Horrendous experience with Turbo Tax / Audit Defense

[axel]

I used Turbo Tax to file my 2016 taxes and purchase audit defense.

In early August 2018 I got a letter from the IRS indicating an audit. The issue are some 1099 Misc. & 1099 INTs the IRS claimed were not submitted and a somewhat more complicate German inheritance issue.

The first baffling thing: I checked with my turbo tax file. All of the above 1099s were submitted correctly via file. How is it possible the IRS never received them ?

I contacted audit defense. They assigned me a case worker. The experience has been nothing short of horrendous so far.
Three weeks into it and with an IRS deadline days away I have yet to receive any meaningful assistance. While I sent the audit defense team detailed messages and supporting documentation all I am getting back are useless canned response that do not directly address my case.
It is pretty clear that nobody has really done anything meaningful to look into my case yet. When on the phone the audit defense team seems distracted and overworked.

The most troubling thing is that the audit defense team advises me to ignore the IRS deadline, which would trigger an automatic tax bill. How is this level of incompetence even possible ?

Somebody help me - please ???

[GabiU]

Hi axel. 

Thanks for reaching out, however I hate to hear about your dissatisfaction with Audit Defense. The TurboTax Audit Defense service comes from a third-party called TaxAudit. I encourage you to reach out to them with your questions and concerns.

Here is their contact information-- 
Phone: 800.92.AUDIT • 800.922.8348
Email: customer.service@taxaudit.com 

[Carl]

There's really nothing that anyone in this public user-to-user forum can do for you that I would call "help.". But I would suggest that you gather up all your e-mails and other documentation and seek the services of competent legal representation.

Now it "may" help if you first visit your local tax advocacy office. Find the one closest to you at https://www.irs.gov/advocate/local-taxpayer-advocate  While that "may" help with the tax situation, dealing with the audit defense you paid for and are not receiving, would be a completely separate legal issue that were I in your shoes, I would consider addressing with legal representation.

[axel]

thanks for your reply.

of course I am in touch with TaxAudit. Otherwise I could not elaborate on my experience.

How can it be that 1009 Misc. forms that were reported in Turbotax and efiled never show up
on the side of the IRS ? That seems strange to me.

[axel]

well - one would hope that somebody from turbotax - aka the platform that is encouraging and facilitating  the purchase of Audit Defense - would have an interest in not selling a scam product and end up with a bunch of unhappy customers ?

Aka 'please help turbo tax. you are facilitating the purchase of a service that is absolutely sub par'.

[GabiU]

Is the 1099- Misc included when you print out your return?

I can do some troubleshooting if you give me a santitized copy of your tax return. This way we can check to see if there are any defects in the program without seeing your personal information. 

If you're on TurboTax Online: 
1. Sign into your online account and go inside the return.
2. Click on Tax Tools.
3. Select Tools.
4. Select Share my file with agent.
5. A pop-up message will appear and click OK to send the sanitized diagnostic to us. 

In TurboTax Desktop: 

2. In the menu bar, select Online.
3. Select Send Tax File to Agent.


Please respond with the token number in this thread. 

[axel]

I just checked on the return and they are not included. Aka I do not see any 1099-Misc on the pdf  from my return.

However the reported 1099 Misc. income seems to be reported as the overall numbers match.

When I go into my turbo tax file from 2016 all the 1099-misc items are shown as reported.

Token # is: 

478315

[GabiU]

Thank you! I appreciate it. 

[Carl]

That's why I suggest the Tax Advocacy office. Due to time constraints you need to deal with the tax issue now, and the tax audit product you paid for later. This sounds to me like someone at the IRS dropped the ball. It's also possible that you misunderstood something in the program and incorrectly reported the income. If so, it's fixable. But you don't need guesses here. You need solutions, and you need them "yesterday" if not sooner.

So get with the tax advocate to fix this problem before your deadline. Once the deadline passes, fault is irrelevant. You lose. Period.

[axel]

thanks for your input.

I am not that sure somebody at the IRS dropped the ball. I just reviewed a printout of the Turbotax e-filing and 

it does not seem to list any 1099 MISC - while they are clearly reported in the software.
If Turbotax does not forward the 1099 MISC items that are put into the software that would indeed be a bit of an issue.

However I completely agree with you that time if of the essence. I asked the IRS for an extension in writing (as advised on their automated phone line) so I can regroup and get to the bottom of this.

[axel]

please kindly let me know what came out of this. it would be good to know if the issue was created by turbotax transferring incomplete information via e-file to the IRS.

[GabiU]

I sent you a private message. 

[Carl]

sume that PM was to the OP and not me. I have no PM's waiting.

[GabiU]

Yes. To axel. Thanks Carl! 

[axel]

I would like to publicly respond to your private message that the missing 1099 Misc. were a 'user error'.

that is incorrect. I reported all the relevant 1099 MISC in my Turbotax software. The $ amounts of the reported 1099 MISC income is correctly reported on my return. Aka the overall number is correct.
But the 1099 Misc are not included.

If the software somehow e-files incomplete information please kindly admit to it and fix it.