Yes, if you meet the following qualifications for FREE edition.
TurboTax free edition is for simple tax returns (1040EZ/1040A) with standard deductions. If your return is more complex you will not be able to use the free edition.
You can use the free edition if you:
Check out this link for more info on products and pricing. https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/compare/online/
Does this answer still apply to this question, one year later?
No.
If you have a 1099-G you will be forced to buy deluxe for $60. Speaking from experience.
Yes, if you are poor and unlucky enough to have been unemployed, Intuit will greedily charge you a fee for being low income. Use the IRS website to find a cheaper provider. Only use Intuit if it is really free, which is rare.
Hello DeniseF1,
Would you please confirm that free filing for W-2 and 1099G still working for the 2020 Tax return?
Thank you for your time.
WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY? I WANT THE FREE EDITION
The information that you can enter in Free Edition is pretty limited now. Thanks to the new tax laws that began for 2018 returns, there are no more simple Form 1040EZ or 1040A's. Everything goes on a Form 1040 that has three extra "schedules" with it, and if you need any of those schedules, you are not able to use the Free Edition. Using the standard deduction instead of itemizing does NOT mean you will not need any of those schedules.https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4511011-what-happened-to-the-1040a-and-1040ez
https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040
If you qualify to use it, there is another full-featured free version of the software:
Try Free File:
You qualify if your income was $39,000 or less, or $72,000 or less if active duty military, or if you qualify for Earned Income Credit
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-turbotax-free-file-program
Note: If you do not qualify to use Free File then you will have to upgrade to Deluxe or higher in the paid versions of the software.
Online Deluxe $40 State software $40
Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free
Thank you for your prompt reply.
But basically, the short answer will be .... NO
I can not use the free edition to file W2s and 1099G.
I was trying to file with TurboTax online ... for free ... and got charged $78 and they say it will take up to 3 weeks to get a refund. I am not happy.
TurboTax and intuit are extremely greedy . All tax software firms made a deal with the IRS to provide free preparation only for very low income simple tax returns . That’s so you can’t free file with the IRS. It’s a payoff bribery scam. Another scam is the bait and switch . Spend an hour then learn that the cost is $100. I use the cheapest site I can find which is not intuit TurboTax .
Just call the customer service number and ask nicely and they will issue you a service code making it free.
No, if you have an unemployment income with 1099-g you are not eligible to free file.
Click on the link for more information
I have a 1099G from 2021, if I paid for the Deluxe, Will I get any extra FEDERAL REFUND for reporting the 1099-G Unemployment Income?
@zhoubolin No you do not get an "extra" refund for reporting your unemployment. You are REQUIRED to enter your 1099G for unemployment because it is taxable income. This year you cannot use the Free Edition to enter unemployment, so that is why you need to upgrade to Deluxe.
It depends on your income, your tax withholding and any credits and deductions that you have @zhoubolin.
The IRS gets a copy of the 1099-G. If you get a bigger refund than you are supposed to because you did not report unemployment benefits, then you will probably be audited and will have to pay it back with penalty and interest.
If you did not have any tax withheld on unemployment, you probably will not get a larger refund by including unemployment.
i filed with a w2 and 1099-g. i was forced to pay for 60 dollars for deluxe for federal, then they charge 50$ for the state and with taxes I paid a dollar shy of 120$. F U TURBO TAX> i used to love you guys.
Need to make sure you answer certain questions regarding credits and deductions in a manner that would upgrade you. Next time just go straight to the W-2 section and the unemployment section, enter that and go to file.
It free If you make under $100,000 don’t get no medical expenses 1099G an appointment I was charge a fee for taxes that I file that I’m still waiting for and I’ll pay with my credit card
Interesting. They charged me 120$ and I made only about 26 27k this year. Most on unemployment too so this is their BS criteria.. somehow I fell under their requirements but yet they gave me no option to but to file through them thru deluxe and then upgraded the deluxe federal cost of 60 dollars ( funny because there was a promo of 5 $ off that didnt register and and then somehow charged me 50$ for state. Which is more understandable than federal as I fell under free file with that.) Used turbo tax for 10 years. The year of pandemic was when they charged me 80$ and now 120. The two hardest Never again.
Apparently if you're struggling to live on unemployment at tax time, TurboTax thinks you should spend more money to file. After many years using this service, I'm doing my taxes by hand this year.
I do qualify but was charged. I met them all. Why I as I charged a fee?
@deannarw1 You are posting to a thread that has had no activity for over two years. What issue are you trying to resolve? Is it something about your fees?
If you started in the Free Edition and entered any data that required any extra forms or schedules, you have to upgrade to a paid version and if you are watching the screens carefully you are alerted to the upgrade.
TurboTax Online: Important Details about Filing Simple Form 1040 Returns
If you have a simple Form 1040 return only (no forms or schedules except as needed to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit or student loan interest), you can file for free yourself with TurboTax Free Edition, or you can file with TurboTax Live Assisted Basic at the listed price. Roughly 37% of taxpayers are eligible.
Examples of situations included in a simple Form 1040 return (assuming no added tax complexity):
Examples of situations not included in a simple Form 1040 return:
How can I see my TurboTax fees?
If your TurboTax fees are higher than expected, you can reduce them by removing add-ons (BEFORE you e-file) :
Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free. There are 8 free software versions available from the IRS Free File site
https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
Or—if you live in certain states you may be eligible to use the new IRS Direct File
In Filing Season 2025, Direct File will be available in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2629