TurboTax e-filing fees for State is misleading, $25 instead of $20 as mentioned in software

Fees increase in March..   If you read the fine print on your packaging for the software you will see that it tells you the fees are subject to change.

The "Regular State filing fee (i.e., $25)" AND "limited time offer's DEADLINE" should be on the software's "You're almost ready to file" page.  Not just the temporarily reduced "TurboTax State E-file $20".

Prices are listed on our website and states that prices are subject to change without notice. The discount expired on 2/28/21. Currently, everything is regular price. 

I’ve always wondered who gets the $25 for filing state taxes.  Is it a “convenience fee” that TurboTax charges?  Does the state charge it?  I can’t imagine the state charging it because e-filing saves them so much labor vs having to have to pay people to input a mailed in  paper return.  You’d think they wouldn’t do anything to discourage people from e-filing.  Can you shed any light onto where the $25 is going?

It goes to TurboTax.

You don't have to pay it you live in NY (NY basically has a law making TT file it for free).

There's not e-filing fee using TT online.  It just the desktop users who pay it. 

I agree with you on the fee and think it is wrong...regardless of subject to change, etc...

This is not a small company and they have smart tech people handling the software.

I used the downloaded version and the software has downloaded multiple updates since I started working on my return, even two nights ago. If the prices change after a certain date, that should be part of the updates that are downloaded.

What is more frustrating is when your return says you owe $20, in my case $40 because I have two states, but when you click to pay, the amount being charged is $50, not the $40 that the system was saying that you owed.  That is like going to the Wal-mart and the tag of the item says $40, but when you go ring up, it rings up as $50.  Wal-mart is going to to check the tag and if it said $40, they are going to charge you $40 and fix it for the next person.  I have a screen shot showing I owe $40, but TurboTax wants $50 when I put in my card information. 

If there is a discrepancy on what your fees show in TurboTax as due and what you are being prompted to pay, please follow the instructions in this TurboTax FAQ to contact customer support for assistance:  What is the TurboTax phone number?

@Honeymanmba

I found it to be bait and switch as well.  I purchased the software in time to save money on the State return, but filed on April 13th (not even a Friday 13th) and after everything was ready then asked to make the payment.  A better, more transparent approach, would have been a countdown feature showing how many days remaining before being charged.  Even better, if there is a discount at time of purchase, that discount should apply during use regardless of date.  I'm sure the legal phrases were disclosed to keep them from being sued, but it harms intuit's reputation to have a bait-and-switch policy executed like this.  Customers will remember how they felt after experiencing this.

I agree. The $20 reference was in the program itself as I wrapped up taxes. A few minutes later when I went to e-file, it was $25. ... Not right to do!  ... This coupled,  with Intuit now always pushing new product, will make me look for a new vendor next year.  Their download software is feeling “old” and in need of refresh. 

Thanks for the comment. I called customer service about it and they said they didn't know why the software showed $20 but it should be $25 and I needed to pay $25.  They didn't care that I had a screenshot showing the $20.  Miraculous thing is when I logged in the next time, my screen at that step now said I owed $25 for each state instead of the $20 the night before.  Wrong, just wrong.

What pi***ed me off was not the $5 or the $20 but the $25 because I have ALWAYS filed the state by mail. I chose to "just simply" do the e-file because everything was loaded in with driver's licence, all the other info, bank crap, everything I had spent time on for the Fed. And WHOOOOOOOOP. At the very end, after TT relentlessly pushed the e-file, I get this $25 charge at the last minute. Where was the Big, bold copy that states, YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED A FEE FOR STATE IF YOU PRINT OUT AND MAIL IN. TurboTax will charge you $25"  instead of the "most people do efile with both" and "safe and simple" and "we make it easy" Just so weaselly. I've used TT for about 15 years and I've always "just simply" printed out my returns and mailed in my check when I had taxes due. So, this 'just because we can' efiling charge was egregious. 

Every time I log in TurboTax updates the program.  I WOULD NOT be difficult to change the $20 to a $25 in the code...IF INTUIT WANTED TO DO SO... AND BE HONEST WITH BUYERS!!  Classic bait and switch.  Maybe they will choke on my 5 bucks! 

