topic Re: State Tax in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

State Tax

dallasbrantley — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 04:02:57 GMT

I bought Home And Business Federal and State (download) for $95 from Amazon. After completing all the Federal and California forms, a screen popped up that required me to pay another $45 if I wanted to actually FILE my California return. I grudgingly paid another $45 so that I could file my CA return. A few screens later, another screen popped up that informed me I would have to pay ANOTHER $25 to ELECTRONICALLY file my CA return.

In the past, when you bought Federal and State, you had already paid to file one state form. Now, if you want to electronically file a state form, you have to pay 3 TIMES??? WTF???

I give TurboTax 0.5 stars.

Re: State Tax

Critter-3 — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:08:48 GMT

Are you 100% sure you bought the H&B with the state included ? If you did and you only did one state return then the state programming should have been included so did you actually buy from amazon or thru a third party seller thru amazon who may have not sold you the correct program? If you bought the program with the state included you should not have had to pay $45 for the state program although the $25 efiling fee has always been there ... you can print and mail the state for free. I highly recommend you talk to amazon to see what exactly you bought ... this was not a TT issue.

Re: State Tax

xmasbaby0 — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:09:48 GMT

When you were preparing your tax return----where was the tool bar?

We see people get confused and they keep logging in to online software which will require them to pay at the end. You need to use the desktop software. One way to tell if you are using the right software---your tool bar. Online software has the toolbar in a black vertical column on the left side of the screen. Desktop software has the tools up on the top of your TT screen.

If you logged in to online by accident, that is why it is asking for payment for the state.

Re: State Tax

xmasbaby0 — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 01:57:22 GMT

Or-----when you use the CD/download, there is a fee to e-file the state. After March 1 that fee is $25. Then... did you get sucked into paying the $45 refund processing fee to have that e-file fee deducted from your federal refund? Ouch.....You could have filed the state for free by printing and mailing it, or you could have paid the $25 upfront using a credit card. If you agreed to have the fee deducted from your refund, it added an extra $45 for "Premium services" in CA.