Complaint Review: TurboTax

In response to all the lemmings out there who attacked me for telling you about TurboTax, I have a rebuttal of my own.

This year when preparing my taxes, I went to the trouble to enter identical data (as far as was possible) in TurboTax online and TaxAct online.

Taxact was much cheaper and easier to use.

TurboTax still fails the sniff test.

I have been using Turbo Tax for the Web for 5 years and I have never had a problem. I love it!

TurboTax (CD version) has always imposed a fee for electronic filing. TurboTax Online has always included electronic filing at no extra fee. Whether you look at this year's site or the one from last year, the fees are always clearly disclosed. With over 15 million returns electronically filed through TurboTax, we would clearly have a pricing/customer problem if we did not properly disclose our prices. And I have not seen any evidence that we let our customers down in terms of the efiling price disclosure other than this one post. My apologies to Glayzer if he/she felt misled. We would never compromise our integrity or ethics over a price disclosure issue when our entire company's reputation is build on trust and safeguarding our customers' most valuable information.

As for the price of TurboTax (regardless of whether it's Online or CD), we have a price point that addresses the needs of many different users. If your return is fairly simple, we have a free product (Free Edition) and you don't even have to go to the IRS site for it. For more complex returns, we offer TurboTax Deluxe, Premier and Home & Business. Customers purchase the product based on the benefits (and value) they expect to derive from each.

Yes, there are cheaper products available, but our customers obviously prefer to spend a little bit more to get a TurboTax product that delivers far more value than the incremental price. With the average refund last year of $2300, I just don't think it prudent to skimp $5 or $10 when it's your refund that's up for grabs.

Just my thoughts.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax

You are speaking about the Professional edition which allows CPAs and other persons who "professionally" prepare returns for many clients. TurboTax is only about $29.99 for the 1040 version. Sure if you make less equal to or less than $54K, then free file is the best way to go.

I have been using TurboTax for the past 3-4 years and in no way was their any claim their service was free.

Facts are facts, you can bury your head in the sand all you want; I find it very odd that you would distinctly remember something that is so far from the obvious truth, one year ago.

First of all, you started this thread, if you aren't prepared to deal with threads don't start any. Secondly, Turbo Tax and other related programs on the sites are all designed to generate income for the companies involved.

Alot of sites do hide the free filing feature somewhere within the site. I know from experience I never used this company for anything 'free'.

Since you weren't a victim of this company your report here is really a waste of time, you might as well just post some hate on a blog about the site.

The website may have changed since you encountered this problem and if that's the case it's even more the reason starting this thread was a waste.

Best Regards

Rather than drag this on forever with people jumping on me for my report:

Perhaps TurboTax changed the website to reflect what you describe is on there now. My report reflects what happened to me and what was on the site a year ago.

Regardless of whether you agree with me, the facts are still that TurboTax took my money and gave me nothing. The facts are still that TurboxTax charges more than TaxAct. Most people can file totally free with TaxAct (extra charge for State filing).

This is a quote from the ITS website:
"If you earned $54,000 or less in 2007, you can use Free File to prepare your taxes online beginning in mid-January 2008 right here at the IRS website."

Why would anybody pay $74.95 (plus extra for State filing) when they can file for free. I might add that the online engine used for both TurboTax and TaxAct are virtually the same.

Now you guys can talk. yada, yada, yada. I'm finished with this.

It's obvious you either accidently clicked on the wrong tab or you're incapable of reading plain English.

I went to Tubo Tax's website as well. There are two tabs, Turbo Tax Online and Turbo Tax Cd/Download. If you choose TT Online, the e-file is free. However, if you choose TT Cd/Download, e-filing is an additional cost. And unless you used the Free Edition, you have to pay to prepare your federal return; the state return is extra no matter what.
So, you shouldn't blame Turbo Tax for something that's obviously your mistake.

IRS offers a Free File Program for millions of taxpayers. While there is a good list, Turbo Tax and H & R Block are just two of the most popular participants. You can prepare and e-file your federal return for free; no kidding! Your state return may cost extra but you can always go to your state's dept. of revenue website and e-file from there.
I have used this program for several years and will never pay to have my taxes done again.

Websites change. I don't know what the Turbotax site says NOW, I only know what it said last year, and, yes, I can read.

I don't believe you would be writing this rebuttal if you were just a "happy customer". That's why ripoffreport exists - to protect unhappy consumers from unethical companies like yours.

Nowhere in Turbotax website does it state that filing the Federal tax is free. The website clearly states you can't make a copy of your filing and/or file it electonically for free.

If your meet the income standards, you can go to IRS.gov and find providers who will file your taxes, electonically for free.

Stop spreading false information because of your lack of reading comprehension and no, I don't work for Intuit or Turbotax but I do use their product and love it.

Regardless of the rebuttal statement issued by this company, the information of the website is/was misleading.

I am not a stupid person, and I can read. The wording is/was such that I was cheated out of just under $100. That is a lot of money to me. Because it's a lot of money, I reinterate:

DON'T BUY TURBOTAX!

The consumer should not have to be a mind reader to use a website without getting Ripped Off!

Regardless of the rebuttal statement issued by this company, the information of the website is/was misleading.

I am not a stupid person, and I can read. The wording is/was such that I was cheated out of just under $100. That is a lot of money to me. Because it's a lot of money, I reinterate:

DON'T BUY TURBOTAX!

The consumer should not have to be a mind reader to use a website without getting Ripped Off!

Regardless of the rebuttal statement issued by this company, the information of the website is/was misleading.

I am not a stupid person, and I can read. The wording is/was such that I was cheated out of just under $100. That is a lot of money to me. Because it's a lot of money, I reinterate:

DON'T BUY TURBOTAX!

The consumer should not have to be a mind reader to use a website without getting Ripped Off!

TurboTax electronic filing (efiling) fees are clearly disclosed on all marketing materials and our web site. I believe this customer may have confused our TurboTax Online filing fees with our desktop (CD) TurboTax prices and fees. The www.turbotax.com web site clearly states that efiling is free with our Online products. However, when you go to our desktop (CD) TurboTax products (a separate tab on the web site), you'll clearly see that the efiling fees are clearly disclosed. Regardless of where you purchase the CD-based TurboTax products, our efiling fees are always clearly disclosed.

Bob Meighan
VP, TurboTax