Which Version for Estimated Tax

[Chloe A]

Do either the free or basic versions of TurboTax allow for estimated tax payments? Last year I believe I was required to buy the Deluxe edition.

[EbonyL122824]

You are able to begin your tax return using TurboTax Free Edition and if what you are needing cannot be done in Free Edition, you will prompted to upgrade to the appropriate version. Please use this link to contact Customer Support if you need further assistance as we are not able to assist with billing issues here in the community.

[SteamTrain]

I have a "Free" version test account...I just entered 4 x $100 Quarterly estimated payments. 

No prompt occurred to force me to update...at least not yet.

Make sure you enter the exact dates you paid them....don't use the default deadline dates.

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Perhaps, if you were entering state estimated tax payments, your total "Itemized Deductions" reached the level wehr you had to use the Deluxe version to get to use those "Itemized Deductions".

[Chloe A]

Thanks. As I recall the free version was working fine for me until I wanted to enter the future estimated tax payments. That's when I learned I had to use Deluxe and wasn't exactly thrilled to have to start all over. Intuit makes this information really difficult to find. 

[SteamTrain · Accepted solution]

I just entered data for preparing the 1040ES forms for 2021 taxes, using the "Free" version, and they took OK with no prompt to upgrade.  (Its in menu on  the "Other Tax Situations" page ).

Even if it prompts you you can decline.    The software can neither actually file Federal estimated taxes nor pay those amounts......it just prepares the forms for you to mail in.  So if you know about how much you want to pay, you can get the actual forms as PDF files form the IRS website...or pay them to the IRS without the forms on their Direct Pay website (   https://www.irs.gov/payments/direct-pay        )

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One can also pay then thru the EFTPS website...but that requires pre-authorization to create the initial web-account, and that can take a month.

[Chloe A]

Thank you! That is very helpful.