If it makes me do TurboTax Deluxe, it will take $79 out of my refund. But it also says "plus an additional $40 processing fee." So it's going to cost me $119?

There is not a fee to e-file your tax return or to have direct deposit of your refund.

Did you choose to pay for using TurboTax by having the fee taken out of your federal refund?  That means you will pay an EXTRA FEE of $40 ($45 in CA) to have a third party bank receive your refund from the IRS, take out enough to pay TT, and then send you the rest of the refund.  ( The third party bank keeps the $40 or $45 fee for itself.)

 

You do not have to do that.   Pay upfront BEFORE you file --- pay using a credit or debit card.

 

 

REMOVE REFUND PROCESSING FEE

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-account-billing/remove-pay-refund-fees-turbotax-online-change/L7UxC6ZZp_US_en_US?uid=m6r4xelq

Plus more $$  for the state if you have a state to file.

 

Avoid the potential hassle...just pay the software fees with a Credit of Debit card.

(unless you decide to try elsewhere)

Thank you! I did it with a card 🙂