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Review of Intuit TurboTax software for tax return preparation
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A filing software for anyone and everyone — but most won't qualify for the free plan.
Intuit TurboTax is a convenient software solution that makes filing federal and state taxes easier and less expensive than traditional tax agencies. The company is known for having a user-friendly interface that is simple to use, and provides helpful tax guidelines. But its free plan is basic and doesn’t cover most tax situations.$60
Federal returns starting price
$50
State returns starting price
Details
| Federal returns starting price | $60 |
|---|---|
| State returns starting price | $50 |
| Maximum return guaranteed? | Yes |
| Payment options | Credit Debit Pay with your tax refund |
Expert review
Review by
Adrienne Fuller
adrienne.fuller@finder.comAdrienne Fuller is the head of publishing at Finder. With a decade of experience creating guides in finance and education, she aims to deliver the accurate and transparent information she wishes she had when she made some of life's important financial decisions. For the past 3 years she has been the publisher of money transfers, helping readers save when they send money all over the globe. She has a BA from Colorado College and loves to hike with her two Catahoula dogs around her home in San Diego.
Expert review
If you’re looking for a DIY way to do your taxes, Intuit TurboTax could be an ideal solution for you. While it may not be the cheapest DIY tax program on the market, it’s a high quality software option that generally produces accurate and quick results. Plus, enlisted active duty and reserve military members can file their federal and state returns for free.
But watch out for product upgrades as you go through the filing process. You may not know you’ve been bumped up to a higher plan until you’re ready to pay and submit your return.
How much does Intuit TurboTax cost?
Intuit TurboTax is a tax software that uses an interview-style process to help you file your taxes. The software collects your answers to various questions, and evaluates them to determine exactly which forms to include in your return. Intuit TurboTax offers a variety of products, including the Free Edition, Deluxe, Premier, and Self-Employed package.| Plan and packages | Price | Best for | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Edition | Free for federal Free for state | Simple returns |
| |
| Deluxe | $60 for federal$50 for state | Families and those with itemized deductions |
| |
| Premier | $90 for federal$50 for state | Investors and those with rental properties |
| |
| Self-Employed | $120 for federal$50 for state | Small business owners |
|
When you first visit the Intuit TurboTax website, you’ll fill out a few simple questions to determine which package is best for your situation.
How do I pay?
You have three options for paying your Intuit TurboTax fees:
- Debit or credit card
- Prepaid card
- Deducted from your federal refund
How do I get my tax refund?
There are three ways to get your tax refund:
- Paper check
- Direct deposit
- Refund Advance on a Turbo Visa Debit Card
Pros
Those who file taxes with Intuit TurboTax will enjoy perks like:
- Easy to use. Simply answer simple questions and Intuit TurboTax generates the correct tax forms you need.
- Mobile friendly. The mobile app is available on both IOS and Android devices, and offers almost all the features you can take advantage of on the computer. It even lets you submit some forms by taking a picture of them by phone.
- Free for military. If you are a service-member, you can file your federal and state taxes for free using any Intuit TurboTax package.
- Helpful resources. In addition to the vast amount of online written resources, you can also take advantage of CPAs, tax attorneys, and enrolled agents who are happy to help via phone call.
Cons
If you plan on filing with Intuit TurboTax, watch out for these potential drawbacks:
- Limited. Intuit TurboTax can handle most individual tax situations for small business owners, but it may not be comprehensive enough for those with large companies.
- Cost. You typically don’t know the final cost of Intuit TurboTax until you finish your return. If your situation is more complicated than your plan allows, Intuit TurboTax automatically upgrades you to a higher plan.
- Free plan doesn’t offer everything. The Free plan doesn’t include Schedules A, C, D, E, H, or K. If you are planning on itemizing deductions, or if you have to pay self-employment taxes, you may want to look into the other plans.
If you want a filing service that offers straightforward pricing, you’ll want to keep looking. As always, compare your options when considering a tax filing service.
Intuit TurboTax reviews and complaints
Intuit TurboTax earns an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) based on such internal criteria as years in business and financial security. As of December 2019, it has a 4 out of 5 star customer rating based on 381 reviews.Of those reviews, many customers claim Intuit TurboTax is easy to follow, and is laid out clearly. Others complain about being tricked into upgrading to pricier plans than needed. Once you upgrade, there’s no way to undo it. You either pay the higher price or start the entire process over with a different filing service.
Compare services to file taxes online
Updated April 10th, 2020
How do I sign up?
Signing up for Intuit TurboTax online takes just a few minutes:
- Go to the official website and click Get Started.
- Select which tax situations apply to you and select your plan. You can either choose the one Intuit TurboTax recommends or your own.
- Select how you filed taxes last year and click Continue.
- Create your account using your email address, User ID, phone number and password and click Create Account.
Once you create your account, Intuit TurboTax will ask you a few simple questions to determine which tax forms you need. As you move through the filing process, you can go back and edit or delete forms you have already completed.
Intuit TurboTax customer support
There are three ways to contact Intuit TurboTax customer support:
- Call 1-800-446-8848
- Use the chatbot on its website
- Post your question in the online community on its website