Federal prices for the versions (degrees of tax return complexity) are stated at your signup. I was told on this AnswerXchange that the additional for a state would be $44.99 for Premier added to about $80 ($79.99) for the related federal return. If you have no reportable Capital taxable events (basically sales, of investments or real estate) only the lower Deluxe prices should apply. Tax prep done personally by a CPA or EA (enrolled agent) can easily run over $300 for a return TurboTax classifies as Premier. Your second question seems to require troubleshooting or personal (customer support) attention. Third, "scam" is a word I've not seen critically applied to TurboTax. However, there are "reviews & complaints" online and within sites with ratings, such as Amazon. These should be researched and evaluated before choosing to deal with any merchant. Almost all have at least a few dissatisfied customers. I have seen an Amazon rating of Turbotax Premier consisting of four stars out of five, but having 22% of the customers assigning the most critical one star rating. It can also be helpful to read customers' specific remarks.
