What is schedule 3? I chose the free file and did not itemize, but now I'm being told I need to upgrade in order to file.

[VolvoGirl]

Do you have any of these litems?

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s3.pdf  

In the regular Turbo Tax Free Edition, information that you can enter is limited now.  Why do I have to upgrade from the Free Edition?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/upgrading/help/why-do-i-have-to-upgrade-from-free-edition/00/26379

To go back to a lower version or the Free Edition you can try to clear and start over https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/how-do-i-clear-and-start-over-in-turbotax-onli...

OR There is also The Turbo Tax Free File program which is free for federal and state.  And has more forms than the Federal Free Edition, like Schedules A, B, C , D, E, F, EIC, H, K-1, SE,  etc.

To qualify for the Free File website  you just need to meet one of these 3 things
AGI $36,000 or less
Active duty military with AGI of $69,000 or less
OR qualify for EIC (earned income credit.)

In order to use the Free File program, you have to start it at a special website. Try signing in at the top right
https://freefile.intuit.com/

[xmasbaby0]

The tax forms for 2019 include a Form 1040 and three possible extra “Schedules”:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf 

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s1.pdf

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s2.pdf 

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040s3.pdf 

If you need any of the schedules you cannot use the Free Edition.

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://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 $36,000 or less, or $69,000 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

• https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-free-file-program

If you switch to Free File you must create a new account and new user ID.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4511011-what-happened-to-the-1040a-and-1040ez

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 $60  State software $50

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

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

[DoninGA]

Look at your tax return and Schedule 3 should be listed.  If there is an amount on any of the lines on Schedule 3 then you cannot use the Free edition.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the screen. Click on Tools. Click on View Tax Summary. Click on Preview my 1040 on the left side of the screen.

IRS Schedule 3