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Level 2
posted Feb 14, 2020 10:27:10 AM

Turbotax Deluxe says I get one-on-one help with my taxes. How do I use this feature? I tried to call but no one could help me.

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24 Replies
Expert Alumni
Feb 14, 2020 10:40:53 AM

What is your question?  Maybe someone here can help..

Level 2
Feb 14, 2020 3:00:18 PM

I would like for my one-on-one help to be private. How can I take advantage of this feature I paid for?

Expert Alumni
Feb 14, 2020 3:11:05 PM

To get one on one help, follow these steps:

  • Sign in to your TurboTax Live account.
  • As you proceed through the Review section, on the Looks good! It’s time for a CPA or EA to review your return screen, select the Get offline review option and continue.
  • We'll ask you to select a topic area of your return for the Offline Review.
  • We'll also give you the opportunity to go into further detail about what you'd like our tax expert to focus on. It's important to be as specific as possible in your question so that your tax expert can tailor their tax advice for your situation.
  • You can even upload additional documents if you think they'll be helpful.
  • When you're ready, submit your topic and question to the Offline Review tax expert.

 

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 8:50:45 AM

When I go through the Review section, I do not get a Looks good! It's time for a CPA or EA to review your return screen. I get three screens: (1) "Let's comb through your returns one last time with completecheck™" where I click "check my info" to continue; (2) "You're good to go!"where I click "continue" to continue; and (3) "Your final numbers," where I click "continue" to continue; and (4) a screen recommending me to upgrade from Deluxe to MAX where I can continue by either clicking "Don't add MAX" or "Add MAX benefits". When I click "Don't add MAX," it takes me to the "File" tab.

 

There is never any option to click "Get offline review."

 

What can I do to get offline review?

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 11:03:55 AM

It sounds like you have not purchased a "TurboTax Live" version.  When you sign in to your account check at the top of the left hand menu for your version of TurboTax.  It will say "TurboTax Deluxe or Premiere or whatever your product is and the word "Live" will be in the description.  If it is not, you can upgrade by going to the bottom of that left hand menu and clicking "Upgrade" and selecting "Live".  Once upgraded you can then follow the instructions above from ReginaM to get a review.   

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:12:24 AM

I don't need to purchase Turbotax Live to get one-on-one assistance, per the first question I asked. This person also got an add for one-on-one assistance with Deluxe (not Live): https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/after-you-file/discussion/re-turbotax-deluxe-boasts-this-one-on-one-help-from-a-tax-specialist-yet-it-has-been-ever-elu/01/1131302/highlight/false#M244504

 

Deluxe (not the live version) says you get "one-on-one" assistance and I am demanding access to the assistance that is advertised with the non-live version of Deluxe.

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:13:50 AM

See here, which I have taken screenshots of, where it says "one-on-one help, on demand" for TurboTax Deluxe.

Level 15
Feb 16, 2020 11:13:53 AM


@ricebowl3 wrote:

I don't need to purchase Turbotax Live to get one-on-one assistance, per the first question I asked. This person also got an add for one-on-one assistance with Deluxe (not Live): https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/after-you-file/discussion/re-turbotax-deluxe-boasts-this-one-on-one-help-from-a-tax-specialist-yet-it-has-been-ever-elu/01/1131302/highlight/false#M244504

 

Deluxe (not the live version) says you get "one-on-one" assistance and I am demanding access to the assistance that is advertised with the non-live version of Deluxe.


See this TurboTax support FAQ on how to contact Support - https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3401489

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:14:02 AM
Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:16:09 AM

I have already contacted support. They were unable to resolve my issue.

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:21:35 AM

TurboTax Deluxe says "A live TurboTax specialist can help you one on one, and even draw on your screen to help you get your taxes done. (Ayuda disponible en Español.)" on this page, which is an advertisement for Deluxe: https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/deluxe.jsp

 

I want to know how to contact this live TurboTax specialist.

 

Or is this advertisement inaccurate?

Level 15
Feb 16, 2020 11:23:11 AM


@ricebowl3 wrote:

I have already contacted support. They were unable to resolve my issue.


As stated on the TurboTax website for the Deluxe edition - A live TurboTax specialist can help you one on one

A specialist is Not a CPA or EA that can provide an offline review.

 

As stated on the TurboTax website for the Deluxe edition - 

Need advice from a tax expert?

Get started with TurboTax Live Deluxe.

 

An offline review can only be provided by an EA or CPA when you are using one of the TurboTax Live editions.

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:30:37 AM

Who is the live TurboTax specialist who can help me one-on-one (even if they are not a CPA or EA)? How can they help me one-on-one?

