Turbo Tax is trying to charge me twice.

[lmtmmp]

  I bought Turbo Tax Home & Office for $100.00 in Office Depot. The box clearly says on it "Federal Returns; Federal E-File; State Returns." I brought the product home and opened it. The instructions said I could either install my (purchased) product by inserting the CD or Download it from InstallTurboTax.com. I chose to download it, hoping it would upload last years info into all the right places and save me time.

  The site wanted me to enter the license number for the product I had purchased, which I did. Sure enough, the basic info part of the form filled in just like I had hoped.

  I finished my Federal return followed by my State return.

  At that point Turbo Tax threatened to "delete" my State return unless I paid them and additional $50.00. I called Office Depot to complain of this fraud. I reached a manager Duane, who believed that a way existed to print out my State return.

  Seeking this option is when I came upon the larger fraud! Now Turbo Tax wanted me to pay for the whole product again before doing any printing. They also want to charge me $120.00 (additionally) for what Office Depot (already) sold me for $100.

  What should I do?

[mesquitebean]

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@ lmtmmp wrote:

  I bought Turbo Tax Home & Office for $100.00 in Office Depot. The box clearly says on it "Federal Returns; Federal E-File; State Returns." I brought the product home and opened it. The instructions said I could either install my (purchased) product by inserting the CD or Download it from InstallTurboTax.com. I chose to download it, hoping it would upload last years info into all the right places and save me time.

  The site wanted me to enter the license number for the product I had purchased, which I did. Sure enough, the basic info part of the form filled in just like I had hoped.

  I finished my Federal return followed by my State return.

  At that point Turbo Tax threatened to "delete" my State return unless I paid them and additional $50.00. I called Office Depot to complain of this fraud. I reached a manager Duane, who believed that a way existed to print out my State return.

  Seeking this option is when I came upon the larger fraud! Now Turbo Tax wanted me to pay for the whole product again before doing any printing. They also want to charge me $120.00 (additionally) for what Office Depot (already) sold me for $100.

  What should I do?

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Did you mistakenly use the Online TurboTax website instead of your installed 2019 desktop product?

For example, in Online Self-Employed the Federal return fee is $120 and a state return preparation fee is $50.   So it sounds like you may have somehow ending up using the Online TurboTax website instead of your installed software.   Are you having to use a browser and log in each time?

The two products are not interchangeable, so the Online product would charge you in full again, but we can tell you how to avoid paying twice.

If that's what happened, we can tell you how to download the *.tax2019 data file you started in Online TurboTax, so you can open and finish it in the desktop software.

Note that even in the desktop software there is a 24.99 fee to efile a state return (except free for New York state), but there is no fee to print and mail the state return.

But it sounds like you used Online TurboTax, based on the charge figures you provided above ($120 and $50).   We can tell you more when you report back.

Also, did you install the software on a Mac or Windows computer?

[lmtmmp]

Thank you for replying!!

I used Windows.

Yes--thank you--I would be very glad to get this ALL straightened out!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it's only through a browser. I looked for it anywhere on my computer, but finally realized I would need to go right back to where they first directed me (when I opened the product). I went again to InstallTuboTax.com. Yes, I had to sign in each time.

Yes, I am only getting to file this year. No refunds from either state for fed, so what do I care if I e-file state. Makes no difference.

THANK YOU!

[mesquitebean]

I can't tell from the above if you have downloaded the installation file and have installed the software and activated your desktop software.   But for some reason you ended up preparing a return online instead of on your computer.

When using the desktop software, you work on it only on your computer, not at the TurboTax website.   A browser is not required (except for initially downloading the installation file when not using a CD to install.)

After installation, once the license has been activated with the license code, the program is always launched on your computer outside of a browser, so you do not have to sign into anything each time.

If you have already installed the software program, then here's how to download the *.tax2019 data file you started by mistake online, and then finish it in your desktop software.

Log into your Online TurboTax account with your browser and open the online return you have been working on.

Once the return is open, go to the left menu column, and click on TAX TOOLS, then TOOLS.

In the Tools window choose "Save your 2019 return to your computer."

The best location to place it is in the \Documents\TurboTax folder.

FAQ:  How do I switch from Online TurboTax to the desktop TurboTax software?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/how-do-i-switch-from-turbotax-online-to-th...

NOTE:  Since your data file has a state return in it, you first need to download the state program into your software.  To do that, you can start a new dummy return with your desktop software just long enough to download the state software.

Then you can open the *.tax2019 data file.  To do that, launch TurboTax, and at the main screen, go to the top left corner of the TurboTax interface, click on the FILE menu, and in the dropdown choose "OPEN Tax Return."   Then point TurboTax to the location of your *.tax2019 data file you downloaded. 

[lmtmmp]

Thank You!

I will see what I can do, but ran out of time and had to file!!

[mesquitebean]

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@lmtmmp wrote:

Thank You!

I will see what I can do, but ran out of time and had to file!!

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If you ended up paying for 2 products (Online TurboTax and the download version), here's how to reach TurboTax Support to ask for a remedy.   Today, however, is their busiest day of the year, so wait times can be quite long.

Hours are 5AM-9PM Pacific (8AM-12 Midnight Eastern)

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

Or use this contact form:
https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact

[lmtmmp]

Oh, thank you very much. I have contacted Visa and told them that if the charge posts, I will be disputing it. (Turbo Tax phone reps (first Valerie, then Ameze) promised me refund, but I have yet to see it, and suspect TT will try to cheat me. (I bought a product for $100 that promised me "Federal Returns; Federal E-File and State Returns." I am fanatically interested in them being held to this promise.) Besides all this, I actually bought a CD Writer so I could utilize the software. I think I spent hours between being on the phone to Valerie and Ameze, trying to fill out electronic forms for refunds that wouldn't fill out, and complaining in writing.

   Not real happy because in my mind, TT attemted a swindle, extorted me by implying they would delete all the work I had done to be ready to file (in other words creating a duress situation), and I had to go to MUCH, MUCH effort to not be swindled.

Thanks, MDC

[jjwilkinson]

Why did I just receive Turbotax 2021. I already used this last January to complete 2021 tax return. I don't want to be charged again for this product. Please refund!

[DoninGA]

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@jjwilkinson wrote:

Why did I just receive Turbotax 2021. I already used this last January to complete 2021 tax return. I don't want to be charged again for this product. Please refund!

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Contact TurboTax support for assistance with this particular issue.  Use the key words Billing Issue

See this TurboTax support FAQ for contacting support - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

Support can also be reached by messaging them on these pages https://www.facebook.com/turbotax/ and https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax

[Critter-3]

If you used the ONLINE program they may have sent you a CD for the downloaded program as a free gift so you can see what the downloaded version is like...  read the packaging.  Use it if you want or not although the downloaded version has more "bells & whistles" that you may enjoy.