Shocked by $258 TurboTax Live Premium with Virginia State Filing and Hidden Refund Transfer Fee - Need Cheaper Alternatives for 2025

Just finished filing my 2024 taxes on January 15, 2025 and got hit with crazy fees from TurboTax. Looking at my payment details, they charged me $169 for TurboTax Live Premium, $49 for Virginia state filing, and a $40 Refund Processing Service Fee. Total came to $258 plus applicable sales tax. Never picking that refund transfer option again - I literally watched them deduct all these fees straight from my refund. I was scrolling through the confirmation screen after filing and saw this breakdown: Use the menu to jump to different parts of your return Thanks for your payment Here are the details of your transaction Order date: January 16, 2025 Payment method: Refund Transfer Order Status: Payment Completed TurboTax Live Premium $169 TurboTax State: Virginia $49 Refund Processing Service Fee $40 Total (3 items): $258 plus applicable sales tax I'm honestly shocked at how these fees add up. The "Refund Transfer" payment method is what allowed them to take the money directly from my refund, and that "Refund Processing Service Fee" of $40 is just for the privilege of them taking their payment from my refund instead of me paying upfront! I was checking my phone at 3:30 with LTE service when I noticed this, and it really hit me how much I'm paying just to file my taxes. Anyone know better alternatives for next year that won't break the bank? The Premium package plus all these add-on charges is just too much. There has to be a more affordable way to file taxes without getting hit with all these service fees and add-ons. The whole "Refund Transfer" option seemed convenient at first, but now I see it's just another way they squeeze more money out of you.

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Anna Stewart

The payment details from January 15, 2025 reveal several significant charges from TurboTax that could have been reduced or avoided. The largest charge is $169 for TurboTax Live Premium, which includes live CPA assistance - a feature you may not need if you have a relatively straightforward tax situation. The $49 Virginia state filing fee is relatively standard, though competing services often charge much less ($15-20). The most notable unnecessary charge is the $40 Refund Processing Service Fee. This fee is purely for the convenience of having your tax preparation fees deducted from your refund instead of paying upfront. By opting for direct deposit to your bank account instead of the refund transfer option, you could immediately save $40. Alternative services like FreeTaxUSA offer federal filing for free and state filing for around $15, without the premium add-ons. Their total cost would be roughly $15 compared to your $258 (plus tax), representing potential savings of over $240. The 3:30 timestamp and LTE indicator suggest this was accessed through the mobile app, which offers the same features as the desktop version. For future reference, the refund transfer payment method shown in your receipt is always optional and one of the easiest fees to eliminate for immediate savings.

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