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Level 1
January 21, 2025
Question

Turbo tax live expert was not trained or educated enough and told me to just file after ensuring i had the tax advance loan option by telling me to choose "5 day early" option. How will you resolve this?

  • January 21, 2025
  • 7 replies
  • 11 views

Your tax experts are not tax experts in anything. They dont know how to help or even understand what options turbo tax even offers. I called and spoken to an an agent about how to select the refund advance loan option. After making me repeatedly click review over and over. They then told me to try changing my bank since credit karma doesnt work with the refund advance loan. So i switched to my chase bank. After that didnt work, they told me i would need to "start over" with a new email and create a new turbo tax account. I then hung up as this person was clearly incompetent. The 2nd person i called ensured they would help me. But they only made things worse. They told me that i could select the refund advance after hitting to file my tax return. I told him thats not what i did last year to which he said by clicking to sign and file, the option to select the refund advance would show itself. Which was not true at all. After i told him the option did not present himself he told me that the refund advance loan is the same thing as the 5 days early option. He then told me to keep tracking my refund and then hung up. Infuriated i called back and spoke to another "eXpErT" who took over 45 minutes with me just sitting on hold as she sat in silence reading what i could only assume is some sort of turbotax help desk information to try and figure out what my tax return was filed as only to eventually give up and say she would call me back. I paid $200 dollars to file and for expert support and this only resulted in my return getting filed incorrectly. What is turbo tax able to do to resolve this issue?

    7 replies

    Level 15
    January 21, 2025

    I will post this to a moderator for someone to take a closer look at.

    **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.**
    DoninGA
    Level 15
    Level 15
    January 21, 2025

    You will need to contact TurboTax support for this problem.  Use the key words Billing Issue

     

    See this TurboTax support FAQ for contacting support - https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/account-management/contact-turbotax/L2y9ZKpQB_US_en_US

     

    Support can also be reached by messaging them on these pages https://www.facebook.com/turbotax/ and https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax

    Level 10
    January 21, 2025

    The experts will have their work reviewed and be coached in the correct answers.

     

    If you qualify for refund advance you chose that option when you file.  Everyone does not qualify,  Refund advance is not the same as five days early.   Here is what you should see on your screen when you file.

     

    Instantly with Refund Advance

    • Get up to $4,000 in as little as 60 seconds after IRS acceptance*
    • $0 loan fees and 0% APR
    • Deposits in a Credit Karma Money™ checking account
    Level 15
    January 21, 2025

    "5 days early" is bs marketing.

     

    When you receive an ACH deposit, this is what happens.

    1. The sending bank sends a pre-notice of deposit

    2. The receiving bank verifies the account name and SSN and says its ok to deposit.

    3. The sending bank sends a notice of deposit.

    4. The receiving bank confirms receipt of the deposit.

    5. It can take up to 2 further days for the transaction to "settle" (be confirmed by the ACH clearinghouse).

     

    The receiving bank generally makes the funds available after step 5. The entire process should take 2 business days, but step 6 can add up to 2 more business days depending on the policy of the bank.

     

    The "5 days early" claim is based on GreenDot (money card) making funds  available at step 1.   It won't be "5 days early" for most people because most banks are not jerks about IRS deposits.  1-2 days early is probably most common.

     

    Then, you must agree to get your refund via GreenDot bank (instead of your own bank) before you are offered the advance.  But not everyone is offered an advance even if they use Greendot.   It depends on your status, the state you live in, refund amount, and other factors.  A refund advance is never guaranteed.  

    VolvoGirl
    Level 15
    January 21, 2025

    5 Day early advance info.  I believe it is $25

    Early Tax Refunds | Fast Tax Refunds with TurboTax

    Level 15
    January 21, 2025

    @VolvoGirl wrote:

    5 Day early advance info.  I believe it is $25

    Early Tax Refunds | Fast Tax Refunds with TurboTax


    How bizarre.  Just another way for Turbotax to charge fees to gullible customers.  And, you can't get the 5 day early refund AND an advance at the same time.

     

    You will not be eligible to receive your refund 5 Days Early if (1) you take a Refund Advance loan, (2) IRS delays payment of your refund, or (3) your bank’s policies do not allow for same-day payment processing.

    Level 2
    January 24, 2025

    I've been having this same issue. I've been filing through TurboTax for 10 years and used the refund advance last year. I have an active credit karma bank account as well. My credit score is higher as well as income for 2024. Yesterday, I spent 4 hours on the phone with TurboTax. The representative stated its possibly a glitch and they'll investigate then contact me about it. I'm really trying to hold off before I switch to a different company

    Level 15
    January 24, 2025

    @Brmthompson wrote:

    I've been having this same issue. I've been filing through TurboTax for 10 years and used the refund advance last year. I have an active credit karma bank account as well. My credit score is higher as well as income for 2024. Yesterday, I spent 4 hours on the phone with TurboTax. The representative stated its possibly a glitch and they'll investigate then contact me about it. I'm really trying to hold off before I switch to a different company


    I've never needed a refund advance loan and I would certainly never pay anyone $25 to get my refund 5 days early.  If your decision about which tax software works best for you is based on who gives you a loan or who lets you pay extra money to get your own refund slightly early, then you do whatever works for you. 

    Level 2
    January 24, 2025

    @Opus 17 

    The refund advance is a separate option from the 5 day early option. The refund advance with Turbo Tax via Credit Karma does not charge you at all for the loan. Also, with the refund advance, you get the money same day the IRS accepts it.

    Level 2
    January 28, 2025

    This literally just happened to me and I had a dire situation to handle , which I am now sitting in my home with no electricity and food now defrosting in my fridge and I have to send my kids away to a family member because of this guys incompetence. He literally was in my computer trying show me where to apply for the refund , I paid for live assistance as well . When I got to the end of the return i did not see the refund advance option as I normally do , which is why I called for help and he messed me up seriously could not stop crying as I’m currently unemployed and really needed to handle my bills . He literally ruined everything . I would have not submitted my tax return on my own free will if I knew he didn’t actually select the refund advance option . Right before he hit submit I said “hold on I didn’t see where you selected the advance option “ he clicked on something and showed me that it was right there and I should expect it as soon as I get accepted for federal .that was Monday, I got accepted and still hadn’t received anything , today I call and the female expert tells me that I never applied for it and I’m like that’s a lie yes i did that’s the whole reason I called for assistance. I’m such a mess right now , I feel numb I can’t charge my phone can’t use the internet. Thank God my kids are at school but I have to send them somewhere until I can afford the $600 power bill I needed to pay . 

    Level 2
    January 31, 2025

    it has been my experience that the TT live experts are incompetent.  I did get very good help form one EA but the others were absolutely incompetent