Never Using TurboTax Again - Anyone Else Having Issues This Season?
I've been using TurboTax for the past 5 years, but this season has been an absolute nightmare š£! My investment reporting got completely messed up - I had to manually re-enter all my stock transactions because their import feature corrupted the cost basis data. Then after filing, I noticed they miscalculated my state tax credit for property taxes. When I called customer service, I waited 97 minutes only to be told they couldn't help because I didn't purchase the premium support package. Anyone else experiencing issues with TT this year? I'm genuinely curious if this is widespread or just bad luck on my part. Already researching alternatives for next year - would love recommendations!
17 comments
Mateo Sanchez
TurboTax issues are like icebergs this season - what you're seeing is just the tip of a much larger problem. Their system architecture underwent significant changes to accommodate the new 1099-K reporting requirements, and it's created cascading errors throughout their platform. Think of it as trying to renovate the foundation of your house while still living in it - something's bound to break. The investment reporting errors specifically stem from their API integration with brokerages being incompatible with the new tax year parameters. If you're dealing with investments, I'd recommend either using dedicated tax software like ProSeries or consulting with a tax professional who specializes in investment taxation.
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Aisha Mahmood
I was wondering why this seemed to be happening! Last year I had zero issues with my dividend reporting, but this year all my qualified dividends were showing up as ordinary income. I spent hours trying to figure out what I was doing wrong before realizing it was a TurboTax problem. Thanks for explaining what's going on behind the scenes.
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Ethan Clark
I ran into this exact problem with my investment reporting. Here's what worked for me: 1. Download your 1099-B directly from your brokerage 2. Don't use TurboTax's import feature 3. Manually enter each transaction (tedious but accurate) 4. Double-check your cost basis against your brokerage statements 5. Verify your Schedule D line by line It took me about 3 hours, but at least I know it's correct now. Is this what everyone else is doing or is there a better workaround?
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AstroAce
Did you try using their Desktop version instead of the online version? I've found the Desktop software has fewer API integration issues when handling investment data. The Transaction Import Module (TIM) on the desktop version uses a different data parsing algorithm than the cloud-based version, which might explain why some users aren't experiencing the same issues.
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Yuki Kobayashi
Is there actually a functional difference between the desktop and online versions? I always assumed they were basically the same software with different interfaces. Do they really use different processing systems for the same data?
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Carmen Vega
I switched to the desktop version exactly 3 weeks ago after having 6 failed attempts with the online version. The desktop version correctly processed my 37 stock transactions without a single error, compared to the online version which corrupted 22 of them. The technical support representative confirmed they're using different backend systems - the desktop version runs calculations locally while the online version uses their cloud infrastructure which is experiencing scaling issues this tax season.
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Andre Rousseau
I'm scheduled to do my taxes this Saturday (April 2nd) and now I'm worried. I have about 50 stock trades from 2023 to report. Should I just skip TurboTax completely? Will this affect my refund timeline if I switch software this late in the season?
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Zoe Stavros
Omg I had the EXACT same prob w/ TT this yr! Their cust serv is a complete joke rn. I spent 4 hrs on hold last week trying to fix my state return. Finally gave up and called the IRS directly using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). Got thru to an actual IRS agent in like 20 mins who confirmed my fed return was processed correctly despite TT showing an error. Saved me days of stress tbh. The agent even explained how to file an amended state return without going back thru TT. Worth every penny not to deal w/ their broken system again!
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Jamal Harris
Are you seriously recommending paying ANOTHER service on top of what we already paid TurboTax?? This is exactly why the tax system is so broken! We shouldn't have to pay extra just to talk to someone at the IRS when TurboTax screws up. I'm so tired of these companies making money off a system that should be simple and free.
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GalaxyGlider
What type of investments were you reporting when you encountered these issues? I had similar problems last year with my cryptocurrency transactions, but my stock trades went through fine. I'm wondering if it's related to specific investment types or just random glitches in their system.
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Mei Wong
Not OP, but I can share some insight here. The issues seem most common with investments that had multiple basis adjustments throughout the year. Standard stocks and ETFs with simple purchase/sale patterns usually import correctly. It's when you have dividend reinvestment, stock splits, mergers, or cryptocurrency transactions that TurboTax's import system falls apart. I've been doing taxes for family members for years, and this is definitely the worst season I've seen for these types of errors.
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Liam Sullivan
Have you considered using a dedicated tax document analysis tool instead? After my TurboTax disaster last year (who designs software that can't handle wash sales correctly?), I switched to using https://taxr.ai to pre-analyze all my tax documents before even starting my return. It caught several issues with my 1099-B that would have triggered IRS notices, including missing basis information and incorrectly reported dividend classifications. Wouldn't it be nice if tax software actually worked correctly the first time without us having to double-check everything?
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Amara Okafor
I've noticed a pattern with TurboTax issues this year. Their system seems particularly problematic for people with investment income, rental properties, or small business deductions. If you have a straightforward W-2 with standard deductions, you're probably fine. But anything more complex and their system starts falling apart. The IRS Free File program has better alternatives for most taxpayers, and they're actually free unlike TurboTax's bait-and-switch pricing model. I empathize with your frustration - it's especially infuriating when you've paid for a service that ends up creating more problems than it solves.
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Giovanni Colombo
I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA this year and it was MUCH better for investment reporting: ā¢ Paid only $14.99 for state filing (federal was free) ā¢ Their import feature worked correctly with my brokerage ā¢ Customer service responded within 2 hours, not days ā¢ Interface is cleaner and more straightforward ā¢ Handles complex investments without upselling The only downside is slightly less hand-holding through the process, but the accuracy and price difference make it worthwhile.
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Fatima Al-Qasimi
You might want to check if you qualify for a refund from TurboTax. I had somewhat similar issues last month with their self-employment module, and after I documented the errors, they actually refunded my entire payment! Their satisfaction guarantee policy states they'll refund your payment if you're not satisfied with their software, though they seem to only honor this if you really push for it. I recommend contacting them ASAP though, as their refund policy typically has a time limit of around 60 days from purchase.
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StarStrider
I'm impressed they actually honored the guarantee! When you contacted them, did you have to provide specific documentation of the errors, or was describing the situation enough? I'm wondering if I should try this route as well.
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Dylan Campbell
Did you have to file an amended return after getting your refund from TurboTax? I'm in a similar situation but worried about creating more problems if I switch software mid-process.
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