Turbotax wants an outrageous $250 state e-filiing fee!

[fa123]

I just finished my 2020 tax returns and e-filed my federal return.  But Turbotax seems to demand a $250 fee (plus applicable sales tax) just to e-file my California return.  If I remember correctly, last year this fee was around $19.  This year I've seen people complain that Turbotax has raised their state e-filing fee to $25.  I'm not happy with Turbotax e-filing fees, $19 or $25, either way.  But $250!!!!! Are you kidding me?!!!!

This better be a program bug and Turbotax better fix it  F A S T.  If this is not a bug, then it is just outrageous robbery!

[Opus 17]

I suspect that is a mistake in the graphic, and the price is $25.  (It's $20 earlier in the season and then increases.).   I will forward this for investigation. 

[fa123]

Well, I'm willing to believe you, but I do not dare to click and go forward, because then the program may just as well actually charge me $250!

[VolvoGirl]

That's a good one LOL.   It has to be a typo on the screen.  The Thursday update (today 3/4/21) probably updated the price from 20 to 25.  Or we will all wish we had efiled state before March 1.    

[TasnimH2]

Hello @fa123  I am going to send you a private message so that I can help you out. 

Thanks

[fa123]

To inform the community at large, I feel I should post the current status of the problem that I reported earlier on this thread.

An Admin person promptly contacted my after my initial post and asked for details, which I provided.  This person was (and remains) very helpful, and I appreciate that.  The issue that I reported was clearly a program bug. 

Yesterday, the Admin person contacted me back and asked if my problem was resolved.  I checked for updates, and there were none.  Nevertheless, I tried, and (because program bugs do not just magically disappear by themselves) Turbotax still wanted $250 to e-file my California return.  I reported back that the issue was not resolved.

This morning, I checked again, and there was a Turbotax update.  My program successfully downloaded and installed the update, which included a program update and a California state return update.  This raised my hope that I could now finally e-file my California return.

However, it seems like Turbotax people have now resolved the earlier bug (demanding $250 to e-file my California return) by introducing another bug (that prevents me reaching the point in the program where it used to demand the $250 state e-filing fee).  <Sarcasm> Pretty clever, guys! </Sarcasm>

For the record, here is what I go through:

1- Check e-file status: it says my 2020 Federal return has been accepted. (So far so good.)

2- Final steps: I click my way to "We are ready to file your taxes" page. I click Continue.

3- E-file Your Federal Return for Free: I select the E-file (recommended) option; click on Continue.

4- Select the Returns You're Ready to E-file: I select the "E-file my state return now" option.

4.1- Below the state options, I see it says: "The following return has been transmitted. - Federal Return"

4.2- I click on Continue.

5- Here is the problem: I get to a page titled "E-file requires federal return" where it says: "To e-file, you must also select the federal return. Click Back to select federal and any other returns you'd like to file." BUT I ALREADY DID THAT IN STEP 3, ABOVE!!!

So, I cannot e-file my state return, because the program itself:

    A- decides to exclude my federal return (because it knows that it has already been transmitted to the IRS), even though I selected it for e-file in Step 3, above; and

   B - needs to e-file my federal return along with my state return. (Yes, it needs to e-file my federal return together with my state return with the California FTB, although it does not need to e-file it with the IRS.)

I also repeated the same sequence of steps, selecting the "File by mail" option in Step 3, above. Understandably, I end up on the same page, with the same message.

So, I am now dealing with a new bug in the Turbotax program. I have already e-filed my federal return (but was unable to e-file my California return at the same time, because of the Turbotax bug that demanded a $250 fee). I now want to e-file my California return. This is nothing out of the ordinary.  But the latest bug introduced in today's Turbotax update puts me in a Catch 22 situation:

(1) Turbotax prevents me from e-filing my California return because this requires e-filing my federal return as well, while (2) it refuses to e-file my federal return because it has already e-filed it with the IRS.

[Opus 17]

It is always the case that you can’t e-file a state return unless you do it at the same time as e-filing your federal return. This is a security measure that was introduced several years ago because crooks were filing multiple false state tax returns claiming large refunds without filing a federal return because the states had weaker security.

At some point in this process, you seem to have e-filed your federal return while the state return price was unresolved. That will leave you now unable to e-file your state return even if the pricing problem is fixed.  I don’t believe tech-support could create an exception for you because of the general security rule involved.

I believe that you should be allowed to e-file your state return after your federal return has been accepted. Are you still at the “pending” stage with your federal return?  Try again to e-file the state return after your federal return has been accepted.  

The California FTB website has a free e-filing set up called CalFile.  You may be able to print your tax return in TurboTax and then login to CalFile and fill out the online forms in a few minutes by copying the numbers from the turbo tax return. This may be faster than doing it from scratch on the CalFile website and will give you the confidence that the numbers have been prepared correctly.

