U.S. Government Obligations software error

[gckc]

I sit here gobsmacked that there is no way of sending a file of a significant error I have encountered to TT in an email or any textual form. The only option is to post it to the community. They have completely walled of the development group using their tax advisors as a shield. The problem is that it is not a tax problem, it is an error in the desktop program and possibly elsewhere. I spent hours on the phone with one of the tax advisors demonstrating the error and receiving their concurrence and their managers concurrence that it is an error that falsely multiples the deduction when it is transferred to the Mo state return. I spent hours on my own through trial and error determining what triggers the error. What is unbelievable that unless I allowed them to download an image of my return for the developer to use then I was told they could not forward on my issue. My wife has been a victim of three data breaches in the last ten years, Target, The U.S. Governments and a major hospital chain. The best way to keep your data safe is minimize the places it exists outside your hands.

TurboTax Premier has a significant error that when data is imported from one financial institution, it alters the amount of a deduction from a different financial institution when it is transferred to the Mo state return (This error could exist in other states as well, I have no way to determine that). This results in a deduction being tripled on my state return. The error in this case amounts to a false reduction of almost $7000 in Mo state income. By going back to pervious returns I have determined it has been doing this for two years prior as well.

Has anyone gotten around this issue of TT completely walling off the development group?

I have created a three page Word document that goes through what conditions are required to trigger the error and what financial institutions imported data is involved. I go through the sequence in detail and how it manifests itself. Yet I sit here without anyway of being able to send this file to them.

I understand why they would not want their developers to sit and listen to some taxpayer moan about their taxes, but that is not what this. I am not looking for some conversation or Atta boys from TurboTax. Just a place to send the email and a receipt that it has been received. As a retired design engineer I would have loved for anyone to bring this level of detail to a problem so it could readily be recreated. But yet I sit here unable to and blocked from doing so.

[Cynthiad66]

I would like to take a deeper look at this. However, I need a diagnostic file which is a copy of your tax return that has all of your personal information removed. You can send one to us by following the  directions below:

TurboTax Online:
 

1. Sign into your online account.
2. Locate the Tax Tools on the left-hand side of the screen. 
3. A drop-down will appear. Select Tools  
4. On the pop-up screen, click on “Share my file with agent.”
5. This will generate a message that a diagnostic file gets sanitized and transmitted to us.
6. Please provide the Token Number that was generated in the response.

TurboTax Desktop/Download Versions:

1. Open your return.
2. Click the Online tab in the black bar across the top of TurboTax and select “Send Tax File to Agent” *
3. This will generate a message that a diagnostic copy will be created.  Click on OK and the tax file will be sanitized and transmitted to us.
4. Please provide the Token Number that was generated in the response.  

*(If using a MAC, go to the menu at the top of the screen, select Help, then,Send Tax File to Agent”)

[gckc]

I understand that your would like a diagnostic file, I also explained in my post why I do not wish to provide it.

I had this discussion with the TurboTax tax expert at length, and she understood.

I also understand the process you would like me to perform to retrieve it. It is not ignorance of the process on my part, it is wariness of the full and complete sanitazation process. 

To fully recreate the error you will likely need access to  the download files from two of three different financial institutions that are imported into my return.  I don't know if your default test import file from the financial institutions would trigger the error.

As I stated in my post I have created a detailed three page Word document that goes though what is occurring and  what set of initial conditions are required for the error to take place. I have spent hours of trial and error to see what triggers the error. An error that  has apparently gone undetected for three years.

I am a retired design engineer who designed the highest level of safety critical electronic hardware that ran the most safety critical software known to man. I understand the development process that you would employ at Intuit is the polar opposite of what is done in my world.  I sympathize that the ground is constantly shifting beneath your feet because of the IRS and State tax code. I also understand why you would like to greatly limit the direct  contact between the developers and an end user.

Regardless I should be able to send a three page file to someone, by Word or plain text,  which I believe would greatly assist the developer in quickly isolating the problem. I think this method protects my data and provides even more insight than a sanitized image of my taxes. I spent hours downloading and playing with the file and I observed some things that were completely counterintuitive when I used the data override function as a test. The developer would have to rediscover these things on his or her own if all they have is my sanitized tax file. If I received a reply back after several days saying they could not recreate the error using my document for guidance I would even perform more tests or create a completely bogus file for testing.

However, I seriously doubt that would be required.

I could reply by PM If you would accept a text version of my "document". It contains about 7500 characters.

Awaiting a reply.

[gckc]

I just received a reply asking me if your response solved my issue.

I hope that was an automated message, because if not, it is clear you did not read my original post or my reply.

To be clear I have asked for a method to send an email to someone  that can forward it to someone in the development group. I have created a detailed review of the error that is occurring with the program and I have not received any reply to this an any shape or form.

If you intend to respond to this read my original post and my reply to your post.