I feel very deceived...."free" cost me $126

[sandysueb]

I always do my taxes myself so thought I would try the "Free" Turbo Tax because we have very simple tax returns.  It was going along great and I was very impressed by how easy it was to use.  Then I was told that since I had to file a schedule 3 I would have to upgrade for $59 to get a $400 credit.  So, I thought, no big deal.  Then...when it came time to file my state taxes it asked for another $59.....very deceiving.  I thought the first $59 covered Federal and State...because you can't do your state until you do your federal.  Very disappointing.  The site itself was awesome...very easy to use.  But I think the  "free" turbo tax should be explained WAY better up front.  We pay enough in taxes I find it absurd that we need to pay extra to do them!  But, I already had almost 2 hours invested so of course I paid the $126 fee.  

[xmasbaby0]

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   If you started in the Free Edition and entered any data that required any of those three schedules, you have to upgrade to a paid version and if you are watching the screens carefully you are alerted to the upgrade.

When you chose to “start”  in the Free Edition —

Directly below the words “Free Edition” there is a blue link that says “For simple tax returns only”   If you click that link it brings up this information:

You can file with TurboTax Free Edition if you have a simple tax return.*

*A simple tax return is Form 1040 only.

Situations covered in TurboTax Free Edition include:

• W-2 income
• Limited interest and dividend income reported on a 1099-INT or 1099-DIV
• Claiming the standard deduction
• Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC)
• Child tax credits
• Student Loan Interest deduction

Situations not covered in TurboTax Free Edition include:

• Itemized deductions
• Unemployment income reported on a 1099-G
• Business or 1099-NEC income
• Stock sales
• Rental property income
• Credits, deductions and income reported on schedules 1-3

How does TurboTax make any money?

Customers with more complex tax situations will file with our paid TurboTax products that provide all the additional forms and guidance they need. We also offer additional benefits that go beyond filing your taxes, but they are optional and are not required to file simple taxes for free. We hope that, over time, as our customers with simple returns need more capabilities as their financial situations change (for example owning a home, having a child, managing investments), they have loved our products and services so much that they will choose our paid TurboTax offerings to prepare and file their returns.

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/

How can I see my TurboTax  fees?   

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2565973-how-do-i-review-my-fees-in-turbotax-online

If your TurboTax fees are higher than expected, you can reduce them by removing add-ons:

• Remove Premium Services
• Remove MAX Defend & Restore
• Remove a state
• Remove PLUS Help & Support
• Remove Pay With Your Refund

[fanfare]

 "But, I already had almost 2 hours invested so of course I paid the $126 fee.  "

This is exactly what Intuit TurboTax is counting on. It seems to be working for them.

In other arenas, it is called bait-and-switch.

@sandysueb 

[David Tierney]

I don’t understand why I was not charged the free edition! Very deceptive! I will find another way to file in the future!