Turbo tax seems to have paid my estimated 2023 taxes instead of my 2022 balance due. This is TurboTax's error but I can't talk to anyone to fix it without upgrading

[NCperson]

Turbo Tax does not pay your federal taxes.... (although I guess I could see where auto-debit via the tax return is "TT paying your taxes")

can you explain why you think the 2023 estimate was paid instead of the 2022 balance? what does your transcript show? did you get a letter from the IRS? 

Did you mean to make a 2023 estimated payment.  TT NEVER makes this payment, even via the tax return. 

how did you pay your 2022 balance (via Turbo Tax autodebit, at the IRS website, via mailed check, anothwe way, etc.)? 

[tagteam]

You can contact Support if there was some sort of program (software) error.

How do I contact TurboTax? (intuit.com)

However, it is more likely that this was some sort of input error.

[nickesonm]

Yes, I used the auto debit feature. The amounts were very similar so I didn’t notice until i received a notice from the IRS. I have used the software yearly and never paid taxes ahead - something that I wouldn’t do. There is always a possibility of user error but I find this highly unlikely. 

[nickesonm]

In order to talk to someone I would need to upgrade. There is no readily apparent way to address this issue without paying to do so. 

User error is possible but I find that unlikely given that I would never pay ahead on taxes, I’m extremely tech savvy, and hold an MBA from a respected school. I’m not immune from error, but this seems a very unlikely error to make.

[DoninGA]

@nickesonm Estimated taxes cannot be made through the TurboTax software.  You either have to print and mail the Form 1040-ES with a payment to the IRS or you can use the IRS website for an estimated tax payment - https://www.irs.gov/payments

If you selected to have the federal taxes owed paid from your bank account then the routing and account number along with the date of payment would have been transmitted to the IRS with your e-filed tax return.

You need to look at your Federal Information Worksheet Part V to verify that the bank routing and account numbers have been entered for a direct debit of the taxes owed.

To access your current or prior year online tax returns sign onto the TurboTax website with the User ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

When you sign onto your online account and land on the Tax Home web page, scroll down and click on Add a state. 

This will take you back to the 2022 online tax return.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen.  Then click on Print Center.  Then click on Print, save or preview this year's return.  Choose the option Include government and TurboTax worksheets

[Critter-3]

Turbo Tax does not/cannot pay your federal taxes balance due at all (even if you set up a direct payment request)  and it definitely cannot pay any estimated tax payments  either ...there is no place to even enter such a request  in the program.  If you got a bill from the IRS/state then read it carefully & save a PDF of the return to review what you may have chosen when you filed.  

Did you accidentally send a payment with the 2023 estimated payment voucher by accident instead of the 2022 balance due payment voucher?

[VolvoGirl]

Since you can't pay the 1040ES estimate by auto debit, let's forget about those for the moment.  Did you get a bill from the IRS for the whole tax due amount on 1040 line 37?  Or did they bill you for some more penalty or interest?  Or they may have adjusted your return and you owe more? 

Check your bank account.  Did anything come out at all?  Your routing # and bank account number may have been wrong.  

[VolvoGirl]

Oh and about the estimates.  The estimates are optional to pay. They don't get sent to the IRS with your return so they won't be expecting them.   You can ignore them if you want. They are just a suggestion.  You can increase your withholding instead so you don't end up owing so much again next year.  They might have printed out  if you took a one time large distribution like from a IRA or 401K account.  

[nickesonm]

The only payment made was via TurboTax direct debit. The amount was exactly for the pre-payment amount on the date specified on the payment schedule. No other payments were otherwise mailed or submitted to the IRS.

[NCperson]

@nickesonm - something still not making sense......

please pull out your 2022 tax return .

1) what is on line 37 of form 1040? please post the dollar amount. 

2) what was actually debited from your bank account? please post the dollar amount 

The answers to 1) and 2) should match. 

3) is there anything on Line 26?  if yes, are you absolutely certain you entered the correct number here? Because if you inadvertantly entered the incorrect number it will impact what was auto-debited on Line 37.

4) are there TWO debits in your bank account right around April 18th? one to pay off your 2022 tax liability (line 37) and another where you made an estimated payment for 2023 (which was due the same day?).  Although I appreciate you did state there were no other payments made.  Can you check your bank account in any event?   

[VolvoGirl]

Then call the IRS and ask them how that happened.   Did you have a large tax due?  Maybe you signed up for installment payments?  Not estimates for 2023.  Estimates are 4 quarterly payments.  Did you check the Turbo Tax cover sheet to see how you selected to pay the tax due?   By direct debit or mail a check, etc.  

[nickesonm]

No offense but y’all keep telling me that the thing that happened cannot happen. 

The amount owed for 2022 was correct on my 1040. I entered all information into TurboTax to have it direct deposited. I did not select to make estimated payments. The first installment of estimated payments was made on the date and in the amount indicated when filing. Something in the TurboTax system did not work correctly but I cannot contact anyone to determine why. If you can help me to figure out how to contact someone to address this without paying to do so I would be very grateful. As it stands I am super unimpressed with the fact that TurboTax provides no recourse outside of a chatbot.

[NCperson]

Call the IRS … I wish you would respond to my questions as I could be more definitive that is the right approach …. Sometimes responding to very specific questions causes someone to see something that was not apparent originally….. up to you…. 

[DoninGA]

---

@nickesonm wrote:

No offense but y’all keep telling me that the thing that happened cannot happen. 

The amount owed for 2022 was correct on my 1040. I entered all information into TurboTax to have it direct deposited. I did not select to make estimated payments. The first installment of estimated payments was made on the date and in the amount indicated when filing. Something in the TurboTax system did not work correctly but I cannot contact anyone to determine why. If you can help me to figure out how to contact someone to address this without paying to do so I would be very grateful. As it stands I am super unimpressed with the fact that TurboTax provides no recourse outside of a chatbot.

---

If you used the TurboTax Free online edition then live phone support from TurboTax is not available.  You would need to upgrade to one of the paid editions for live phone support.

Or you may be able to access support using one of these websites without upgrading - https://www.facebook.com/turbotax/ and https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax

The volunteer users in this forum who have been answering you have decades of experience using TurboTax and with federal tax returns.

When you selected direct debit of the federal taxes owed, shown on the Form 1040 Line 37, that is the only amount that could be debited from your account using direct debit in the TurboTax program.  If your bank statement shows any other amount debited other than the amount on Line 37 then that is an IRS error and you need to contact the IRS.