Turbotax automatically scheduled estimated tax payments for next year, but I don't need them. Already e-filed - do I need to amend?

You don't need to file an amended return. The estimated tax payment vouchers (Form 1040-ES) aren't actually part of your tax return - they're just payment slips that TurboTax generates based on what it thinks you might need. The IRS doesn't "expect" estimated tax payments from anyone specifically. You're only required to make these payments if you'll owe more than $1,000 in taxes next year after accounting for any withholding. If you know you don't need to make these payments (either because you'll have enough withheld or won't owe that much), you can simply ignore the vouchers. The forms TurboTax prepared are just a convenience for you if you do need to make payments. Nothing on your actual tax return indicates whether or not you plan to make estimated payments for the following year.

I had almost the exact same issue last year! After struggling with this, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which really helped me understand what was happening with my tax return and these automatic vouchers. It scanned my tax documents and explained exactly what TurboTax was doing and why. Basically, TurboTax is programmed to assume you'll have similar income next year and calculates estimated payments based on that. The site showed me that these vouchers aren't filed with the IRS - they're just payment slips. The IRS doesn't know or care if you generated them unless you actually make payments. The tool also confirmed I didn't need to file an amendment, which saved me so much stress! Worth checking out if you want to double-check your specific situation.

I tried taxr.ai after posting my skeptical comment and wow - super helpful! I uploaded my return and it immediately pointed out the estimated tax payment section and explained in simple terms why I didn't need to worry about them. The site actually showed me that the estimated vouchers were generated because my return showed some self-employment income this year (a small side gig I did), but since I don't plan to continue that next year, I definitely don't need to make those payments. It also highlighted a deduction I missed completely that I can use next year. Wish I'd known about this before filing!

If you're still worried about this or have other tax questions, I'd recommend using Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) to get through to an actual IRS agent. I was in a similar situation last year with estimated payments I didn't need, and I wanted to hear directly from the IRS. I spent DAYS trying to call them myself, always getting the "high call volume" message and being disconnected. Claimyr got me through to an agent in about 20 minutes. They have this cool demo video at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c showing how it works. The IRS agent confirmed exactly what others have said - those vouchers are just for your convenience and there's nothing in your e-filed return that tells the IRS you'll be making estimated payments. You can just throw them away if you don't need them.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After a week of failing to reach the IRS about a different issue, I broke down and tried Claimyr. I was 100% prepared to come back here and expose it as a scam. I'm honestly shocked - it actually worked. I got through to a real IRS agent in about 35 minutes (way better than my previous attempts of...never). The agent was super helpful about my refund issue AND I asked about the estimated payment vouchers situation while I had them on the line. They confirmed what everyone here said - those vouchers aren't officially filed with your return and the IRS doesn't track whether you should be making estimated payments based on your return. You either need them or you don't, and it's up to you to figure that out. If you don't need them, just ignore them.

TurboTax pulls this crap EVERY YEAR! They're trying to make it seem like everyone needs to file quarterly estimated taxes. My theory is they want to scare people into thinking taxes are more complicated than they are so you'll keep using their service. I switched to FreeTaxUSA this year and it asked clearly if I wanted to generate estimated payment vouchers instead of just doing it automatically. Saved like $80 too. TurboTax is getting worse every year, I swear.

Just my 2 cents, but even tho u don't technically need 2 file an amended return, u might want to check if TurboTax charged u extra for setting up those vouchers. I got hit with a $35 fee for "advanced tax planning features" when this happened to me, but had no idea until I looked at my receipt later. They bury these charges in the final bill sometimes.