Based on the forms you mentioned (W2, student loan interest (1098-E), Premium Tax Credit), you would be able to use the following:
Desktop/ CD- Basic
Online- Free
No matter which version of Turbo Tax you use, you can always upgrade if you end up having a more complex situation. If you purchase a CD/ downgrade, you are not forced to buy another version- you upgrade within and your data morphs into the higher version.
(you don't need the higher cost of Deluxe for these situations)
And, yes, Turbo Tax handles the ACA penalty in ALL versions. If you have a penalty, it is merged into your entire tax return and not accounted for separately. It would reduce the refund.
