait until it’s accepted, then file state. Makes sense, because most state tax returns use input from the federal return.

 

[braumeister]

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.

 

[dknighd]

For me filing taxes is an annual annoyance. They already know how much I've paid, and how much I owe, or should be refunded. I look forward to the day they send me email, or a 3x5card, asking if I agree with their assessment! Perhaps I've been lucky. So far those numbers have agreed.

 

[pb4uski]

Don't get your hopes up on that happening in your remaining lifetime.

 

[dknighd]

Don't get your hopes up on that happening in your remaining lifetime.

We all have a dream. This was part of one last week.


edit: I'd much rather click a box that said OK, rather filling in boxes with numbers they already know.

 

[RetMD21]

I have used Turbotax for years but I find the whole state tax part annoying. The up charge is high and I think they have made it harder to opt out which makes me want to resist.

 

[walkinwood]

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.

+1

 

[pb4uski]

I have used Turbotax for years but I find the whole state tax part annoying. The up charge is high and I think they have made it harder to opt out which makes me want to resist.

I don't get the "they have made it harder to opt out" part.

Just click on the radio button to file your state return by mail and print it out and mail it.

Or do what braumeister and walkinwood do and input the numbers from printed state tax forms into a state website.

I'm happy to pay $25 to avoid having to print, colate, sign and mail state income tax returns. It's particulalry handy for my DM's state income tax return since she lives 1500 miles away and at 92, has a hard time signing her signature.

I do print the federal and state return for my neanderthal friend, and it is a bit of a PITA.

 

[Sunset]

I now file the State return via e-file and it costs $20 each return.

I used to just use the State website, but the IL State website forces a person to do the return as if they don't have a completed copy handy, meaning do worksheets and Federal parts to arrive at a single number to put on the IL return.

It's better to pay $20 than spend a few hours doing my State return !

OP- I may default to doing the 2 step Fed then State filing, as I never thought that the charge happens if it fails on something.

 

[badatmath]

Yeah I mail state. It seems crazy my state does not have a web site. But good to know if I ever get tired of doing that that I need to efile separately.

 

[Northforker]

I did my taxes on Turbotax by clicking on the link in Fidelity. At the beginning of the process, Turbotax tried to upsell me to the platinum product. I clicked NO and proceeded. Every 5 screens or so, they tried to convince me that the upsell offer was a great deal. kept saying no. Upon completion. they tried one more time. There was no charge to file both state and federal returns. All of my Fidelity tax forms uploaded and autofilled flawlessly. I had to manually input a W2 from some part time work I did for my previous full time employer and my ACA data.. Easy peasy! Less than 2 hours.

 

[W2R]

My state (Louisiana) allows you to do your Louisiana taxes on their website for free. I used to do this but at some point (many years ago), I realized how much I seriously HATE doing taxes and that I could just let Turbo Tax send the info to Louisiana while I quit and play video games or take a nap instead, if I would only pay the $20 that Intuit wants for this service. So, I started coughing up the money for that.

I think that must have been the point at which I could claim moving from a middle class lifestyle to a lower upper class lifestyle, since it's quite a luxury (for me). Well worth it, though.

I just follow TurboTax's directions. After I submit my federal tax forms, I get asked if I now want to do my state taxes so that's when I do them. I have never had to double pay or even thought that was possible.

 

[OldShooter]

Intuit is a fairly sleazy company, always trying to trick customers into paying more. One of their more notorious efforts was with the Canadian version of QuickBooks a number of years ago, where they added an expiration date to the shrink-wrap T&Cs and didn't tell anyone. Then, of course, there is the switch of Quicken to a subscription product. I avoid Intuit as much as possible.

 

[JBTX]

For me filing taxes is an annual annoyance. They already know how much I've paid, and how much I owe, or should be refunded. I look forward to the day they send me email, or a 3x5card, asking if I agree with their assessment! Perhaps I've been lucky. So far those numbers have agreed.

