Turbo Tax "transmit return" fail - exhausted

[erik_funk]

Hi, anyone -

I have completed the federal and state returns, corrected every error in review, and cannot get the "Transmit Return" button to work.  It "thinks" for about 40 seconds, then comes back to the same screen.  If I try to progress to another step, Ttax alerts that "you have not filed" but will allow mw to go back and repeat the attempt to transmit.  No joy.

I searched the help and board articles and have tried the steps suggested, e.g., disable popup blocker, clear cache, switch to wired network, switch browser, even installed Ttax on a separate laptop and got the same results.

All Ttax program updates have been installed, seems to be OK in every other way.

Should not be this hard, right?  Never have had this issue before.

WIN10 64 bit Dell desktop (chrome), then WIN10 64 bit Dell laptop (MS Edge), TurboTax 2021 Home and Business from CD.   New Netgear Orbi WiFI network, I even went back and powered up the old router - always same result.  

I find no option for live support from Ttax.

I have printed and will use snail mail as a last resort.  

Any help most genuinely appreciated - I am tapped out.

Thanks,

Erik

[fanfare]

Take a break and try again in a day or two.

@erik_funk 

[mesquitebean · Accepted solution]

@ erik_funk 

"...will use snail mail as a last resort. "

           Snail mail should indeed be a last resort.  It can take 6 months or longer for the IRS to process a mailed paper return.  So if you are expecting a Federal refund, it would take a long time to receive.

Are you using a VPN by chance?   I remember some user once said his VPN was the cause of his particular transmission problem, but I don't remember the full details.

You wrote:  "I find no option for live support from Ttax."

TurboTax Support:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/contact

[erik_funk]

Hi, Mesquitebean,

Thank you for the support link.... I am on with a human now (OK, on hold with a human now) but hopeful that we can get it fixed.  Don't know why I could not find that number last night.

Appreciate your help!

Erik

[erik_funk]

Fail.  Thanks to @mesquitebean, I contacted Intuit phone support.  Hours later I had uninstalled the CD version from desktop several times, downloaded and installed home and business and separate (IN) state versions they provided.  All spectacularly ending with the the same result - "transmit return now" did nothing.  This is after multiple cache clearing, cookie deleting, popup unblocking actions on two separate computers, two browsers, over two separate wireless and one wired network.  

Decided to try to e-file federal only, if it would transmit by itself, and snail mail IN state.  THAT WORKED.  

Free product improvement tip for Intuit:  offer a reason that a "transmit return now" action is unsuccessful.  Or not.  

I get that they have to work with one finicky federal and  45, or so, finicky state entities.  That's hard.  But that's why they charge money for the product.  Nobody forced them into the tax prep software business.  Minimum - tell the user why something breaks.  Should not be hard, but maybe it is.

So I carefully explained to the "Resolution Desk" person to whom I was escalated that I have been a loyal customer of 26 years, buying all of the up-selling junk offered (e.g., audit defense, etc.) and that I was finally done with Intuit.  If  I were on the verge of losing a long term, repeat customer who fell for the upselling stuff, I would be very interested in seeing what could be done to turn them into satisfied customers.  Intuit - not so much.  

Makes one wonder... Thanks for listening.

Good luck to us all.

Erik

[mesquitebean]

---

@erik_funk wrote:

Decided to try to e-file federal only, if it would transmit by itself, and snail mail IN state.  THAT WORKED.  

Sorry you had all that trouble and frustration.   I'm glad you at least got the Federal return efiled, since it is the IRS that is so far behind in processing mailed paper returns.    A state mailed paper return will take longer for the state to process than efiling, but not nearly as long as a mailed Federal return would have.

Hopefully, your efiled Federal return has been (or soon will be) accepted by the IRS for processing.

Once your Federal return has been accepted, you can try efiling the Indiana return again by itself, to see if it will transmit by itself.   There's no point in trying until/unless the Federal return efile is accepted.   You can't efile a state return by itself if the Federal return is not accepted.

I didn't know until now that your state return is Indiana.   I have seen threads in this forum where other users had trouble efiling their Indiana state return, such as these:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/can-t-efile-state-indiana-using-download-turbotax...

and

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/state-taxes/discussion/indiana-state-return-won-t-transmit/00/2588...

Looking at the list of Indiana forms, a few of the forms are not supported for efile.   See the forms list here, and if you have any of the "unsupported" ones.    Look at the second column which is the "efile" column. 

https://care-cdn.prodsupportsite.a.intuit.com/forms-availability/turbotax_in_windows_individual.html

[VolvoGirl]

@erik_funk   If you are  using the Desktop program at least you won't pay the state efile fee $25.  It is free to print and mail state.  If you did  pay it then ask for a refund.  

[erik_funk]

Hi, @mesquitebean,

Thank you for the note.  I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to help me understand the situation.  Bottom line for me:  Ttax for Indiana is buggy.  Wasn't last year, but sure is this year.  I will not be finding out about next year.

My Indiana state return includes an "unsupported" form (Schedule IT-40PNRA, Apportioned Income for Nonresident Individuals) which - somehow,  miraculously - it supported enough to generate the form for printing and paper filing.    

Federal return was accepted almost immediately.  State return still fails.  It is now printed and ready to go in the mail tomorrow.

On the bright side, Intuit refunded my $26.69 for failed state e-file... that works out to a little more than $1/hour to have me thrash around trying every one of their suggestions.  

Again, a genuine 'thank you' for your interest -- should you ever need a side hustle, I am sure you could be the number one Ttax support agent in less than 24 hours.  You get to work from home, and you needn't be overly concerned about problem solving or customer satisfaction... noooo, it would probably make you crazy.

Thanks again,

Erik

[erik_funk]

Hi, @VolvoGirl 

They say they have refunded me the $25 plus tax.  Not getting the time or serenity back, but it is something, at least.

Thanks for reading!

Erik

[mesquitebean]

@erik_funk   You're welcome.  Good luck.