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Want to send off taxes for free today but it continues to charge $40

 
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2 Replies

Want to send off taxes for free today but it continues to charge $40

You have a few issues.  One--you cannot file a tax return yet.  The IRS is not accepting tax returns until the end of January.  So slow down.

 

Two---you are posting from online Deluxe which is not free.  So somehow you got into a paid version.

 

Let's sort out filing for free first:

 

You are posting from Deluxe  $40

State return $40

Refund processing to have fees deducted from federal refund by 3rd party bank $39.99 ($44.99 in CA) (This fee is optional and can be avoided by paying TT upfront using a credit/debit card)

 

WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY?  I WANT THE FREE EDITION

 

The information that you can enter in Free Edition is pretty limited now.  Thanks to the new tax laws that began for 2018 returns, there are no more simple Form 1040EZ or 1040A's.  Everything goes on a Form 1040 that has three extra "schedules" with it, and if you need any of those schedules, you are not able to use the Free Edition.  Using the standard deduction instead of itemizing does NOT mean you will not need any of those schedules.https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4511011-what-happened-to-the-1040a-and-1040ez

 

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-1040 

 

If you qualify to use it, there is another full-featured free version of the software:

Try Free File: 

You qualify if your income was $39,000 or less, or $72,000 or less if active duty military, or if you qualify for Earned Income Credit

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900583-what-is-turbotax-free-file-program

 

 

Note:  If you do not qualify to use Free File then you will have to upgrade to Deluxe or higher in the paid versions of the software.   

Online Deluxe $40  State software $40

 

 

Or—-Use this IRS site for other ways to file for free

 

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/

 

 

The FREE SOFTWARE versions become available in mid-January so you have to wait for them.

 

 

And now as for wanting to file a 2020 tax return on January 2:

 

Please be careful about being in too much of a hurry to file your next tax return. Many tax forms are not available at the very beginning of the tax season, so you have to wait for your forms. The software still needs updates at the beginning of the tax season. 

 

Although the software will allow you to e-file in early January, the IRS does not begin to accept the e-files until almost the end of January.  So your return just sits on the server.  If you realize that you made a mistake or left something out—as many people do—you cannot change it.

 

 

Every year we see people who are in such a rush to file that they file incorrectly and incompletely.  If you file too early and leave out a W-2 or a 1099, or forget to enter information, you will end up having to amend your tax return---and that takes months.  Employers have until February1. 2021 to issue W-2's----and ALL of your 2020 W-2's have to be on the same tax return.  Many of the 1099's and 1098's you need do not arrive until late January or sometime in February.  If you are getting Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, the IRS is going to hold your refund until the end of February no matter how early you file.  There seems to be a greater chance of "early" returns being reviewed and those refunds are delayed, or early returns are more often subject to identity verification--which will also delay processing.  Filing too early may just be a recipe for a delayed refund.  It might go more smoothly for you if you wait until at least mid-February to file instead of e-filing during the first minute that you can do it.

 

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-will-the-stimulus-package-impact-me/00/1393859

 

We know that the IRS is already revising the 2020 Form 1040 because of the 2nd stimulus.  That means all tax preparation software programs will also have to be re-programmed and updated.  Those changes could take until sometime in late January or even longer—we do not know yet.    Do NOT be in a hurry to file your 2020 tax return until more is known.  I It is never a good idea to file too early; filing your 2020 return too soon may result in a lot of extra confusion that can be avoided if you wait and file a little later.

 

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

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