Forced to pay for TTax twice, lied to repeatedly
Last fall I purchased a desktop TurboTax program directly from Intuit, having done so dozens of times before. I got a warning email in October 2025 that, with Microsoft ending support for Windows 10, the program would not run under that operating system. But, the email assured me, "If you don’t plan on upgrading to Windows 11, we recommend using TurboTax Online, which will work on any supported web browser." Nothing about needing to pay again to do so.
When I downloaded the program and tried to install it, naturally and expectedly it would not install on the Win10 machine. But the splash did say this: "Your purchase includes TurboTax Premium Online, which covers investments, rental property, self-employment, and more. Sign in and verify your desktop license code to continue." (emphasis added).
When I began trying to use the online version, I wondered how I could ensure that I was getting the version I had paid for. I tried the Help system, and got this from the AI: "Since you cannot install TurboTax Home & Business desktop on your Windows 10 computer, you can access the included TurboTax Premium Online instead." There followed instructions to verify my paid-for desktop license for online use by entering the license code.
I proceeded to use the online version to create my federal and state returns. Never once did it ask for the license code. I have one small situation that TTax requires the Premium version to process. I hesitated to even include that in the return, for a matter of less than $50, but it insisted I should, based on last year's return. And at the end of the process of completing the return, sure enough, it said I now had to pay for Premium: $139, plus $64 for the state return. Nowhere to enter the license code, nothing to do but pay up, so that I had now paid twice for the same software and service.
After I filed, I managed to wring a customer support connection out of the AI Help. A friendly, professional rep called back quickly and walked me through a smooth process of applying for a refund for the full $203. 5-7 business days.
In less than 2 hours, I got an email telling me my refund request had been rejected, because I had already used the online version to file my return.
I count a total of 4 outright lies in this process, by email, software, AI, and a human rep. I paid for the desktop program, could not use through my own choice, but was told repeatedly that the online version was included in what I had already paid. And when I used the online version, based on that false assurance, I was forced to pay a second time.
After all these decades, I am done with TurboTax. I will never, ever use it again.
