My federal refund is free - why am I being told I have to pay for something? I did not want or use any TurboMax.

You are posting from Deluxe  $40

State return $40

Refund processing to have fees deducted from federal refund by 3rd party bank $39.99 ($44.99 in CA) (This fee is optional and can be avoided by paying TT upfront using a credit/debit card)

WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY?  I WANT THE FREE EDITION

The information that you can enter in Free Edition is pretty limited now.  Thanks to the new tax laws that began for 2018 returns, there are no more simple Form 1040EZ or 1040A's.  Everything goes on a Form 1040 that has three extra "schedules" with it, and if you need any of those schedules, you are not able to use the Free Edition.  Using the standard deduction instead of itemizing does NOT mean you will not need any of those schedules.https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4511011-what-happened-to-the-1040a-and-1040ez   If you started in the Free Edition and entered any data that required any of those three schedules, you have to upgrade to a paid version.   The Free Edition cannot be used for self-employment income, investment income, rental income or a student loan interest deduction,

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2586254-how-do-i-clear-and-start-overIf you qualify to use it, there is another full-featured free version of the software:

Try Free File: 

You qualify if your income was $39,000 or less, or $72,000 or less if active duty military, or if you qualify for Earned Income Credit

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-turbotax-free-file-program

• https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-free-file-program

Note:  If you do not qualify to use Free File then you will have to upgrade to Deluxe or higher in the paid versions of the software.   

 Online Deluxe $40  State software $40

Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

If your TurboTax fees are higher than expected, you can reduce them by removing add-ons:

• Remove Premium Services
• Remove MAX Defend & Restore
• Remove a state
• Remove PLUS Help & Support
• Remove Pay With Your Refund

You either started with or upgraded to the Deluxe online edition from the Free online edition for a federal tax return - $40

State tax return when using the Deluxe edition or higher - $40

Option to pay the TurboTax account fees with the federal tax refund - service charge $40

See this TurboTax support FAQ for checking your fees - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/charges-and-fees/help/how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online/0...

See this TurboTax support FAQ for removing fees - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/charges-and-fees/help/what-can-i-do-to-reduce-my-fees/01/26051

The TurboTax Free online edition is for very simple tax returns that do not require any other form or schedule other than the Form 1040.  If your tax data requires entry on any other form or schedule then you must upgrade to the Deluxe edition or higher.

If you have not paid for the online edition you are using, have not filed your tax return or registered the Free edition, then you can clear your return and start over with a lower priced edition. Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the program screen while working on the 2020 online tax return. Click on Clear & Start Over.

OR - 

You can use the TurboTax Free File Program - https://freefile.intuit.com/

IRS Free File Program - https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
If you are eligible you can use the IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax which is free to file both a federal and state tax return. The IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax edition is a full featured personal tax program and on a separate website from the TurboTax online editions.

To qualify for free 2020 federal and state tax returns with the IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax, you'll need to meet at least one of these requirements:

• A maximum 2020 adjusted gross income (AGI) of $39,000; or
• You qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or
• You served as active duty military (including Reservists and National Guard) with a maximum 2020 AGI of $72,000 (you'll also need a military-issued W-2).

See this TurboTax support FAQ on the Free File Program - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/what-is-the-turbotax-free-file-program/00/...

See this TurboTax support FAQ for the difference between the Free File Program and the Free edition - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/what-s-the-difference-between-free-file-pr...
And see this TurboTax support FAQ on how to switch to the TurboTax Free File Program - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/downgrading/help/how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-free-file-program/00/...