Does me claiming the retirement savers credit of $352 actually cost me money since I had to pay the $40 for deluxe, $40 for state and the $40 for the refund fee?

[DoninGA]

If your charges are $120, then you selected the option to pay the TurboTax account fees with your federal tax refund.  The service charge for this option is $39.99.  You can remove the pay with refund fee and pay the TurboTax account fees with a credit/debit card, see this TurboTax support FAQ - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/downgrading/help/how-do-i-remove-pay-with-my-refund-fees-in-turbot...

IRS Free File Program - https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/
If you are eligible you can use the TurboTax Free File Program which is free to file both a federal and state tax return. The Free File Program edition is a full featured personal tax program and on a separate website from the TurboTax online editions.

To qualify for free 2019 federal and state tax returns with the Free File Program, you'll need to meet at least one of these requirements:

• A maximum 2019 adjusted gross income (AGI) of $36,000; or
• You qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC); or
• You served as active duty military (including Reservists and National Guard) with a maximum 2019 AGI of $69,000 (you'll also need a military-issued W-2).

See this TurboTax support FAQ on the Free File Program - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-the-turbotax-free-file-program

See this TurboTax support FAQ for the difference between the Free File Progam and the Free edition - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2572617-what-s-the-difference-between-free-file-program-and-free-e...

And see this TurboTax support FAQ on how to switch to the TurboTax Free File Program - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-free-file-program

[Critter]

The credit is a $ for $ refund ... so if you paid $120 to get $352 you are ahead of the game.  Remove the processing fee if you can or use the IRS FREE FILE option if you qualify to remove all the fees.