I thought I was e-filing for free and it's asking me to pay. What do I do and how can I efile for free?

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

If you have not paid for the online edition you are using, have not filed your tax return or registered the Free edition, then you can clear your return and start over with a lower priced edition. Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the program screen while working on the 2020 online tax return. Click on Clear & Start Over.

Note - If you have entered a Form 1099-MISC with income shown in box 7 of the form or a Form 1099-NEC with income in box 1, this would indicate to the program that you are self-employed, thereby requiring the use of the Self-Employed edition to report the income and expenses for your self-employment.

[macuser_22]

You appear to be posting from the Self-Employed version which is not free if yiu have self-employed income.

NOTE: that the IRS Tax Freedom versions will not be available until late January or early February.

The TurboTax Free edition only supports simple tax returns that do not require any additional schedules. More complex tax returns will require Deluxe or higher depending on the forms that are needed.

You might be able to use the Free File (formally called Freedom Edition) for incomes under $36,000 and supports all states and most forms.

The Free File is part of the IRS Free File alliance and is totally separate from TurboTax website.

You can also access the Free File tax alliance programs via the IRS website.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/


https://freefile.intuit.com/

How do I switch to TurboTax Free File?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3491786

[xmasbaby0]

You are posting from online Self-Employed----so you must have entered some information that took you into upgraded software.  You cannot use the Free Edition for self-employment income.

IF you qualify there will be a full-featured version in mid-January that you can use for free:

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

• https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-free-file-program

Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

[judicalling]

My download from Amazon was for the Deluxe Edition that said it included one free Federal and one free State Efile.  I have done my taxes and efiled, but I had to pay $40 for federal and $20 for state.  How do I get a refund from turbotax?

[SForrestLO]

The only way to file your taxes for free is to use our Free Edition. The Deluxe Edition is currently discounted to $40. If you have to purchase a state it is an additional $40 discounted from $50. You can see this on our website using this link. Turbo Tax pricing

If you received a discount from our affiliate partner, this process will tell you how to access the discount.

How do I get my TurboTax affiliate partner discount? Affiliate partner discount

[mesquitebean]

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@ judicalling wrote:

My download from Amazon was for the Deluxe Edition that said it included one free Federal and one free State Efile.  I have done my taxes and efiled, but I had to pay $40 for federal and $20 for state.  How do I get a refund from turbotax?

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In the desktop version you downloaded from Amazon there is a $20 fee to efile a state return (except for New York state).   Did you choose to pay that $20 state efile fee out of your Federal refund instead of paying upfront with credit/debit card?   If so, there is an additional $40 service fee for that "pay-out-of-refund" method ($45 for California filers.)

If your Deluxe is the combo version (Fed & State) that includes a state program, then what is free is the state program download to prepare the state returns--not a free state efile.  There is a $20 fee to efile each state return, except for New York state.  There is no fee to print and mail the state returns.

[jleutsler]

I don't understand this answer. I owe no taxes in Kansas and I'm getting no refund. Why are you charging me $25.00 for the free state tax filing?

[xmasbaby0]

@jleutsler Your fee is not based on whether you owe tax or are getting a refund.  If you prepared and E-FILE a state return you have a fee to e-file it when you use the desktop software.  AVOID the state e-file fee by mailing the state return instead of e-filing it.

The software program included the software to prepare the state return----e-filing it is an extra fee---it is not free to e-file a state return when you use the CD/download.