My 1040 was rejected. The IRS told me that I can't e-file and must file through the mail. TurboTax already charged me but I can't use the service. Can I get a refund?

[Opus 17]

You can print your return from TurboTax online. Then sign it and mail it to the IRS. When you paid for TurboTax, you were paying for preparation assistance and you got that. E-filing is never guaranteed because it is out of TurboTax’s control whether you get accepted or rejected.

[skwerbs]

Thank you for your response.  I'm unsure why it was rejected and couldn't find the answer anywhere on the internet or using the TurboTax help function.  I decided to ask a local tax service so I could actually talk to a person about it because i don't want to send in my rejected return in fear of it being rejected aagain if nothing is adjusted.  Since i will not be using the TurboTax service at all, my question remains.  Can I get a refund?

[Opus 17 · Accepted solution]

First of all, when the IRS rejects an e-filed return, it is because some piece of information in the tax return does not match what the IRS expects you to file.  It might be the spelling of your name differs from their records, or that the tax number of one of your W-2s doesn’t quite match.  A paper return can’t be rejected. The IRS will process it, and if they require any additional verification they will send you a letter.

Second, when using TurboTax online, when you pay, you unlock the ability to print your return.  That means that in theory, a taxpayer could print their returns and mail them to the IRS, and then ask for a refund by stating that they decided not to use the program.  Thereby getting their tax preparation services for free.  As a result, it is the official policy that no refunds are given after paying for the online program.  You will have to call customer support directly and see if you can persuade them otherwise. I believe their current hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Pacific time Monday through Friday.  

Use the link to the secure contact page to get the correct phone number for your issue. Don’t use the keyword “refund“, because that will send you to automated tax refund information. Use a keyword like “Billing issues“.

https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact/

[skwerbs]

Yes I understand how that could be troublesome.  It makes sense that someone could easily abuse the system that way.  Okay I will try to reach out to the customer service line and hopefully they will be able to help me out.  Thanks again for all of your help and advice.