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MAX has nothing to do with how you receive your refund or pay your fees.   MAX is an add-on feature that you pay for.   WHAT IS MAX   https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-product-orders/max/L0Bc4Ve2l_US_en_US?uid=m76e6cmo   https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/charges-and-fees/help/why-can-t-i-deduct-my-turbotax-fees-from-my-refund/00/25621   If your refund is enough to cover your TurboTax fees PLUS the extra “refund processing” fee of $40 ($45 in CA) and your forms are ready then when you are in the FILE section you can choose to have your fees deducted from your federal refund by a third party bank, who will take out your fees and send you the rest of your refund after the IRS issues the refund.    Please make note that if your refund takes too long to arrive (IRS delays, etc.) then you will also be agreeing that the TurboTax fees can be extracted from your bank account even before your refund is issued by the IRS.  This comes as an unpleasant shock to many people every year.      If you can possibly pay your fees upfront using a debit or credit card, it will save you that extra fee and even more importantly, the possible aggravation and delays that are often the result of poor handling/poor customer service by that third party bank.  We see way too many instances where refunds are delayed for months when users choose refund processing. There have been lots of complaints; there are a number of things that can go wrong when you use refund processing.  I suggest avoiding that situation if at all possible.     And....you can never pay state tax due from a federal refund, so do not expect that.   The state tax due has to be paid directly to your state.     What is Refund Processing Service?     How can I see my TurboTax  fees?      https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-account-billing/review-fees-turbotax-online/L1XnIzgzg_US_en_US?uid=m682vq7k         Please see these links for form availability dates Federal form availability   Forms availability        

https://turbotax.intuit.com/   Top left - File Your Taxes > Turbotax Desktop   Check authorized retailers (amazon etc) for better discounts at the moment   Check system requirements - need Win 11, or Mac OS 14 or above

No one can see your tax return   Look at it for yourself.   A federal refund is shown on line 35a.    If instead of getting a refund, you owe---the amount you owe is on line 37.   PREVIEW 1040 https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/preview-turbotax-online-return-filing/L77WCkvnu_US_en_US?uid=m681fkhr  

You shouldn't have to do this ... there's an offer for 2025 where you can switch a desktop license to ONLINE PREMIUM for FED+STATE for no extra cost (any version so just buy deluxe I assume).  This offer shows up when you install the s/w on Win 10 machine and get the dialogue below (not tried it as I am on Mac and not sure if there's another way to activate it).   Note online is not the same as desktop, there is no Forms mode and you can only prepare 1 return per account.  Normally it's more expensive but this offer mitigates that for 2025 unless you have multiple returns.   See details here   https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/download-products/end-support-windows-8-...   https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/articles/community-news-announcements/turbotax-windows-10-desktop-...   https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/marketing/ty25-ttd-direct-offer/L0aUgksJ...      

That code is to be used on 2026 W-2, not on the 2025 W-2.  That amount should have been entered in box 12 should have been entered in box 7 of the 2025 W-2.   TP—Total amount of cash tips reported to the employer. “Cash tips” includes tips received in cash, charged, or under a tip-sharing arrangement. Use this amount when determining the qualified tip deduction in Part II of Schedule 1-A (Form 1040)   Contact your employer to see if you can get a corrected 2025 W-2.

We are all live humans in the user forum.     Phone support is not provided with the Free Edition.  If you are using a paid version of the software or if you purchased PLUS you can get phone support when customer support is there.  Otherwise, post your question here and someone will try to help.   To call TurboTax customer support https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/account-management/contact-turbotax/L2y9ZKpQB_US_en_US?uid=m5s9l2vh  

Thank you so much for the quick, concise, and understandable answer! SO, all we as the parents need to do is claim $4,000 education expenses? We don't have to put anything else from the 1098T into our tax return? We just say we had 4000 in educational expenses and then our son claims the scholarship as you described?   Quick question about that, though. If we are saying we paid 4000 of it, why doesn't he take the 4000 off of what he's claiming as income from the scholarship?

