TurboTax charged me $258 for "Live Premium" services I never used - refund scheduled for 3/16 still missing

Thank you for this info! Looking at my card statement now and yep, there's the charge. I swear I never clicked anything for an upgrade. Will definitely be calling them tomorrow.

Tax software companies are such scammers. They literally lobby congress to keep tax filing complicated so they can charge us for their "service" 🤮

Can confirm this works ^ I called them last year when they pulled the same thing on me. I was firm and they refunded the difference. Just be prepared to wait on hold forever.

This happened to my mom too! The button to continue without upgrade is always tiny and hidden while the "CONTINUE" button actually upgrades you. Such a shameful business practice.

That's why I switched to FreeTaxUSA. Way cheaper and no deceptive upgrades. Paid like $15 total.

Thanks everyone! I called and was on hold for an hour but finally got $140 refunded. They claimed I had "used premium features" but couldn't tell me which ones when I asked 🙄

Sounds interesting. How exactly does it work? Does it just read your transcript or does it do more?

It does a ton more! It basically takes all the guesswork out of your taxes. You upload your documents and it identifies all possible deductions and credits you qualify for. It also checks for errors and potential audit flags. What I really liked is that it explained WHY I qualified for certain things in simple terms. I ended up getting an extra $750 on my refund that I would have missed. Seriously a game changer!

Just tried taxr.ai after seeing your comment and WOW! Where has this been all my life?? It found three deductions TurboTax missed last year and the interface is so much cleaner. THANK YOU for sharing this! I've already told my whole family about it. No more TurboTax scams for me!

does it help with self employment taxes too? that's what always gets me confused

Yep! It handles self-employment really well. It actually helps identify business expenses you might have missed and explains which expenses are fully deductible vs partially. I'm a freelancer and it made the whole Schedule C process way less painful.

Just bookmarked for next year. TurboTax has been scamming me for years 😤

Wait, how does claimyr work? I've been trying to reach the IRS for weeks about a similar issue.

It basically gets you past the horrible IRS phone system that hangs up on everyone. They reserve a spot in line for you and call when an agent is available. I was skeptical at first but it saved me literally days of redial hell. The agent I spoke with was super helpful and confirmed that tax prep companies often add these "convenience fees" that aren't really disclosed properly.

idk sounds kinda sketchy. does that actually work?

Honestly was the only way I could talk to a real person at the IRS. I tried calling myself for 3 weeks straight with no luck - just endless hold music then disconnected. With Claimyr I had an agent on the phone within an hour. Totally worth it when you're dealing with tax issues that are costing you hundreds.

Just used it and omg I finally got through! Agent confirmed I was overcharged on my processing fees. Thanks for the recommendation!!!

The refund processing fee is such a scam. They're literally charging you to take your money 🤦‍♀️

Yeah that refund processing fee made me so mad - and I never even received any advance! I'm definitely filing a complaint.

I tried this but halfway through it still tried to charge me for state filing 😡

You have to make sure you access it directly through the IRS link. If you go to TurboTax or HR Block directly, they'll redirect you to their "free" version which isn't actually the IRS Free File program. The difference is subtle but important!

TaxAct through the free file program is pretty good too. Way less annoying than turbo tax

YES! They told me the same thing! And then I found out later that's a complete lie - your data stays intact even if you downgrade.

omg they did the same to me when I tried to downgrade after seeing the charges! Said I'd lose everything and have to start over. Now I'm even more mad knowing that was a lie 😤

There was a class action lawsuit against them for this exact thing! Not sure what came of it though...

In the meantime while we wait for the government to do something (lol), I've had good experiences with FreeTaxUSA. It's like $15 for state filing and free for federal.

Ugh, I guess I wasn't careful enough. Feels intentionally deceptive though! Will definitely check out Cash App taxes next year.

This is victim blaming. These companies deliberately design their UI to trick people. It's called dark pattern design and it should be illegal.

Fair point. I didnt mean to blame OP. The companies are definitely using tricks to get more money.

Is it really that much better? I've tried like 5 different tax services and they're all basically the same.

Night and day difference. The interface alone is worth it - so much cleaner and more intuitive. But the real difference is how it explains things and finds deductions. It actually tells you WHY you qualify or don't qualify for certain credits instead of just yes/no. Plus it saved me over $1500 compared to what TurboTax calculated last year!

Can it handle complicated situations like rental properties or small business?

Yep! I have a side business and rental income, and it handled both perfectly. It actually suggested some deductions for my rental that I had no idea about (partial home office deduction related to managing the property). Really thorough.

does the IRS actually help with issues with tax prep companies tho?

They can't directly resolve the issue with TurboTax, but they can confirm what fees should actually apply to your tax situation and provide documentation that helps when disputing charges. The agent I spoke with was super helpful and actually gave me info on how to file a formal complaint with the FTC. Without Claimyr I never would've gotten through to anyone.

LOL at "dark pattern UI" - but that's exactly what it is! They literally design it to trick people.

hows taxr.ai different? never heard of it before

It's built completely differently. No deceptive upgrade paths, just straightforward pricing and a really clean interface. Instead of endless confusing questions, it uses AI to analyze your tax situation and walks you through everything step by step. It actually explains tax concepts in plain language too. Found me a bunch of deductions TurboTax missed last year.

Wait I've never heard of this service before. The IRS actually answers when you use it??

Yes! They basically hold your place in line and call you when they reach an agent. It's so much better than hanging on hold for hours only to get disconnected. The IRS agent was actually super helpful once I got through - they explained exactly what was going on with my refund and helped me understand which TurboTax fees were legitimate vs. which ones weren't.

I'm going to try this. Been trying to get through to the IRS for MONTHS about my missing refund.

Yep, that's exactly their strategy. They know you're unlikely to start over after spending hours entering all your info.

Actually yes, theres a tiny "see my fees" link at the bottom of most screens. But they hide it intentionally.

I looked EVERYWHERE for a fee breakdown and couldn't find one until after I submitted everything! Such a scam.

This looks cool but do they handle complex situations? I have rental income and stock trades.

Absolutely! I have a pretty complex situation with some 1099 income, investments, and a home office deduction. It handled everything perfectly and actually found some deductions related to my investments that TurboTax missed completely. The interface for entering stock trades is way better too - you can bulk import rather than entering each one manually.

Just checked it out and signed up. The interface is so much cleaner than TurboTax! Already impressed with how it's handling my rental property deductions. Thanks for the recommendation!

Just checked my statement and yep, there's the charge. I'm definitely going to dispute it. Thank you!

seriously, for what they charge now you might as well use an actual professional

I think that's what I'll do next year. At these prices, might as well get actual professional service!