Turbotax premier I am trying to file my return. The system wants another $44.99, seemingly for "audit protect" which I do not want. How do I turn of this unwanted charge?

[mesquitebean]

@SteveT443  Wait a minute.  Answer is being changed.   If you were emailed the answer, please disregard it.  It may not apply to you.  Please return to the forum.

[mesquitebean]

Did you select to pay the 19.99 fee out of your Federal refund.  It also looks like you are a California filers, so I'll explain below the situation unique to California filers who choose to pay out of the Federal refund.   In California, TurboTax requires that option to be bundled with Audit Defense and calls it "Premium Services", which has a 44.99 fee.

[mesquitebean]

@SteveT443    OK, I've revised the answer now.  Please see if my steps will let you remove the Audit Defense.   Once successfully removed, you'll have to pay the 19.99 state efiling fee upfront by credit/debit card.

[SteveT443]

The answer is bad programming. Although the screen leaves one with the impression that the additional charge will be encored when the credit card option is selected only the state tax filing fee is shown. The additional $44.99 seems to disappear. It would appear that the screen which launches the fee payment system is erroneous. 

[mesquitebean]

So were you able to efile for 19.99 only without the 44.99?  i.e., were you correctly charged in the end?

[mesquitebean]

Since you are California filer, did you happen to choose to pay the TurboTax fees out of your Federal refund?  If so, that will invoke Premium Services which includes Audit Defense and the ability to pay out of the refund.  The fee is 44.99 for that bundle.  If you chose to pay out of your refund, that option requires the Audit Defense.

In order to remove Premium Services and Audit Defense, you'll need to decline Audit Defense, and you'll need to remove that choice to pay out of your Federal refund, and then pay upfront.

See the screen image below on how to remove Audit Defense.  You can try that first, but it may not let you remove it, however, until you get rid of that pay-out-of refund method.  If you chose that payment method, you can remove it and choose to pay by credit/debit card or a prepaid debit card you can buy in a store.

 I'm not sure which one you will have to remove first.  It's kind of like..."which came first--the chicken or the egg?"  

This is what I would do:
I'd first get rid of the pay-out-of-refund method (Premium Services) by going to the first screen that you posted above, and then choosing to pay with credit/debit card.

If Audit Defense is still showing after that, then you can go to the screen in the image below, and find the tiny checkbox to checkmark make sure that Audit Defense is cancelled..

Or you could try going to that Audit Defense removal screen first, but it may not let you remove it until you choose to pay upfront.  In any case, before you pay with credit card, make sure you are only paying the 19.99, and that it's not still trying to make you pay for 19.99 and 44.99.    So review your total credit card charges before paying.

To get to the screen below, click on the REVIEW tab then AUDIT PROTECTION.   Navigate past the Audit Risk Meter, and on the next screen scroll way down and find a checkbox to cancel Audit protection.

See image:

[mesquitebean]

The screen above is slightly different from the screen you wll see, since the screen image I had was for stand-alone Audit Defense at 59.99.    Since your offer for Audit Defense was bundled with the option to pay out of the refund (Premium Services), your screen will show 44.99.

You may not be able to remove it until you change the payment method.

[jvhermann]

These solutions do not work! I have also been on the phone with Tech Support and they also have no solution. There is a glitch int the systems that is effectively holding us for ransom to e-file our taxes. They are essentially forcing us to purchase Audit Defense at $45 before we can proceed. SURELY there are enough users having this same problem that it warrants Intuits attention. I simply do not know how to get them to listen. Any ideas?

[jvhermann]

These solutions do not work! I have also been on the phone with Tech Support and they also have no solution. There is a glitch int the systems that is effectively holding us for ransom to e-file our taxes. They are essentially forcing us to purchase Audit Defense at $45 before we can proceed. SURELY there are enough users having this same problem that it warrants Intuits attention. I simply do not know how to get them to listen. Any ideas?

[jvhermann]

These solutions do not work! I have also been on the phone with Tech Support and they also have no solution. There is a glitch int the systems that is effectively holding us for ransom to e-file our taxes. They are essentially forcing us to purchase Audit Defense at $45 before we can proceed. SURELY there are enough users having this same problem that it warrants Intuits attention. I simply do not know how to get them to listen. Any ideas?

[DoninGA]

If you have not paid for the online edition you are using, have not filed your tax return or registered the Free edition, then you can clear your return and start over with a lower priced edition. Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the program screen while working on the 2019 online tax return. Click on Clear & Start Over.

[jvhermann]

These solutions do not work! I have also been on the phone with Tech Support and they also have no solution. There is a glitch int the systems that is effectively holding us for ransom to e-file our taxes. They are essentially forcing us to purchase Audit Defense at $45 before we can proceed. SURELY there are enough users having this same problem that it warrants Intuits attention. I simply do not know how to get them to listen. Any ideas?

[DoninGA]

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@jvhermann wrote:

These solutions do not work! I have also been on the phone with Tech Support and they also have no solution. There is a glitch int the systems that is effectively holding us for ransom to e-file our taxes. They are essentially forcing us to purchase Audit Defense at $45 before we can proceed. SURELY there are enough users having this same problem that it warrants Intuits attention. I simply do not know how to get them to listen. Any ideas?

---

If you have not paid for the online edition you are using, have not filed your tax return or registered the Free edition, then you can clear your return and start over with a lower priced edition. Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the program screen while working on the 2019 online tax return. Click on Clear & Start Over.