I only have a w-2 and some 1099-int, 1099-div... why can't I use the free version of turbo tax?

If your tax return requires the use of Schedule B, you cannot use the Free Edition.  

 

Use Schedule B (Form 1040) if any of the following applies:

• You had over $1,500 of taxable interest or ordinary dividends.
• You received interest from a seller-financed mortgage and the buyer used the property as a personal residence.
• You have accrued interest from a bond.
• You are reporting original issue discount (OID) in an amount less than the amount shown on Form 1099-OID.
• You are reducing your interest income on a bond by the amount of amortizable bond premium.
• You are claiming the exclusion of interest from series EE or I U.S. savings bonds issued after 1989.
• You received interest or ordinary dividends as a nominee.
• You had a financial interest in, or signature authority over, a financial account in a foreign country or you received a distribution from or were a grantor of, or transferor to, a foreign trust. Part III of the schedule has questions about foreign accounts and trusts.

visit irs.gov to discover truly free federal filing.

You can possibly qualify to use the Free File program through TurboTax.  If you qualify, there is a link at the bottom with full instructions on how to switch to the FreeFile program.  The IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax is exclusively available online and has its own dedicated website at taxfreedom.com.  It isn't accessible from the "regular" TurboTax.com website.

 

Qualifications

To qualify for free 2019 federal and state tax returns through the IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax, you just need to meet one of these requirements:

 

• Your 2019 household AGI is $36,000 or less;
• You qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or
• In 2019, you served as active duty military (including Reservists and National Guard) with a maximum AGI of $69,000, and you have a military-issued W-2.

Related Information:

• What's the difference between IRS Free File Program and Free Edition?
• How do I switch to IRS Free File Program delivered by TurboTax?