Had issues with confusing Federal and State filing. How do I check to make sure I didn't pay more than I should have?

[TuckerdogAVL]

So, I got done with my taxes. I get to where I'm filing. In tiny, teeny tiny small print I see "here... let us charge you ANOTHER $25 to file your state for you" ... ah, no... that's okay, I'll just file by mail. 
But wait. 

We aren't going to make that a choice. File both now, file one at a time ... or file both my mail.... 

So, I figure out how to file the Fed. I pay what's due. Then.... I attempt to go down the rabbit hole to "just simply" print out what I need for state. 

But, I also discover that "print for your records/print to file" is 40 pages, then 52 pages. Huh? I check the different ways to get to state - by going deep into the files I've saved - and discover that in one set, the forms mention I need to send along any 1099s. Going into the "print" by way of "save for your reference" and print just state, I see no such info. 

Continuing, I attempt to "just simply" print out what I need to mail in the state. I keep battling the "you've filed" and "check laters" so I give up and decide to pay the $25 for e-filing state (And I already paid the additional "convenience fee" to pay for my federal due. Nickels and dimes, nickels and dimes). 

I click on the e-file for state, go through hoops to pay the $25 and now I get a message that the amount of the refund on state is MINUS the amount I paid (by credit card earlier) for FED. 

How do I find out whether INTUIT is going to deduct the fed amount due from the state refund after I already paid the fed with the credit card (plus the convenience fee of course)? 

And if this is screwed up, how do I get the actual amount I should receive from the state? I assume I have to wait until I actually see any refund from the state. But being pro active - after trying to jump through the hurdles and hoops and finding this all rather nefarious - when or how do I speak to a human at Intuit? Because I haven't found that secret yet. 

And, bottom line: is it really fair to make it difficult for someone to file their state taxes in a way that doesn't put TT/Intuit in the position of "just simply" charging a fee to e-file the state? I paid $100 for the program, $8 to pay by a credit card and $25 to file the state taxes. That's about 40% of my refund. (PS I know how to do taxes to where I don't give the government an interest-free loan for a year, what the average person calls their big annual bonus, so I usually have a very low, or no refund. So, when I do, it's nice to actually get it without all the tacked on, just because, convenience fees.) 

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

No don't worry about the federal tax due.  At the end Turbo Tax just shows you the net of federal and state but that is only for your info.  You will still get the full refund and need to pay a tax due separately.  

[TuckerdogAVL]

The way the ability to print out the correct state forms and mail in to save the extra $25 is still a bit weaselly. Thanks for the quick response. I'll stay on top of it. (BTW, I clicked on text me updates as well as email, and I have only received emails so far). Sigh 

[xmasbaby0]

Your federal tax due cannot ever be paid from a state refund.  So you do not have to worry that anything will be deducted from the state refund and go to the IRS to pay your federal tax due.  That is impossible.

And...especially if this was your first time to use the CD/download and encounter the state e-file fee, it can be confusing.   You can avoid the $25 state e-file fee by printing and mailing the state return.   If you choose to go ahead with e-filing the state and just pay the $25, you really do not want to get suckered into saying you will pay that fee from a federal refund (which in your case was not an option---but for many users it would be) because that will get you an extra "refund processing fee" of $39 or $45 (in CA) added to the fees.

TurboTax shows you a summary that nets out the difference between the federal tax you owed and the state refund you are going to receive, which likely led to your worry that some of your state refund will go to the feds.  But....that will not happen.  You should get your state refund in total.

To track your state refund:    

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899433-how-do-i-track-my-state-refund

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/state-taxes/help/how-do-i-contact-my-state-department-of-revenue/0...

[TuckerdogAVL]

Thanks. But my concern wasn't that the state would  be paid out of a federal refund. My concern is that TT/Intuit would be somehow missing that I already paid it and it getting screwed up. And, yes, I saw the "Just because extra fee for no reason, pay from the refund" gambit.  Asterisk. Footnote. 🙂 Since I rarely get refunds I'll watch for it. 

Yes, I know how to download and print to mail. I've used TT since 2005. This was particularly confusing because it was set up as "all or nothing" to direct the filer to pay the additional $25 = Done! (in color no less).

Either both mail or both file. When I chose Fed efile now, and mail state later, that's when the problems arose. It wasn't "just simply." And any time I tried to get back into the system, I would get the message "You've filed and exit." I had to jump many hoops to get back to "print," and dodge records, forms to file, etc. I have 136 pgs for "all with worksheets," 42 pgs that was the first "to file and for your records," then the next time I tried (working from the original instead of at the end of the program), I got 52 pgs for "my records." That was a red flag. So, I saved both the 42 and 52 pagers. Eventually, I got the 5 pgs for the state .... however, the TT cover sheet in one version didn't mention I needed to print out any 1099-Rs and send in. I saw that when I went into the 52 pg saved "for my records." And, the cover sheet that I had was with the "send by mail" version states "you have filed by e-file, watch etc etc." That's when I gave up and got sucked into paying $25. So, yeah, you can print out and mail in. But getting the right one to print out and mail.... ah.... that's the trick. Sure, e-file is easy but it shouldn't be an add-on. And mailing should be an easy option if you don't want to pay. Not hurdles and hoops. I think TT is a great program and I've actually learned a lot over the past 17 years. I probably miss a few things that are deep in the tax code system. However, this was the first time I ever had a problem. And I don't like getting played.