@ nickroeder wrote:
I clicked a link in a promotional email that you guys sent me to save $30 if I file before 2/28.
When I clicked that link for the Free Edition there was no indication that I wasn't on the Free File Free Edition. In other words the actual Free Free Edition.
How was I to know that I wasn't truly on the free version when it's called Free Edition? I paid $100... for the free edition... Do you see my problem? Free means free right? I made under $39,000 and I qualify. I made WAY below $39,000.
Shouldn't TurboTax have automatically seen that I qualify and redirect me to the Free File edition? I used the link you guys sent me...
This posting of yours suddenly showed up in the forum 8.5 hours after you wrote it. Weird!
So I suspect some of it has already been explained by now in our other subsequent discussions.
By "you guys" you are obviously referring to the folks at TurboTax. You already know by now from our other back-and-forth that I don't work for TurboTax but am a forum volunteer.
The commercial TurboTax Online website does not automatically direct anyone to the TurboTax IRS Free File Program even if they would qualify for it and does not describe it on their commercial website (that I know of) except in some FAQs that I provided you above on what it is and how to switch and also a third FAQ stating the difference between the 2 free products:
FAQ: What's the difference between the IRS Free File Program and Free Edition?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/what-s-the-difference-between-free-file-pr...
That offer for save "up to" $30 was essentially a notice that the early-season discounts were expiring last night (ie., after Feb. 28). The amount of the early-season discount varied in different products, such as $20 off in Deluxe and Premier, $30 off in Self-Employed, etc.
If you click on Free Edition, that is the product on the Online TurboTax website that it takes one to. So some folks may end up in Free Edition, not realizing it is different than the IRS Free File Program. Then since it is such a limited edition, many have to upgrade to Deluxe (or higher) if they have one of Schedules 1-3. So quite a few questions in the forum are "why is it charging me?"
You haven't said exactly what product edition you ending up using, so I'm not sure what your $100 fee represents, and if you prepared both a Federal and a state return. The only time the regular Free Edition has a fee if one upgrades to PLUS (29.99) or chooses the optional MAX Benefits package. There's also an additional $40 fee ) in any edition ($45 for California filers) if one chooses to pay for their product fees out of the Federal refund. If your fee was $100, then I suspect you used either Deluxe or Premier.
