Question

Why do I have to pay $89 just so I can report interest more than $1500? That seems excessive, seeing how it was free except for that one thing.

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
January 22, 2024
2 replies
0 views

Why do I have to pay $89 just to have 1 function done on my taxes, which other than that were free?

TurboTax Live Basic Online

X

xmasbaby0

Employee

If you have not registered, paid or e-filed you can clear and start over in a lower version of the software.

CLEAR AND START OVER

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2586254-how-do-i-clear-and-start-over

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 and if you are watching the screens carefully you are alerted to the upgrade.

When you chose to “start” in the Free Edition —

Directly below the words “Free Edition” there is a blue link that says “For simple tax returns only” If you click that link it brings up this information:

You can file with TurboTax Free Edition if you have a simple tax return.*

*A simple tax return is Form 1040 only.

Situations covered in TurboTax Free Edition include:

W-2 income
Limited interest and dividend income reported on a 1099-INT or 1099-DIV
Claiming the standard deduction
Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC)
Child tax credits
Student Loan Interest deduction

Situations not covered in TurboTax Free Edition include:

Itemized deductions
Unemployment income reported on a 1099-G
Business or 1099-NEC income
Stock sales
Rental property income
Credits, deductions and income reported on schedules 1-3

How does TurboTax make any money?

Customers with more complex tax situations will file with our paid TurboTax products that provide all the additional forms and guidance they need. We also offer additional benefits that go beyond filing your taxes, but they are optional and are not required to file simple taxes for free. We hope that, over time, as our customers with simple returns need more capabilities as their financial situations change (for example owning a home, having a child, managing investments), they have loved our products and services so much that they will choose our paid TurboTax offerings to prepare and file their returns.

Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free. There are 8 free software versions available from the IRS Free File site

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

How can I see my TurboTax fees?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online

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

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

C

ctechk

The information supplied above is false for 2025 according to the IRS. Intuit / Turbotax seem to not be supporting this and are trying to charge (me) to file when it should be free.

website. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-direct-file-set-to-expand-availability-in-a-dozen-new-states-and-cover-wider-range-of-tax-situations-for-the-2025-tax-filing-season

Quote from that web page:

"For the 2025 filing season, Direct File will support 1099’s for interest income greater than $1,500, retirement income and the 1099 for Alaska residents reporting the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend."

DoninGA

Employee

@ctechk Direct File is an IRS tax preparation program and has nothing to do with TurboTax - https://directfile.irs.gov/

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 2024 online tax return. Click on Clear & Start Over.

TurboTax Deluxe online is $69 - https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/deluxe.jsp

DoninGA

Employee

Schedule B is required if you have interest income of $1,500 or more. The TurboTax Free and Live Basic online editions does not support Schedule B.

You can use the TurboTax Deluxe edition which is currently $39. But if you also have a state return that is an additional $39

D

deb-in-gaAuthor

Hmmmm. I was charged $89 for Deluxe. No state return as I live in FL

M

mesquitebean

Employee

@deb-in-ga wrote:
Hmmmm. I was charged $89 for Deluxe. No state return as I live in FL

It's possible you started in Live Basic. If so, and if you then upgraded, then you likely ended up in Live Deluxe, which is not the same as regular Deluxe and adds additional cost. The "Live" part allows you to have help and guidance from a tax expert during return preparation and a review of your return prior to filing.

If that's what happened to you, and if you haven't paid yet, and don't want the Live feature, then see this:

FAQ: How do I remove TurboTax Live?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/remove-turbotax-live/L3WW5jwOM_US_en_US

If you already paid, and didn't realize you were in the Live product, and didn't use any of the tax expert feature, you can discuss it with TurboTax Customer Support, but I don't know how they will respond.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899263-what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number