Editing TurboTax (section)

==Overview==
[[Image:TurboTax Basic 2003 box disc and store receipt.jpg|thumb|left|Packaging for TurboTax Basic 2003]]
Intuit Consumer Tax Group is based in San Diego, California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/economy/sdut-intuit-atmosphere-to-excel-2014nov09-htmlstory.html|title=Intuit: An atmosphere to excel|last=Horn|first=Jonathan|date=November 9, 2014|website=The San Diego Union-Tribune|access-date=December 29, 2016|archive-date=December 30, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230090121/http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/economy/sdut-intuit-atmosphere-to-excel-2014nov09-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Intuit]] Corporation, which owns Intuit, is headquartered in [[Mountain View, Santa Clara County, California|Mountain View, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intuit.com/about_intuit/profile/|title=Corporate Profile|publisher=Intuit|access-date=December 12, 2013|archive-date=September 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913000438/http://www.intuit.com/about_intuit/profile/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are a number of different versions, including TurboTax Deluxe, TurboTax Premier, etc. TurboTax is available for both federal and state income tax returns. The software is designed to guide users through their [[tax return (United States)|tax returns]] step-by-step. The TurboTax software provides taxpayers additional support for their self-prepared returns by offering Audit Defense from [[TaxAudit|TaxResources, Inc]].<ref>{{cite web|date=December 6, 2013|title=TurboTax Support: Audit Defense|url=http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/iq/Audit-Protection/What-is-Audit-Defense-/GEN12590.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130709023138/http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/iq/Audit-Protection/What-is-Audit-Defense-/GEN12590.html|archive-date=9 July 2013|access-date=December 12, 2013|publisher=Intuit}}</ref>

Typically, TurboTax federal software is released late in the year and the state software is released mid-January to mid-February.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.intuit.com/commerce/common/fragments/popup/popup.jsp?content=orderstatusFAQs |title = Intuit TurboTax Order Status FAQs (2009) |publisher = Intuit |access-date = December 12, 2013 |archive-date = July 13, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110713050959/http://www.intuit.com/commerce/common/fragments/popup/popup.jsp?content=orderstatusFAQs |url-status = live }}</ref> TurboTax normally releases its new versions as soon as the IRS completes revisions to the forms and approves the TurboTax versions, usually late in the tax year. The process is similar for states that collect income taxes.

In 2001, TurboTax saved financial institution passwords entered by users to servers at Intuit and the home computer.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-06-fi-47558-story.html |title = TurboTax Security Glitch May Force 150,000 Investors to Alter Passwords |work = Los Angeles Times |date = April 6, 2001 |access-date = March 4, 2012 |archive-date = March 15, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130315032943/http://articles.latimes.com/2001/apr/06/business/fi-47558 |url-status = live }}</ref> The programming error was reportedly fixed, but as of 2012 TurboTax offers no option to download a data file directly from the financial institution. Instead, it prompts the user for their login name and password at the financial institution or permits the data to be entered by hand.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/iq/Import/Importing-Your-W-2--1099--and-1098-Forms/GEN12071.html |title = Importing Your W-2, 1099, and 1098 Forms |publisher = Intuit |date = September 9, 2013 |access-date = December 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130530213141/http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/iq/Import/Importing-Your-W-2--1099--and-1098-Forms/GEN12071.html |archive-date = May 30, 2013}}</ref>

In 2003, Intuit faced vocal criticism for its TurboTax activation scheme.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.pcmag.com/archive/intuits-turbotax-activation-scheme-irks-users-35611 |title = Intuit's TurboTax Activation Scheme Irks Users |first = Cade |last = Metz |work = PC Magazine |date = October 1, 2003 |access-date = June 13, 2007 |archive-date = February 23, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200223192128/https://www.pcmag.com/archive/intuits-turbotax-activation-scheme-irks-users-35611 |url-status = live }}</ref> The company responded by removing the [[product activation]] scheme from its product. In 2005 TurboTax extended its offering by allowing any taxpayer to use a basic version of its federal product for free as part of the [[Free File Alliance]]. By 2006 that offer has been limited to free federal online tax preparation and e-file for taxpayers whose [[adjusted gross income]] is $28,500 or less (or $52,000 for those in the military) and those 50 or under. TurboTax has received a number of complaints regarding its advertising of the free version. For filers who use this basic version of the software, federal filing is free. However, state [[tax filing]] is not free, and the cost of using TurboTax to file state returns is not presented to the user until they've already completed entering their information for federal returns.

In 2008, Intuit raised the price of TurboTax for desktop customers by $15 and included a free e-filing for the first return prepared.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/kb/buying-and-billing/billing-and-charges/6444.html |title = Why has the price of TurboTax increased by $15 this year? |publisher = Intuit |access-date = December 12, 2013 |archive-date = December 4, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081204105225/http://turbotax.intuit.com/support/kb/buying-and-billing/billing-and-charges/6444.html |url-status = live }}</ref> The company's new "Pay Per Return" policy was criticized for adding a $9.95 fee to print or e-file each additional return after the first, including returns prepared for members of the same household. On December 12, 2008, the company announced that it had rescinded the new policy.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://financialsoft.about.com/b/2008/11/25/e-file-fee-gone-from-turbotax.htm |title = TurboTax Removes E-file Fees |last = Elmblad |first = Shelly |date = November 25, 2008 |website = About.com |access-date = December 3, 2008 |archive-date = December 5, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081205084207/http://financialsoft.about.com/b/2008/11/25/e-file-fee-gone-from-turbotax.htm |url-status = dead }}</ref>

On January 21, 2009, TurboTax received considerable public attention at the Senate confirmation hearing of [[Timothy F. Geithner]] to be the [[United States]] [[Secretary of Treasury]]. Geithner had testified that he used TurboTax to prepare his tax returns for the years 2001 to 2004 but had incorrectly handled the self-employment taxes due as a result of his being employed by the [[International Monetary Fund]]. Geithner made it clear that he took responsibility for the error, which was discovered in a subsequent IRS audit, and did not blame TurboTax. Geithner paid $42,702 in back taxes. Intuit responded by releasing a statement saying: "TurboTax, and all software and in-person tax preparation services, base their calculations on the information users provide when completing their returns."<ref>{{cite news |title = Treasury Pick Misfiled Using Off-the-Shelf Tax Software |url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103552.html |first = Frank |last = Ahrens |newspaper = The Washington Post |date = January 22, 2009 |page = D1 |access-date = February 23, 2020 |archive-date = December 13, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201213004415/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/21/AR2009012103552.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

On July 15, 2021, Intuit announced its withdrawal from the Free File Alliance, effective after the tax season concluding in October 2021, stating that "due to the limitations of the Free File program and conflicting demands from those outside the program, we are not able to continue in the program".<ref>{{cite web |title = Accelerating Technology Innovation to Better Help Consumers Solve Their Most Pressing Financial Problems |url = https://www.intuit.com/blog/news-social/accelerating-technology-innovation-to-better-help-consumers-solve-their-most-pressing-financial-problems/ |website = Intuit Blog |date = July 15, 2021 |access-date = December 16, 2021 |archive-date = December 16, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211216224047/https://www.intuit.com/blog/news-social/accelerating-technology-innovation-to-better-help-consumers-solve-their-most-pressing-financial-problems/ |url-status = live }}</ref>