Intuit Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 11:44:02 AM

Please see the answer posted above from DoninGA

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 11:46:52 AM

Thank you. I see his response, but I still don't understand.

 

Who is the live TurboTax specialist who can help me one-on-one (even if they are not a CPA or EA)? In what ways can they help me one-on-one? Or, in other words, what services do they offer?

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 12:05:12 PM

Live Tax Advice is available from a CPA or Enrolled Agent who can answer your tax questions.

 

They can provide a final or expert review of your tax return before you file or you can ask about a specific topic.

 

You can see the expert on your screen, talk to them by telephone or submit a written question that will be answered within 24 hours.

 

This also explains Live Tax Advice which is available for an additional cost.

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 12:06:33 PM

Thank you but I am not interested in live tax advice outside of the Deluxe one-on-one advice I already paid for.

 

Who is the live TurboTax specialist who can help me one-on-one (even if they are not a CPA or EA) with the Deluxe package I purchased? In what ways can they help me one-on-one? Or, in other words, what services do they offer?

 

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 12:24:25 PM

We can answer your question  Do you have a specific question that we can help you with?

 

Questions can also be answered through the Help button in the upper right hand corner of the TurboTax screen.

 

Assistance can be found under the Help tab here

 

 

Level 15
Feb 16, 2020 12:24:48 PM


@ricebowl3 wrote:

Thank you but I am not interested in live tax advice outside of the Deluxe one-on-one advice I already paid for.

 

Who is the live TurboTax specialist who can help me one-on-one (even if they are not a CPA or EA) with the Deluxe package I purchased? In what ways can they help me one-on-one? Or, in other words, what services do they offer?

 


You already accessed the live one-on-one support from A live TurboTax specialist . 

You have already stated -

I have already contacted support. They were unable to resolve my issue.

Get offline review is only available using the Live editions.  If you want an EA or CPA to review your tax return you will have to pay for that service.  Just like if you took your tax return to a local EA or CPA who would require to be paid for their service.

If you do not want to pay for this service, then no further discussion is necessary.  Just File your tax return.

 

Level 2
Feb 16, 2020 12:32:35 PM

Thank you, so the live one-on-one support is just on the phone and cannot offer me tax advice.

 

I appreciate your help sincerely.

 

I wish the TurboTax advertisement on the Deluxe page was clear that the "live one-on-one help, on demand" is not available for tax questions. Had that been clear, I likely would not have purchased Deluxe.

 

Thanks again.

Level 2
Apr 12, 2021 5:23:05 PM

I have to say that I share @ricebowl3 's frustration and infuriation; I'm going to try to explain. 

 

I saw all the happy-faced TV ads about how easy this was going to be, and the happy on-screen advisors, and I don't remember EVER seeing "you only get this with Live editions - if you want this, don't buy anything that doesn't say Live!"

 

So when I saw Deluxe CD/Download in Costco, and it said "Free US-based product help by phone", I had no CLUE that I was buying something different from the TV ads.  To the contrary - in the product feature matrix on that package, there's no mention of a Live option: it lists Basic, Deluxe, Premier, Home & Business - not a word anywhere that I was choosing not to buy what I was actually looking for.

 

Worse, everyone here is saying to log in - well, ya can't do that with the CD/download version.  (There's no place to log in.)  And when I tried to get the help chat robot to give me a live person, it gave me a case number and told me to call an 800 number, which I did, and that robot said it couldn't find me in the database, and (infuriatingly) told me to go back the Help thing that I had just clicked. Looping robot hell.

 

Can you understand why I'm confused and I feel tricked?  I mean, based on the info I had, what did I do wrong??

 

And what IS TT Live??  I saw something about TT Deluxe Live, but that was only in a comparison of Live editions.  Sigh.

 

p.s. I do not need a CPA to review my taxes. I'm asking solely about the above.

Intuit Alumni
Apr 13, 2021 9:23:39 AM

With all of our TurboTax products you receive the following:

Help & support

Community help

Get unlimited access to the helpful TurboTax community if you have questions about doing your taxes.

For Technical Support, TurboTax Customer Care is here to help: What is the TurboTax phone number?

You will find this information in the example below with the Free Edition when you scroll down in the link: TurboTax Features

 

TurboTax Live is an online product that lets you get help and guidance from a tax expert when preparing your taxes. When you use TurboTax Live, you can work with a tax expert whenever you need assistance. You can even talk to a tax expert live while you both look at your return.

Please see the TurboTax Articles below for more information:

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