That actually has been proposed in congress but failed because

1. lobbying against by Intuit and other tax software makers
2. Grover Norquist deemed the automation a violation of the no tax increase pledge, under his infinite wisdom that doing your taxes should be painful and difficult in order to keep them lower.

 

[foxfirev5]

That actually has been proposed in congress but failed because

1. lobbying against by Intuit and other tax software makers
2. Grover Norquist deemed the automation a violation of the no tax increase pledge, under his infinite wisdom that doing your taxes should be painful and difficult in order to keep them lower.

Yep. And that's a big reason I will always do them on paper forms and mail them in. Furthermore, it's easier for me than any software. After all, I'm a multimillionaire, and like many here I don't pay much in taxes. One word - Roths

 

[RetMD21]

Intuit is a fairly sleazy company, always trying to trick customers into paying more. One of their more notorious efforts was with the Canadian version of QuickBooks a number of years ago, where they added an expiration date to the shrink-wrap T&Cs and didn't tell anyone. Then, of course, there is the switch of Quicken to a subscription product. I avoid Intuit as much as possible.

I plan to try HRB next year. Maybe I can end my long association with Intuit

 

[nap470]

I plan to try HRB next year. Maybe I can end my long association with Intuit

I've been using TurboTax for years, including this year. However, I used HRB to file my daughter's first ever tax return. A simple 1040EZ form for both federal & state. I still claimed her on our tax returns for college costs, but she had a summer internship last year and she was able to get back every penny of withholding from federal (standard deduction) and ended up owing $5 to the state for interest paid on her savings account. I used HRB instead of TurboTax because I used my email to file her taxes and didn't want to risk any information getting mixed in TurboTax. I found HRB easy to use, but not a fair comparison as it was such an easy return to file.

 

[dadsterg]

I just discovered that for New Hampshire this year

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.

In the past I have paid for Turbotax to file my state NH Interest and Dividend tax. This year, I discovered that I could file on the state web site. All it asked was the values of three lines from my federal return. Simple and free.

 

[MarieIG]

I buy Fed and State together. It is usually cheaper to do it that way. NY requires I file electronically!

They make it very difficult to find the information as to where to mail paper returns.

https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/file/return_assembly_mail.htm

 

[Alan]

For me filing taxes is an annual annoyance. They already know how much I've paid, and how much I owe, or should be refunded. I look forward to the day they send me email, or a 3x5card, asking if I agree with their assessment! Perhaps I've been lucky. So far those numbers have agreed.

That is how it is in the UK for most folks. I never filed a tax return until we moved to the USA. Living in England now we have foreign income so have to file a UK tax return. Our son moved back and has no US income so he doesn’t file a UK return, just let’s HMRC do it all for him. Being a USC he still has to file a US return.

My state (Louisiana) allows you to do your Louisiana taxes on their website for free. I used to do this but at some point (many years ago), I realized how much I seriously HATE doing taxes and that I could just let Turbo Tax send the info to Louisiana while I quit and play video games or take a nap instead, if I would only pay the $20 that Intuit wants for this service. So, I started coughing up the money for that.

I think that must have been the point at which I could claim moving from a middle class lifestyle to a lower upper class lifestyle, since it's quite a luxury (for me). Well worth it, though.

I just follow TurboTax's directions. After I submit my federal tax forms, I get asked if I now want to do my state taxes so that's when I do them. I have never had to double pay or even thought that was possible.

Same here. I still pay Louisiana taxes on some W2 income I receive but rather than pay for a tracked international envelope containing my LA return or doing it online at their site I simply efile through TurboTax. BTD

 

[linnemj]

I volunteered for the AARP Foundation Tax Aide program this year. Our area does not have income limits or require you to be a AARP member. Tax Aide will do your federal, and state tax returns for free. It is a simple process and takes up to 2.5 hours. Our area works by appointment so if interested, start looking around the end of January for information on the Tax Aide webpage for locations. They do have limitations on what the IRS allows us to do but you can check prior to your appointment. Basically can’t do depreciation, business losses, home office, ect. Check it out to save money and aggravation next year.