why am i being charged 44.99 to file my federal refund?

[Curtisljobe]

it never stated that i would have to pay extra, infacet i double checked and it showed i would not have to pay federal tax. how ever at the tail end it is asking me to pay at the very end to pay for federal? please help

[mesquitebean]

You didn't say what product you are using, but it sounds like you used a paid edition.   AND you didn't say if you used Online TurboTax or desktop software (CD/download), but this answer assumes you are using Online TurboTax.   If you used desktop software, then the answer would be a bit different.

Are you a California filer?

If you used a paid edition and have product fees, there is an additional 44.99 service fee (California filers) if you choose to pay the product fees out of the Federal refund ($40 for non-California filers.)    So your actual fees are more than that--the 44.99 is just the additional amount for choosing that payment method.   In California, that "pay out of refund" option is bundled with some other benefits called Premium Services.

If that's your situation and are in California, we can tell you how to remove "Premium Services" prior to filing, which will remove that 44.99 "pay out of refund" fee, and then you can pay your product fees upfront with credit/debit card or a prepaid debit card you can buy in a store.

What exactly are you being charged for?   What edition did you use and did you prepare both a Federal and state return?   If you're using Online TurboTax, check your fees this way:

With your Online return open, go to the left menu column and click on TAX TOOLS then TOOLS.

In the Tools window click on MY FEES.

What products and services are shown there?

[Curtisljobe]

yes i am in Cali, and i paid for deluxe, and i bought it in a store front(so CD), i have not finished filling because i was concerned about why i am paying this 44.99 to upgrade to premium service, so i have not finished the process. i also am using the program on my windows PC. also yes i filled both state and fed

[mesquitebean · Accepted solution]

If you are using desktop software, there is a 19.99 fee to efile the state return.

So you are seeing that it is charging you for "Premium Services?"    If so, it sounds like you chose to pay that 19.99 state efile fee out of your Federal refund instead of simply paying for it upfront with credit/debit card.  If so, that payment method requires Premium Services which is an additional 44.99 (California).    Premium Services also includes Audit Defense, ID protection/monitoring, etc.

To avoid that 44.99 fee for Premium Services you have to change the payment method and choose to pay the 19.99 upfront with a credit/debit card or a prepaid debit card you can buy in a store.    Make sure before filing that you look at the "order review" screen and are only going to be paying 19.99 (plus sales tax.)   

If there's still an extra fee showing after all that, it might still be trying to charge you for Audit Defense, in which case one would go to the REVIEW tab, select  the subtab "Audit Protection", navigate past the Audit Risk meter, and then scroll down on an Audit Defense screen and decline Audit Defense.

[pctek1957]

This was a potential class action law suit against Inuit last year.  I was one of many who found that even though I chose "NO" to audit defense or the upgrade to TT Premier, the software still charged me $44.99.    To the others that said it was the fee for e-filing or having direct deposit, you're wrong, those charges are still there.  After speaking with an Inuit customer service rep, he told me that this was a know "glitch" and Intuit sent me a refund.  Intuit can actually read your TT setup and they found that I never signed up for Audit Defense or an upgrade to the Premier.   I will once again be calling for the refund!

[abdihn]

RESOLVED

I had the same issue, and after talking to customer service I got it resolved.  It seems it is a non-intuitive glitch in Turbotax that should be fixed.

In order to file your state tax electronically have to pay 24.99, but if you want to avoid paying 44.99 for and for Turbotax Audit Protection, you have to pay with your credit card.  I tried and it and worked. 

Hope that helps.

[Pauldeclue]

I purchased the Turbo Tx Deluxe on line.  I have been using Turbo Tax for about ten years and have never been charged to file.  If this is your new scam I won't be using it in the future.

[Pauldeclue]

I too am not going to be charged for filing 

[LindseyLO]

Help with reviewing your charges and reducing them if possible has been provided by clicking here.

[mesquitebean]

---

@Pauldeclue wrote:

I purchased the Turbo Tx Deluxe on line.  I have been using Turbo Tax for about ten years and have never been charged to file.  If this is your new scam I won't be using it in the future.

---

What exactly were you charged for, and how much?   Without more info, I'll have to cover a lot of bases below.  So just ignore what doesn't apply to your situation.

"I purchased the TurboTax Deluxe online."

That can be interpreted two ways.

Does that mean you made an online purchase of TurboTax Deluxe desktop software (CD/download) to install on your computer?  Or does it mean you used Online Deluxe at the TurboTax website (prepared through a browser?}

If you installed desktop Deluxe software (CD/download) on your computer, did you then happen to use Online TurboTax by mistake instead of the software?  (yes, it happens to some users)

Or are you referring to the $25 state efile fee in the desktop product?   If so, that has been present for years.  There is no state efile fee for New York state and no fee to print and mail the returns.

Or are you referring to some other fee?   And are you a California filer?

If you used desktop software, did you have a $25 state efile fee, but chose to pay that fee out of your Federal refund instead of paying upfront with credit/debit card?   If so there is an additional $40 service fee for that optional "pay out of refund" method ($45 for California filers, where it is bundled as "Premium Services.")

If you haven't yet filed, we can tell you how to remove that payment option and pay the state efile fee (if applicable) upfront by credit/debit card.

[bkgray]

Why am I being charged 44.99 to file my taxes

[mesquitebean]

---

@ bkgray wrote:

Why am I being charged 44.99 to file my taxes

---

We don't know anything about your situation, but I'll assume you are using desktop software (CD/download).   There is no fee to efile a Federal return in the desktop software.   A charge of 44.99 can be one of 2 things.    Did you happen to select the optional Audit Defense by mistake?  If so, we can tell you how to remove the Audit Defense option.    Or are you in California, and is your 44.99 fee due to the following:

If efiling a state return there is a 24.99 state efile fee (no fee for New York and no fee to print and mail the state returns.)    If you live in California and chose to pay that 24.99 fee out of your Federal refund instead of paying it by credit/debit card, there is an additional service charge of 44.99 (bundled as "Premium Services.")  If that's your situation, it's possible to remove Premium Services and pay the 24.99 state efile fee upfront with credit/debit card.  We can tell you how.

[Raj23]

I puchased my TT 2022 from Amazon - Download version. Paid in full at the time of purchase.

Turbo Tax is asking me to pay additional $45 when I try to file my Federal Tax. There is no way to reach a live person to help me take care of this issue. Telephone helpline is useless as it does not recognize my problem. It sends me useless links for my issue.  Does anybody have a solution for such  issue?

[Raj23]

I am using a desktop software and I am a California filer.  There was no disclosure anywhere that I will have to pay additional $45 at the time of e-filing.

[Raj23]

Forgot to mention I purchased the Premier version of TT 2022.