Why is there a fee for state tax

[VolvoGirl]

In the Online Deluxe and above versions there is a fee to prepare the state return whether you efile or print and mail.  It has always been that way.  

Or are you asking about the Desktop program?  In the Desktop program it is free to prepare and mail the state return.  But there is a separate fee to efile a state return.

[xmasbaby0]

You are posting from online Deluxe.  When you use online TurboTax there is an additional fee to prepare a state return. The state return is $44.99.

[VolvoGirl]

State is only free in the Free Edition or Free File website.  And in the past years only the federal was free in the Free Edition.  After the early promotion period there was a fee for state in the Free Edition too.

[rjs]

Intuit, the company that makes TurboTax, is a profit-making company that is in business to make money for its shareholders. They invest millions of dollars each year to develop the TurboTax software. If they didn't charge fees for the use of the software, they wouldn't make any money. There's no reason to expect that they should give away their product for free.