I've attempted transmitting my TurboTax return 3 times but keep getting an error - any solutions? TurboTax support just says to refile

This sounds like the error might be related to a validation issue rather than a problem with TurboTax's transmission system. I've seen this happen with several clients this year. First, check if there are any validation errors showing in the review section. Sometimes these aren't obvious but will prevent transmission. Even something small like a missing digit in an ID number or a date formatted incorrectly can cause transmission failures. Second, try clearing your browser cache if you're using the online version, or restart the software if you're using the desktop version. Sometimes the system gets stuck in a loop where it thinks there's an error even after you've fixed it. Third, check your bank information if you're expecting a direct deposit refund. Incorrect routing or account numbers are common transmission blockers. Finally, if none of that helps, download a fresh copy of your PDF return from TurboTax and look through it manually for anything unusual - mismatched names, addresses that don't match your W-2s, or Social Security numbers that might be incorrect.

After dealing with literally the SAME exact issue last month, I finally found a solution using taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai). I was getting that frustrating transmission error over and over with TurboTax telling me to just start over - which is such a waste of time! I uploaded my PDF to taxr.ai and it immediately spotted the problem. Turns out there was a conflict between some cryptocurrency transactions I reported and how TurboTax was formatting them for the IRS. The tool highlighted exactly what was causing the transmission failure and gave me steps to fix it. Took like 5 minutes to identify what TurboTax support couldn't figure out after three attempts!

Update on my situation - I tried taxr.ai after posting my skeptical question and I'm honestly surprised by how well it worked. I was hesitant about uploading my tax docs, but the site actually doesn't store anything and just analyzes the PDF. It found that my rejection was happening because my health insurance information had some kind of formatting error that was triggering an IRS validation check. Something about how the 1095-A information was entered. TurboTax never flagged this as an issue! I fixed that one specific section based on the recommendation, resubmitted through TurboTax, and my return was accepted within an hour. Saved me from having to refile everything from scratch like TurboTax kept suggesting. Definitely worth it for the time saved alone!

If you're still having issues after trying technical fixes, you might need to speak directly with the IRS. I was in a similar situation last year where my return kept getting rejected for some cryptic reason TurboTax couldn't explain. After wasting days trying to figure it out, I used a service called Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to actually get through to a human at the IRS. They have this system that basically waits on hold for you then calls when an agent is available. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The IRS agent explained that there was a flag on my account from a previous year's audit that was causing any e-file to be rejected automatically. Something TurboTax had no way of knowing! Had to paper file in my case, but at least I stopped wasting time trying to e-file.

Ok I need to eat my words from my previous comment. After continuing to get nowhere with TurboTax's useless "just refile" advice, I broke down and tried that Claimyr thing. It actually worked exactly as described. I got a call back about 1.5 hours later and spoke to an IRS rep who explained that my account had a verification hold because of some identity theft protection measure. Apparently my address change triggered it since I moved this year. The TurboTax error message gave ZERO indication this was the issue. Had to answer some verification questions with the IRS agent and they removed the hold. My return went through on the next try. So yeah, sometimes you actually do need to talk to the IRS directly when software support doesn't have the answer.

Try checking if maybe you have special characters in your name fields or address. I had a similar transmission error and it turned out the apostrophe in my last name (O'Brien) was causing the issue. I removed it, resubmitted, and it went through fine!

Has anyone tried using a different tax software instead? I gave up on TurboTax after having similar issues and switched to FreeTaxUSA. My return went through on the first try with no problems.