Why am I being FORCED to upgrade to deluxe in order to continue to file my taxes through Turbotax!?!

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
April 25, 2021
7 replies
0 views

I called customer service and was passed around from useless representative to useless representative. Always asking for a manager throughout. Never being transfer to a manager. Not one representative I was connected with could answer why I was being FORCED to upgrade to deluxe in order to file. Every single one could not determine the reason. I know the reason! Because it's a SCAM! Turbotax makes you think you can file for free all the way through the process. Then at the VERY END you're required to pay to ""upgrade"" in order to file!

TurboTax Free Edition Online

VolvoGirl

Employee

There are 2 free versions. In the regular Turbo Tax Free Edition, information that you can enter is limited now. Why do I have to upgrade from the Free Edition?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/upgrading/help/why-do-i-have-to-upgrade-from-free-edition/00/26379

To go back to a lower version or the Free Edition you can try to clear and start over https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-do-i-clear-and-start-over-in-turbotax-online/00/26444

OR There is also The Turbo Tax Free File program which is free for federal and state. And has more forms than the Federal Free Edition, like Schedules A, B, C , D, E, F, EIC, H, K-1, SE, etc.

To qualify for the Free File website you just need to meet one of these 3 things
AGI $39,000 or less
Active duty military with AGI of $72,000 or less
OR qualify for EIC (earned income credit.)

In order to use the Free File program, you have to start it at a special website. Try signing in at the top right
https://freefile.intuit.com/

RyanTP

I had a similar experience. I was willing to pay for the regular Turbo Tax with the state addition like I had for many years as a long time customer. However I got to a point I could not continue and was forced to upgrade tot he DeLuxe, I believe it was. The fix was a simple click that had nothing to do with taxes or tax laws, etc. It was a Turbo Tax thing that was added to trick people into upgrading for a service that was not needed.

I was very disappointed that a product I had used for years took advantage of me.

I will look for another service.

Critter-3

Basically when you get to a section that requires you to upgrade you are told this so what ever you were entering at that time is the clue of what it triggering the upgrade.

For future reference :

If you qualify you can use one of the 10 IRS FREE FILE options to file a fed & state return for free ... but you must log in thru the IRS site :

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

For Filing Season 2021, you must make $72,000 or below to use one of the 10 IRS Free File partner offers.

jwright199

Same thing happened to me. I have the standard deduction so just a basic return and when I finished it suddenly showed deluxe was added but not by me.

indybaba

Same thing for me. Used free version last year. Nothing has changed this year except now I'm being halted as I'm trying to file and being forced to upgrade. Was given a service code for a savings of $13.30 but now they want to charge me $119 after the discount when i can get it cheaper at amazon and costco. was told my other option is to clear everything out and start again. i have a sneaking suspicion that if i do that turbo tax will lead me to the same dead end forcing me to upgrade. turbo tax is a scam and after many many years of using it, next year im going to hr block for sure.

bigbdub1988

Same thing happened to me. This used to be called bait and switch which is illegal. Not sure how a large tax service company is able to get away with doing this so overtly. I've used them for about 10-12 years but going forward I will be using another company who doesn't try to pull a fast one on long time customers.

Jtgilbert91

This just happened to me. I was under the impression that I would be paying for the basic federal and state filing prices. They asked me numerous times throughout the filing process if I wanted to upgrade, which I declined every single time -- I don't need the extra services since I have a very basic and straightforward financial situation.

It wasn't until I read the receipt that I saw they charged me for Deluxe ($69) + state ($59). I immediately called customer service, where they attempted to tell me there was nothing that could be done because it was already paid for. However the problem is, they don't tell you that you're paying for Deluxe until you've already paid!!! On top of that, they are now charging you $40 for direct deposits -- literally a free financial service anywhere else but with TurboTax! The reason they're doing this is to force you into using their own bank (Karma).

I really hope there is a class action lawsuit coming their way. They are a deceitful and immoral company.

badtax5

I've used Intuit for so many years. And for the past few years, this software would upgrade from free to deluxe to premium without the user realizing it until at the end when you're ready to file it. I paid $59 last year so I was okay with it until I was surprised this year, it was $129. Very sneaky Intuit. I learned my lesson and with a little googling I was able to find this method. I will try this next year when I file my tax.

How do I downgrade to a different TurboTax Online product?

by TurboTax•11712•Updated 3 months ago

Follow these steps to downgrade to a different TurboTax Online product:

Open your return if you haven't already.
In the left menu, select Switch Products.
Select Downgrade.

Note: TurboTax Free Edition is for customers who are filing Simple Form 1040 Returns only (no schedules except for Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Student Loan Interest). Roughly 37% of taxpayers qualify. If you have additional forms or attachments, you’ll need to use a different TurboTax product.

You can also clear and start over to switch to a different product. This option erases your information to give you a fresh start in the new product you've chosen.

Luke84

I had the same situation occur. I called customer service and the woman, Summer, who answered the phone was rude, clearly uneducated, ignorant and had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Told me no manager was available, no one higher I could speak to. Was clearly working at home. I have been using TurboTax for the last 15+ years and was intending to this year but no longer. I had completed my tax return this up to the point of paying and hitting File, but cancelled the entire thing and switched to H&R Block.

Absolutely done using Turbotax.