If you e-filed already you cannot amend at this time.     Did you click that big orange button that said “Transmit my return now?”  If you did that, you cannot do anything to fix it yet.  You have to wait for the email that tells you if your return was accepted or rejected.   Since the IRS will not begin to accept/reject returns until January 26, you are going to be waiting in “pending” for awhile.  Your return is sitting on a server, where you cannot fix  it or get it back.   You cannot change or add anything on the return that you just e-filed, nor can you stop it.  It is too late, just like when you put an envelope in a US mailbox on the corner.  The IRS does not allow you to take it back.   If you left out a W-2, a 1099G, or a dependent, or a 1099 etc…DO NOT change your return while it is “pending.”  The changes will go nowhere.   Now you have to wait until the IRS either rejects or accepts your return.  If your return is rejected, you will be able to go into your account and make the necessary changes to your tax return and re-submit your return.     If the IRS accepts your return, however, then you have to wait longer until it has been fully processed and you have received your refund.  THEN you can prepare an amended tax return and e-file or mail  it in. You have to be able to work from that return exactly the way it was when it was e-filed originally.  You will need to use a form called a 1040X.     Meanwhile, DO NOT go in and start changing anything on your return in the system, or you will make a mess for yourself.  Sit tight and wait until you see what the IRS does with the return you just e-filed   The Form 1040X you need becomes available in late February,  But wait until your return has been processed.  

  MY DEPENDENT HAD A JOB If your dependent has a W-2 for his after-school job, summer job, etc. you do not include the information on your own return. You can still claim your child as a dependent on your own return.  He/she can file his own return for a refund of some of his withheld wages from boxes 2 or 17 (he won’t get back anything for Social Security or Medicare), but MUST indicate on it that he can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return.  (Supervise this closely or prepare it for him!) If your dependent’s earnings were over $400 and were reported on a 1099Misc or 1099NEC then he must file a return and pay self-employment tax for Social Security and Medicare.     You might also want to use free software from the IRS Free File versions: https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

When was the divorce finalized?   https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/filing-taxes-after-a-divorce-is-alimony-taxable/L3RVrBfu7   From the IRS Deducting alimony paid. Alimony is deductible by the payer, and the recipient must include it in income if you entered into a divorce or separation agreement on or be- fore December 31, 2018. Alimony paid is not deductible if you entered into a divorce or separation agreement on or before December 31, 2018, and the agreement is changed after December 31, 2018, to expressly provide that alimony received is not included in your former spou- se’s income. Alimony paid is not deductible if you entered into a divorce or separation agreement after December 31, 2018.         https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/marriage/video-taxes-divorce-heres-what-to-know/L8gReKTj8  

If you co-signed then you can deduct the interest that YOU paid for her student loan.   We cannot advise you as to how to get her to pay her loan herself.  That is a legal issue; we cannot give legal advice.       STUDENT LOAN INTEREST Only the person whose name is on the student loan and who is legally obligated to pay the loan can deduct the student loan interest. If you co-signed then you are legally obligated to pay if the primary borrower defaults or does not pay.    If you did not sign or co-sign for the loan you cannot deduct the interest.   WHERE DO I ENTER STUDENT LOAN INTEREST https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-credits-deductions/enter-student-loan-interest-form-1098-e/L1QGfOUCp_US_en_US?uid=m6egbegu     The student loan interest deduction can reduce your taxable income by up to $2500 There is a phaseout for the Student loan interest deduction, which means the amount you can deduct gets reduced when your modified adjusted gross income hits certain income levels and is even eliminated at certain income levels -     You cannot deduct student loan interest if you can be claimed as a dependent or if you file as married filing separately   There are phaseout amounts that are set for income levels according to your filing status, such as single, head of household, qualified surviving spouse or married filing jointly.   https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-credits-deductions/claim-student-loan/L2DnkvT5h_US_en_US?uid=m6eg9k55