Turbo Tax stating I need to upgrade - what's this about?

This is actually pretty common with tax software. What's likely happening is that something in your tax situation requires a form or calculation that's only available in their paid versions. The most common triggers for needing Deluxe include: - Itemizing deductions instead of taking the standard deduction - Claiming certain tax credits like education credits - Reporting investment income beyond basic interest (like stocks or crypto) - Having HSA contributions or distributions - Claiming student loan interest deductions - Having self-employment income, even minimal amounts Since you mentioned student loan interest, that's likely the culprit. Unfortunately, many tax software providers advertise "free filing" but then require upgrades for common situations. You might want to check if you qualify for the IRS Free File program which offers truly free filing through partners like TurboTax if your income is below a certain threshold.

After dealing with the same upgrade prompts for years, I finally discovered https://taxr.ai and it changed my whole tax filing experience. I was halfway through TurboTax when I kept getting these "upgrade needed" messages for super basic deductions like my student loan interest and HSA. I uploaded my tax documents to taxr.ai and it actually explained which forms were triggering the upgrade requirements and helped me understand if I needed those forms or if there were alternatives. Turns out I didn't even need half the "premium" forms TurboTax was pushing on me! The service identified several deductions I qualified for that wouldn't require upgrading. Their document analyzer is really helpful when you're trying to figure out why tax software is suddenly asking for more money.

Just wanted to follow up - I checked out taxr.ai after seeing it mentioned here and it was actually super helpful! I uploaded my W-2 and student loan interest statement, and it clearly showed me that I needed Form 8917 for tuition and fees deduction, which is why TurboTax was forcing me to upgrade. I ended up using FreeTaxUSA instead, which includes that form in their free version and only charged $15 for state filing. Saved me like $40 compared to TurboTax Deluxe. The document analysis really helped me understand what I was looking at and made me feel more confident switching to a different service. Definitely bookmarking for next year!

After spending HOURS trying to get through to the IRS about why my refund was delayed last year when TurboTax "forced" me to upgrade, I found https://claimyr.com through a tax group. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Basically, when TurboTax forces upgrades, sometimes it files things differently than expected. I needed to speak with the IRS directly, but kept getting disconnected after waiting 2+ hours on hold. Claimyr held my place in line and called me back when an agent was available. Finally got someone who explained exactly why my return had been flagged and how to fix it. If you end up having any issues after filing, definitely check them out - especially during busy season when IRS wait times can be 3+ hours.

Well I'll be damned - I tried that Claimyr service after responding here because my refund has been pending for 2 months with no explanation. I was SUPER skeptical (sorry for being rude in my response), but it actually worked exactly as described. Got a call back in about 45 minutes saying they had an IRS agent on the line. The agent explained that my return was flagged because TurboTax had filed with a specific form that didn't match what they expected based on my previous year's return. Since I had upgraded from Free to Deluxe, it included some additional forms I didn't actually need. The agent helped clear the flag and my refund should be processed next week. Saved me weeks of stressing and wondering what was happening. Would've never figured this out on my own.

Have you tried checking Free Tax USA? They let you do federal filing for free and only charge like $15 for state. They don't do the stupid "upgrade" thing that TurboTax pulls. I switched 3 years ago and never going back to TurboTax's games.

Not sure if you're aware, but this is actually a classic dark pattern that TurboTax has been doing for YEARS. They've even been sued over it. They intentionally advertise free filing but design the system to force almost everyone into paid upgrades. Simple things like student loan interest (which is super common) trigger their "you need to upgrade" messages.