Why is there a charge to e-file state?

[xmasbaby0]

The screen does tell you that there will be a fee to use the third party bank when you choose to pay from your federal refund---you apparently missed seeing it on the screen.    The state e-file fee is $20 -- increasing to $25 on March 1.   If you choose to pay that state e-file fee from your federal refund instead of paying with a credit card or debit card, there is a $40 ($45 in CA) "refund processing fee" to use a third party bank to provide that service.   

You do not have to use TT again if you do not want to.  But....the information about the fee was there.

If you decide to use TT again sometime----avoid the state e-file fee by filing the state by mail.  Then it only costs the price of a stamp.

[keithneargarder1]

PLEASE stop with your replies - they are absolutely of ZERO value!!! As has been clearly stated numerous times by numerous posters we all understand how the current fees work. The f'in question is WHY!!! There is no obvious reason other than TT greed as to why we are charged a fee to e-file the state return. e-filing is better for all involved - more environmentally friendly and efficient. Plus TBH nowadays I have zero faith in the US postal service as I have seen many examples of things getting lost/damaged in the mail. So the real point of this thread is basically a complaint towards TT and their greed and lack of customer service. Like I have stated before I'd rather they charge an extra $10 for the software and have free state e-filing - IMO they would come off better that way.

[bluepost]

keithneargarder1 -- some things about Turbotax are meant to be mysteries, and must remain so.  We must learn acceptance.  This year Turbotax "hung" when I tried to give Intuit the state efile fee, which I took as a portent that I should mail the return.  This morning there were two hummingbirds on my feeder which is extremely rare, and I took this as further reinforcement that I should not efile this year.  The only question is, should I drive the return to Sacramento, a 4 hour round trip?  Does the FTB have a drop box?  I am going to wait until April 15, watching for further omens, to decide.

[Maonki]

It’s a bit of a scam, imho. The download version from Amazon says simply “Federal + Stare” so the $26 charge to e-file a State is frustrating. Of course, you can print for free but that’s not the best approach or option and NOT what is implied in the software purchase (surely, the reality is buried in the fine print that most will never read).

Misleading scams like this only encourage customers to look elsewhere.

[togldeblox]

just found this thread... yeah i agree keith, although for me i care less about their greed than the absolutely insolent way they go about implementing their fee extraction.

you can read in here all about the failures numerous people keep getting (myself included) just trying to give them the freaking fee. this is right at the point where you think you see light at the end of the tunnel... you are almost completely done, that beer in the fridge is calling.... and then ...  a left turn into a rotting haunted house of cryptic, useless error messages, looping back through the same dialog, the quicksand of having to restart the program. why, surely this feature was designed by a demon.

just let me buy a state-efile version - a pox on paying within the program - it doesn't work!

[skinut]

The whole e-file charge for a state return is BS to me.  Call it what it is, a "convenience fee", so you don't have to print it out and go to the post office.  TT is just pocketing all the money.

I just mail the state return. If my state wants to pay someone to open and scan it in from paper vs. getting it electronically, so be it. All they have to do is make e-file a requirement like NY does and then TT can't charge for it any more.

[Wifeycoyote]

Here is a draft letter:

Subject: Report of Potential Violation of New York State Law 

To: [NYS Taxpayer Rights Advocate]([email address removed]) and [New York State Attorney General's Office]([email address removed])

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to report a potential violation of New York State law by TurboTax, a tax preparation software company. Despite the state law prohibiting tax software providers from charging e-file fees, TurboTax is charging customers a $25 fee for e-filing their state tax returns.

As a concerned citizen and taxpayer, I believe it is important to bring this to the attention of the relevant authorities. I request that your offices investigate this matter and take appropriate action to ensure TurboTax is complying with state law.

Please find below my contact information:

[Your Name]

[Your Email Address]

[Your Phone Number]

I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Email addresses:

* NYS Taxpayer Rights Advocate: [email address removed]

* New York State Attorney General's Office: [email address removed]

 replace the bolded information with valid contact information. Also, feel free to modify the letter if needed.

[VolvoGirl]

@Wifeycoyote   EXCEPT NY IS FREE to efile state.

See https://turbotax.intuit.com/desktop-pricing/ 

[edp123]

Because the can $$$

[Wifeycoyote]

This is the case for NY, but turbo tax obscured that point quite well. 

Just ignoring what was stated here and proceeding on allowed the state return to be filed electronically without charge. 

This was what I did, after having printed out the ream of paper to mail it in, before deciding to back track and see if they indeed would flout the law.

TurboTax Premier message at e-filing option