[fa123]

Thank you, Opus 17, for your reply. I appreciate your explanation of reason for the security measure, and how in principle it should work.  But it seems like that is NOT how it works!

As I stated in Step 1 of my post, yes, my federal return has indeed been accepted.  Therefore, according to your understanding (which I also accept to be reasonable), Turbotax must now allow me to e-file my California return.  But it does not!

Of course I e-filed my federal return, and the only reason I did not e-file my state return at the same time was the ridiculous $250 fee that Turbotax error demanded.  Regardless of this error, if Turbotax has this security measure that you describe (requiring simultaneous e-filing of the state return with the federal one), then Turbotax must inform the users.  The fact that Turbotax does not is itself a HUGE DESIGN BUG!  Why aren't the users warned/informed that by e-filing their federal return, they forego the possibility of e-filing their state return at a later date (even after their federal return has been accepted by the IRS)?

Printing and retyping my California return on the CalFile site is a lousy option.  I don't fancy typing in 16 pages of numbers all over again!  This totally sucks!!!

[mesquitebean]

Normally one can efile the state return by itself after the Federal return has been accepted.  But something may be broken.  If it is, we'll likely see more users with this issue today. 

I myself have seen 3 users in just the last day report that they were unable to efile the state return after their Federal return was accepted.  @ VolvoGirl and I were involved in another thread with this issue yesterday, and I also saw a comment in a third thread since.

So this may be a developing issue. @TasnimH2 

EDITED:  Before phoning Support, try the steps I left you in a comment below that follows this one.  Then if you need to reach Support, here's how:

Hours are 5AM-9PM Pacific (8AM-12 Midnight Eastern) 7 days/week.

You can use this contact form to get a phone number. 
https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact

[mesquitebean]

@ fa123 

Also try this before phoning Customer Support:

With your return open, in the top left corner of TurboTax, in the menubar click on the FILE menu, and in the dropdown choose "Electronic Filing."  Then in the next menu choose "Check Electronic Filing Status."

Then SAVE the return.

I'd then close TurboTax and relaunch it.

Then try to efile the state return.  

If problem persists, I'd probably close TurboTax, reboot the computer, re-launch TurboTax, and do a "check for updates."   And try again to efile state.

If still persists, then I'd phone TurboTax Support (see my previous comment for contact info.)

[fa123]

Thank you mesquitebean  for your replies.

I tried all the steps you mentioned, the problem still persists.  Turbotax reports that my federal return has been accepted, but it refuses to e-file my California return.

I filled the form at the link you provided, got a Support ID, and a number to call.  I called the number.  I only get an answering bot that keeps asking me if I'm inquiring about this or that or something else.  I say something else, it keeps telling me that it cannot hear me (bad connection?  but I hear it clearly.)  Once I persisted and got it to ask me for my support ID.  I gave it my support ID, and it went back to the same loop of asking me whether I'm inquiring about the stimulus, or ..., or something else.  This is totally useless, it seems like there is no way I can get out of this loop with this bot and get to talk to an actual human being!

[mesquitebean]

I'll ask the same Moderator who helped you previously to look at this thread today.  I don't know when that will be, so it's a good time to take a break for a while.

@TasnimH2 

[TasnimH2]

Hi @mesquitebean I found this FAQ and sent it to the user via private message a moment ago. I could not find any bug from my end when I went through the software. 

Is printing the state return another good option for @fa123 ?

Thank you 

[fa123]

My problem remains unresolved.  I closed Turbotax, restarted my computer, restarted Turbotax, checked for updates to make sure the program is up to date, and still cannot e-file my California tax.

The links that the Admin person provided are not helpful: my return has NOT been rejected; I have successfully e-filed my federal return and it has been accepted by the IRS, already.  Turbotax does not complain about any issue with my return that prevents e-filing my state return, either.

The last link mentioned in the above reply has to do with Form 8915-E.  I have no such form in my return, and I do not get any error or warning from Turbotax complaining about problematic fields.   I suppose I can wait until March 19 when Turbotax promises to release an update that takes care of the issue that they say they have with this form which prevents e-filing of state returns.  I don't have high hopes for it though.

I have sent the screenshots of the steps I take (as I explained in my earlier post) to Turbotax.  It is quite disappointing that they say they are unable to reproduce the problem, and as such they are unable to help me.

The customer support phone number is a frustrating joke.  All I get is a phone bot that locks me in a loop with no way to get to talk to an actual human person to explain my problem. 

Obviously, the sanitized program dump that Turbotax produced for me to send to them does not include enough information to show the bug.  Why can't I get to talk to a human being over the phone? 

[macuser_22]

There is no "$250" fee, there IS a $25.00 fee to e-file a state return.  Until that is paid (with a CC or deduced from your federal refined)  you cannot e-file the state.

Personally I never pay it,  I e-file the Federal for free and then  print and mail the state for the cost of a stamp.