Why is turbotax more expensive to buy direct from Intuit than from third parties?

[VolvoGirl · Accepted solution]

Several years ago an employee posted this answer......
Why do some stores sell TurboTax for less?
By law, we are prohibited from setting retail prices; retailers can charge  whatever they want to remain competitive. Although we sell TurboTax to stores at the wholesale price, we cannot dictate  the price they charge when they sell TurboTax to you.

If you believe time is money, or if you'd rather not deal with  sometimes-crowded stores, you may find that buying direct is worth the few extra  dollars. Buying direct ensures that you get TurboTax delivered right to your  door (or downloaded to your computer) without any extra effort on your part.

Having said that, if you purchased TurboTax directly from us but later  decided to purchase the product locally, you can take advantage of our unconditional,  60-day money-back guarantee.

Please visit the following link: https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/compare.jsp    
The desktop version gives you access to see your forms while you are working on them andthe online version does not.  Then again the online version lets you store your return on our secure server.  

It really is a matter of personal choice.TurboTax offers a great software that is user friendly.

[wrickwheeler]

Informative, and I agree TurboTax is definitely a great product. At the small inconvenience of searching through third party vendors, the discount can be meaningful.

[bobweissman]

If Intuit were to undercut its retailers, it would shortly have no retailers.

[wrickwheeler]

No, undercutting would not be necessary to garner the business. Retailers obviously make an acceptable margin on their reduced price which is nearly half that of Intuit. The business model implies that Intuit isn't really interested in direct sales, even after consideration of downstream vendors.

[prive40]

I have wondered this for many years. I have ordered Turbo Tax directly from Inuit and while I receive an early draft of the product in November, it's pretty useless as tax forms are not finalized yet.

Looking at Turbo Tax Premier with 1 state, I paid $100 in 2020 directly from Intuit while Staples and other 3rd parties was only $89.99 . That is a $10 difference. I can't reach anyone at Intuit to explain that to me. I also can't remove my credit card information from their site either, it allows me to edit, but not delete unless I enter a new valid credit card number. 

[xmasbaby0]

@prive40 You can cancel your Advantage account if you choose to do so.   And....retailers can set their own prices for software, just like they can set the prices for the other merchandise they sell.   If you can find a better price from a reputable retailer, then buy from the retailer.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/downgrading/help/how-do-i-cancel-my-turbotax-advantage-subscriptio...

[angiehatestaxes]

Save "a few dollars"?? It's less than half the price at Costco for the Deluxe Federal.