- Nov 10, 2019
- 44,471
- 28,171
- 2,490
- Moderator
- #1
I filed my taxes today, using TurboTax. Not surprising, since I hav been filing with them for many years, going back to when you bought the edition at a retail store, you wanted based on your filing situation. Since retirement, all kids out of college, I have gone to the TurbTax "Free Edition", and doing fine with it, not expecting to pay or have much refund either. Every year it offers assistance, and I decline and stay on the free version, possibly paying a simple $10 or so filing fee. NOT POSSIBLE THIS YEAR. TURBOTAX FREE IS A Lie. So, I am pissed, and actually getting back several hundred for the first time since the twins got out of college, mostly paying thousands/year since that time. This due to taking a retirement account disbursement, more than needed and grossly overestimating what we wanted to send the IRS when we too the disbursement.
Everything was going smoothly, entering data, turning down paid services, until Mortgage Interests deduction came up. Haven't had a mortgage since I was in mid-50s, but do keep a HELOC open. No problem, I had a 1098 form, as I maintain a Home Equity Line of Credit at an extremely low (miniscule) interest rate, and a balance owed of "zero", just in case I have a need to write a truly large check, for whatever reason, such as ability to simply write a check for a new car, instead of doing dealer finance, as the HELOC is below interest rate of what any dealer advertises these days. So I made the mistake of saying I had the 1098, when Turbo was looking for additional deductions, making me fill out the worksheet. OK, for everything but loan originating interest rate and form number(they wanted), not on the 1098 form. It is probably in one of the filing cabinets, but the amount of dollars on the 1098 not worth worrying about. When asking for the form number, 1098 was not sufficient. The review process said the question had to be answered. I tried deleting all info on the worksheet, to skip the deduction. I tried to go back and skip the deduction, altogether, but could not get to the original page where I admitted I had a 1098. NOGO, until I finally found a misshapen trash can symbol and tried that. OK. Out of it. Peace at last! Eh.., NO.
So, review process running and now trying to me sell upgrades again, only this time no Free Option listed, only the $69.00 addition and an offer for TurboTax MAX. Nope. Don't want it. So I went back, restarting review. Clean review again, ready for filing, but back at the sales authorization screen showing the $69.00 or Max (that I didn't even look at the price). OK. I figured, give up. You're getting some back for the first time since the Bush years, hit the button and get it over with, and agreed to the basic $69.00, thinking that was it. It wasn't. It seems Turbo has an agreement with a third party bank on rebate checks or direct deposits (checks or deposits I have gotten from the IRS since I was 16 years old, or had to send, when owing more, that usually being the case). You can just click OK or you can click "more information, read agreement", then I find out, I am having to pay $40.00 to some third party bank and there is no way forward without going back and agreeing. No way around the page, I am stuck and I am pissed! Hell, in for a penny in for a pound, I click agree and it finishes the filing with the usual ID and pin number IDs. Fine, I am looking for the page that always say "Congratulations, you have filed. Nope. It says, you have finished, and filing is pending. Hmmm. I check email for the usual email from Turbo Tax saying "Congratulations, You have filed and the next step is waiting for IRS to accept, then waiting for IRS to process. Nope. Email simply show emails from TurboTax, saying my TurboTax account has been accessed and updated. There is not even an email from Turbo, saying my filing is pending. I would tell you the percentage of my small tax refund Turbo is getting, but it would be galling and embarrassing.
This is bullshit! I may have filed with TurboTax since the 1990s, but I will not be using TurboTax, next year! If this sounds like the rant of a 69 year old man, that does not understand, fine. But, I can get an 1040 Form or a 1040EZ from the IRS, and it ain't rocket science. The inconvenience and irritation of TuboTax, is a convenience, I do not need, just out of habit.
Everything was going smoothly, entering data, turning down paid services, until Mortgage Interests deduction came up. Haven't had a mortgage since I was in mid-50s, but do keep a HELOC open. No problem, I had a 1098 form, as I maintain a Home Equity Line of Credit at an extremely low (miniscule) interest rate, and a balance owed of "zero", just in case I have a need to write a truly large check, for whatever reason, such as ability to simply write a check for a new car, instead of doing dealer finance, as the HELOC is below interest rate of what any dealer advertises these days. So I made the mistake of saying I had the 1098, when Turbo was looking for additional deductions, making me fill out the worksheet. OK, for everything but loan originating interest rate and form number(they wanted), not on the 1098 form. It is probably in one of the filing cabinets, but the amount of dollars on the 1098 not worth worrying about. When asking for the form number, 1098 was not sufficient. The review process said the question had to be answered. I tried deleting all info on the worksheet, to skip the deduction. I tried to go back and skip the deduction, altogether, but could not get to the original page where I admitted I had a 1098. NOGO, until I finally found a misshapen trash can symbol and tried that. OK. Out of it. Peace at last! Eh.., NO.
So, review process running and now trying to me sell upgrades again, only this time no Free Option listed, only the $69.00 addition and an offer for TurboTax MAX. Nope. Don't want it. So I went back, restarting review. Clean review again, ready for filing, but back at the sales authorization screen showing the $69.00 or Max (that I didn't even look at the price). OK. I figured, give up. You're getting some back for the first time since the Bush years, hit the button and get it over with, and agreed to the basic $69.00, thinking that was it. It wasn't. It seems Turbo has an agreement with a third party bank on rebate checks or direct deposits (checks or deposits I have gotten from the IRS since I was 16 years old, or had to send, when owing more, that usually being the case). You can just click OK or you can click "more information, read agreement", then I find out, I am having to pay $40.00 to some third party bank and there is no way forward without going back and agreeing. No way around the page, I am stuck and I am pissed! Hell, in for a penny in for a pound, I click agree and it finishes the filing with the usual ID and pin number IDs. Fine, I am looking for the page that always say "Congratulations, you have filed. Nope. It says, you have finished, and filing is pending. Hmmm. I check email for the usual email from Turbo Tax saying "Congratulations, You have filed and the next step is waiting for IRS to accept, then waiting for IRS to process. Nope. Email simply show emails from TurboTax, saying my TurboTax account has been accessed and updated. There is not even an email from Turbo, saying my filing is pending. I would tell you the percentage of my small tax refund Turbo is getting, but it would be galling and embarrassing.
This is bullshit! I may have filed with TurboTax since the 1990s, but I will not be using TurboTax, next year! If this sounds like the rant of a 69 year old man, that does not understand, fine. But, I can get an 1040 Form or a 1040EZ from the IRS, and it ain't rocket science. The inconvenience and irritation of TuboTax, is a convenience, I do not need, just out of habit.
