Just curious, why do some of you pay TT?

[dysphunktion]

For the last three years I’ve used the free online TurboTax without any issues.
Refunds come within two weeks and viola, happy time!

I see almost everyone here that uses TT, they pay for it.
Why?
I’m just curious what aspect of the pay-for version is appealing enough to pay?

NOT insulting anyone that pays for it, btw!

[Rellyohboy]

FREEDOM EDITION IS THE ONE TO CHECK FOR, NOT THE FREE EDITION.

IF NOT, JUST FIND A COPY OF TT ONLINE COME DECEMBER.

I WILL NEVER AGAIN PAY TO FILE A TAX RETURN. BET THAT!!

[NYMidFam]

Because we start off with the free edition and then TT says that it’s too complicated for the free edition… and we pick the cheapest one required to file.

[cgdesilva]

Everyone is correct.
It is only free if your tax situation is simple. I normally file free myself as my situation is very simple but with the boyfriend he had a pretty complex tax situation this year so free was not even an option for him. It just depends on how much is involved with each persons return.

Audit protection is another paid service but in my experience it isn’t worth it unless you have a complex return and even then I would use a tax accountant before using the audit protection from places like Turbo Tax or H&R block.

[Steve]

Free version doesn’t store history. I can go all the way to 2009 and look at my taxes and paperwork..

[brideofchaotica2]

I paid TT this year because in 2017, I drove for Lyft for a while and got a 1099k. The prior year, we had our own business and self-employment income. All prior years, I used free editions of TT or H&R. I compare them every year, enter the same info. In 2014, H&R came back with totally wrong amounts for credits (about a 1k difference between H&R and TT) so I filed with TT. This year, if I had filed with H&R, I would have gotten back $500 LESS. I have no clue how this happens with entering identical info, so if you do your own taxes, I would ALWAYS COMPARE to make sure you actually get your correct refund amount.

[Boogeyman 47]

Using TT’s bank shouldn’t add any time to the receipt of your deposit. SBTPG has always received my DD the day before, sometimes two days before, and I’ve gotten it on the day I was supposed to. The only people that I’ve noticed having problems this year are the ones in the first deposit with a 1/31 DDD. SBTPG probably wasn’t expecting such early deposits and they were a day or two behind.

[Unicorn Kisses]

yes, @Leah is correct. I always did the free version until I had a child and bought a home. Different circumstances add different credits, etc…I LOVE TT so I’m fine w/ paying for fees (which, if anyone does have to pay for fees, pay them up front (if you are able). That was the ONLY thing I didn’t like…when the fees are w/held from your return, it adds too much time going to the subsidiary bank…then eventually to me – for my comfort anyway)!

[Starks]

If your return is simple then its free. If u operate a business etc then its not free….

[Leah]

@dysphunktion

I did everything on my phone while my toddler crawled all over me. Fingers crossed I didn’t screw anything up. Lol.

[dysphunktion]

@Leah Completely agree about the kids. I built them each (2) their own “box fort” and every few seconds one of them was coming in here telling me that the other one was doing <insert any combination of four point two million things kids do to eachother>…

Eight hours later… \:P

[Kyle]

Audit protection is a gimmick. It doesn’t guarantee you won’t get audited. TT doesn’t have that kind of power to negotiate with the government. If the irs wants to audit you they will. They don’t look at your return and say “Dang. We can’t audit this one. They filed with a paid version of TT”.

[Kyle]

I use H&R Block free. They never try to upsell me and it imports everything from the previous year.

[jcable2]

If you qualify and use the free version through the IRS website no need to upgrade and pay, and it imports all previous year information.

[Andera]

I use Freetaxusa & have for years . It saves previous year info & is completely free no matter what type of return you file .

Audit support really doesn’t mean much . It means they will provide you legal guidance if you get audited . If you end up owing the IRS there is nothing TT can do to help.

I worked for Liberty Tax Service for years & the owner explained the “Audit Protection” to me .

[Leah]

@Holly
Yes, that’s another perk. The free version retains some little stuff from previous years but you do have to enter in most of the info. It even does this dramatic thing where it tells you that it has all the info if you pay and then says “deleting previous info” (or something) when you choose the free version. lol.

It still only takes me maybe 10-20 minutes to file (depending on how many times my kids interrupt). I’m a cheapskate and will never pay unless I have to.

[dysphunktion]

Audit protection, hmmm. Yeah, that seems worth the little bit of money. Definitely worth it for the piece of mind, yes!

And nope, the free version does NOT auto input previous years. You have to do it manually.
It only lets you look at previous years AGI…

[Holly]

Does the free one remember all your information from prior years and import it for you? That’s why I pay. It takes me less than 5 minutes to complete and file my return because all my info is already there. I’m pretty sure that’s a perk of paying for it, but I could be wrong. I also want the audit protection because I am paranoid. Haha

[Leah]

Well, I believe there are some perks like talking to a live agent and audit defense (or something like that). It’s never been worth it to pay to me but a couple years ago TT made me upgrade and pay because I had an early withdrawal from a retirement plan.

[Nmguy123]

I pay because its a type of insurance audit input error ect its just a piece of mind thing

[dysphunktion]

@Leah Ohhh. I had no idea. That never crossed my mind. I figured it offered them some other benefits or some such.

[Leah]

Some people have more complicated returns and TT actually makes them upgrade to the pay version.

[Author]

Replies