TurboTax is a for profit company. They provide a free version due to federal regulation and as an entry point to up-sell to paid add-ons. The vast majority of people do not need a “tax professional” - I work at a Big4 fwiw.
Two things can be true at the same time - the people on this forum can be a tremendous help AND TurboTax is wrong for relying solely on crowdsourced support.
If you read through the replies to my question some people were being extremely antagonistic and asking myriad questions unrelated to my query. Others were very helpful and pointed out how the TT system works. The former were unpleasant and unhelpful, the latter were very courteous and helpful. To them I give thanks.
