Why do I end up being charged $79 to do my taxes when I wanted the free version and was not notified I would have to pay that amount?

Here are some reasons why you might be seeing a charge and how you can downgrade to the free version:

Schedule B: The TurboTax Free Edition only supports simple tax returns (Form 1040) without additional 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.

•  Since your return includes a Schedule B, which reports interest and ordinary dividends, this might have triggered the upgrade to a paid version
• Form 1099-B: If you have transactions reported on Form 1099-B (Proceeds from Broker Transactions), this form is not included in the free version

If you do not need the Schedule B: Follow these steps to downgrade to a different TurboTax Online product: 

1. Open your return if you haven't already.
2. In the left menu, select Switch Products.
3. Select Downgrade.
4. 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.