topic Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PDL2024 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 01:06:36 GMT

all done except filing a return as I am being forced to buy Audit Defense. How do I file without this audit defense payment?

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

xmasbaby0 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 02:17:21 GMT

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

If your TurboTax fees are higher than expected, you can reduce them by removing add-ons (BEFORE you e-file) :

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PDL2024 — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 06:13:02 GMT

how does this remove the audit defense fee so I can file?

not clear what I should remove to file.

please reply

thank you

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

mesquitebean — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 07:10:51 GMT

@ PDL2024 wrote:
how does this remove the audit defense fee so I can file?
not clear what I should remove to file.

The answer that was provided above by xmasbaby0 is for Online TurboTax. I suspect you are using desktop TurboTax. Is that correct? In desktop TurboTax Audit Defense can be added in a couple of ways. How it got added will give me a clue on how you can remove it. Which of these 2 things happened to you:

1) When Audit Defense was first offered, did you initially click to accept it, or did you refuse it? Some people click on the wrong button due to the way they have them positioned. If that's how you got into it, we can tell you how to go back and make the correct choice.

Or is it this:

2) Are you a California filer and to pay for the $25 fee to efile the state return, did you choose to pay that $25 fee out of your Federal refund? If so, that option adds Premium Services to your bill and has a $45 service fee. Premium Services includes Audit Defense as one of its benefits. If that's how you came to be involved with Audit Defense, you have to first remove Premium Services and choose to pay the $25 state efile fee upfront by credit/debit card.

We can help you more when you state which of the scenarios above applies to you--1 or 2, so we know how you ended up with Audit Defense. Again, this assumes you are using the desktop software.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PDL2024 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 20:42:07 GMT

I did wish to file California State and have the $25 taken from my refund.

I will remove the selection and attempt to pay via credit card so I can file.

I will update you on the result.

thanks

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PDL2024 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:05:15 GMT

I cannot find a way in the program to change my selection to pay the state fee with my credit card.

Can you help with this?

thanks

Paul

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

VolvoGirl — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:14:28 GMT

In California Desktop program to remove Audit Defense and Premium Services you have to change to pay the $20 or 25 state efile fee by credit card and not by having it deducted from your federal refund. Or print and mail state for free. Go back through the File tab again slowly and read the screens, there is one screen that can trip you up. Change to pay with a credit card. Then if Audit Defense is still there you can remove it.

This is an old screenshot but it might be similar. Watch out to clink on the credit card button.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PDL2024 — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:37:18 GMT

unable to see this screen.

how do I find it?

very frustrating especially when I saw this screen during the entries.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

VolvoGirl — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 21:43:56 GMT

Are you using the Desktop program? Click on the File tab (the one after Review, not the first File at the top). Then go through all the steps and screens. But have you already filed? It maybe too late to change it.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PRDL — Sun, 16 Mar 2025 23:44:37 GMT

Yes. I am using the Priemer desktop version.

There is no screen I can change to pay by credit card. The only screen that appears is where to have the refund deposited to my bank account.

I have not filed the return.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

PRDL — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 00:05:25 GMT

sorry, but I am unable to show a screenshot to show you what I see on my screen.

It looks like I will need to e-file federal return and mail state.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

mesquitebean — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:33:13 GMT

@ PRDL wrote:
sorry, but I am unable to show a screenshot to show you what I see on my screen.
It looks like I will need to e-file federal return and mail state.

While that would work (since there would be no state efile fee), there is something else you can fairly easily try. You could phone TurboTax Support for help, but if it were me, this is what I would try first:

I would go the FILE section and change the filing method for both returns to "file by mail". Then it is impossible to have Premium Services and "pay out of refund option" because that option requires efiling. But obviously don't file it by mail. At that point I would click on "Save" to save the file with that mail choice for the 2 returns. Then I would go back to the FILE section again and change it back to "efile" for both, and see if that reset the efile interview screens. If it did, then this time when going through the efile screens be very careful to decline Audit Defense and to choose to pay the state efile fee by credit/debit card.

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

mesquitebean — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 04:54:09 GMT

@PRDL

ADDENDUM to my comment above

If you do the maneuver above, and it does reset everything in regard to Premium Services and "pay out of refund", but if it's still showing standalone Audit Defense when you go to check out, then try this, just in case you clicked on standalone Audit Defense previously in error. The choice of standalone Audit Defense is actually offered under the REVIEW tab in this manner. You may wish to check this regardless.

Go to the REVIEW tab, select the subtab "Audit Protection", navigate past the Audit Risk meter, and then scroll way down on the Audit Defense screen and decline Audit Defense. I believe the button says "NO THANKS."

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

jimmcgee100 — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 21:29:51 GMT

I bought the 2004 Turbo Tax Advantage which was supposed to include audit defense for free. When I finished my returns and went to e file the program took me to a page that asked to verify the information on audit defense whish is all correct . When I exit that screen it tells me that my registration did not go through. This is where I can not even go on to e file my GA tax return for $20. I have called customer service 2 x and gotten no help with this

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

mesquitebean — Sun, 30 Mar 2025 21:52:46 GMT

@ jimmcgee100 wrote:
I bought the 2004 Turbo Tax Advantage which was supposed to include audit defense for free. When I finished my returns and went to e file the program took me to a page that asked to verify the information on audit defense whish is all correct . When I exit that screen it tells me that my registration did not go through. This is where I can not even go on to e file my GA tax return for $20. I have called customer service 2 x and gotten no help with this

Sorry you're having trouble with that. I don't know if anyone in the community forum will be familiar with the steps to get your free Audit Defense with the Advantage program and/or why your registration dd not go through. See if anyone else responds by tomorrow.

If you don't get a suggestion in this forum, here's an option:

Since you've had no resolution with customer support X2, you can escalate to the office of the president of Intuit. They have a really good liaison that helps with special problems. The form says they will get back to you within 1 business day. Be sure to explain your problem completely, mentioning your Advantage Program membership, the free Audit Defense you were supposed to get, registration wouldn't go through, etc., and the fact that you have called Support twice.

If you end up going that route, the contact form and a box for explanation of your issue is here:

https://www.intuit.com/company/contact/office-of-the-president/

Re: FORCED AUDIT DEFENSE

SBFay — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 03:53:25 GMT

I received the same prompt to buy Audit Defense, but did not recall that it was included with Advantage. I went through the motions, but it simply formatted a receipt for my Advantage download subscription and a price of $0.00. I came here to search for "is Audit Defense included with Advantage?" and your question came up first.

It sure would be better if the system simply said, "Don't worry, your Advantage already includes Audit Defense, without the need to reprint another receipt for $0.00 stating Advantage, yada yada.