Agree with the bait & switch! Clearly shows it will be $20, then they charge $25. It's only $5 (well $10, for 2 returns). It's not the money - it's the principle. Disgusting.

It is bad that I paid $25 for a state efiling instead of the said $20 on Turbotax popup screen. Not trusted. Feel bad. I expect Turbotax to honor $20/state efiling for everyone.

Every March the early prices expire and increase.  In the Desktop CD/Download program the State Efile fee is $20 but increases to 25.

But there will be a delay in Desktop program between March 1 when the price goes up and the next time the program update comes out, usually on Thursdays.  It will show the $20 efile price but you be charged 25.  So it should show the right price after the update today Thursday March 3.

Beautiful documentation. I agree with bait and switch - it left a bitter taste in my mouth, especially as I had to wait for an updated 1099 (came today) before I could file. I’ve used TurboTax since 1996! Intuit has no respect for me as a loyal customer, just bait and switch and gouge me for every dollar they can. Capitalism at its stinkiest. Boo Hiss.

Tax processing requires a high level of trust. If I can't trust that TurboTax displays the correct filing cost (that it entirely controls itself) in the software but instead has the guts to allow their "Experts" to proclaim that we don't need to worry because prices are subject to change without notice then I could not be more disgusted with this company. 

Last time I filed with TurboTax. Respectfully,

Your Ex-customer of 26 years

I also got caught up in this sleazy bait and switch tactic.  Turbotax could have updated the price multiple times after March 1st but it was probably more profitable to cheat their customers!

FWIW, I complained about this in a different thread and got the same BS call the non provided customer support number and mention billing issues response.  The person I talked to was clueless and after many long waits (I played solitaire) while she had to go to a secondary support person for more info multiple times.  Her response was to send me a link to this thread and when I asked if this would get result in a refund she said she didn't know.  Total BS. 

Totally agree with the many comments that this is a disgusting (and, I imagine, illegal) bait-and-switch.

I'm disgusted every year that I pay Intuit/TurboTax for mediocre software that should be given away for free by the US Government to all taxpayers, esp. since the main reason it's not provided for free by the US Treasury is because Intuit has lobbied fiercely against taxpayer interests for over two decades (https://www.propublica.org/article/inside-turbotax-20-year-fight-to-stop-americans-from-fi[product key removed]-for-free).

In recent years, I have e-filed my federal and NY taxes but printed out my CT taxes and mailed them via the USPS because I wasn't willing to pay Intuit's outrageous e-filing fee. I'm ashamed and angry Intuit takes so much of my money. Printing-and-mailing my CT taxes every year has been my small protest.

This year, my wife talked me into e-filing and paying the $20. After typing in my bank account info and credit card information (for the "$20" fee), the final page showed I would be charged $25! I would have printed out my CT forms again this year if I had known it was $25, not $20. I was truly suckered.

Intuit is a very scummy company, getting rich by screwing American taxpayers year after year after year and buying off Washington for the privilege of making tax season just that much more painful and unpleasant!

I did some research and it looks like HRBlock has a very good alternative to TurboTax. Didn't find similar incidents of dishonest behavior with them, so I will use them for my 2022 tax filing. 

I completely agree. We bought ours form Sam's Club, everything stated $20 and then a Sam's Club $10 credit. State filing should be $10. We Go to process cc and it shows $15. Pretty petty for a multimillion-dollar company.

Every year the state e-file fee for the CD/download increases from $20 to $25 as of March 1.  You can avoid the state e-file fee by printing and mailing the state return instead of e-filing it.

This is not a complaint about $25 instead of $20.  Just responding in this thread as I did not find a thread addressing the "Sales Tax and shipping" issue. 

As a new use (never before e-filed with TT) I stopped at the screen that says $25.    "Sales tax and shipping will be applied during check out."   I'm not willing to press continue at this point. As a new user I don't know if I can cancel after seeing the "check out" form. So I've canceled the order and will print and file this year and wait to see if there is any response to the question of "Sales Tax and shipping."