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Tax Refunds—Better Than Christmas?

Updated for Tax Year 2010

OVERVIEW

Every year, millions of Americans get a financial windfall in the form of a tax refund. Here, we've gathered some key tax filing statistics on how they're getting those refunds -- everything from how people file, to commonly-missed tax deductions, to the number of tax returns that are e-filed.

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The above article is intended to provide generalized financial information designed to educate a broad segment of the public; it does not give personalized tax, investment, legal, or other business and professional advice. Before taking any action, you should always seek the assistance of a professional who knows your particular situation for advice on taxes, your investments, the law, or any other business and professional matters that affect you and/or your business.

* Important Offer Details and Disclosures

TURBOTAX ONLINE/MOBILE

Try for Free/Pay When You File: TurboTax online and mobile pricing is based on your tax situation and varies by product. $0 federal (for simple tax returns) + $0 state + $0 to file offer only available with TurboTax Free Edition; offer may change or end at any time without notice. Actual prices are determined at the time of print or e-file and are subject to change without notice. Savings and price comparisons based on anticipated price increase. Special discount offers may not be valid for mobile in-app purchases.
QuickBooks Self-Employed Offer with TurboTax Self-Employed and TurboTax Live Self-Employed (for users filing by 4/15): To receive your complimentary subscription to QuickBooks Self-Employed through 4/30/21, you must pay for your 2019 TurboTax Self-Employed or TurboTax Live Self-Employed return by 4/15/20 and sign-in and access your QuickBooks Self-Employed account via mobile app or at https://selfemployed.intuit.com/turbotax at least twice by 7/15/20. You will have the option of renewing your QuickBooks Self-Employed subscription by 4/30/21 for another year at the then-current subscription rate. You may cancel your subscription at any time from within the QuickBooks Self-Employed billing section. See QuickBooks.com for price comparison. Offer not valid for existing QuickBooks Self-Employed subscribers already on a payment plan.
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Pays for itself (TurboTax Self-Employed): Estimates based on deductible business expenses calculated at the self-employment tax income rate (15.3%) for tax year 2019. Actual results will vary based on your tax situation.
Anytime, anywhere: Internet access required; standard data rates apply to download and use mobile app.
Fastest refund possible: Fastest tax refund with e-file and direct deposit; tax refund time frames will vary. The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.
Pay for TurboTax out of your federal refund: A $40 Refund Processing Service fee applies to this payment method. Prices are subject to change without notice.
TurboTax Help and Support: Access to a TurboTax specialist is included with TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, Self-Employed and TurboTax Live; not included with Free Edition (but is available as an upgrade). TurboTax specialists are available to provide general customer help and support using the TurboTax product. SmartLook on-screen help is available on a PC, laptop or the TurboTax mobile app. Service, area of expertise, experience levels, wait times, hours of operation and availability vary, and are subject to restriction and change without notice.
Tax Advice, Expert Review and TurboTax Live: Access to tax advice and Expert Review (the ability to have a Tax Expert review and/or sign your tax return) is included with TurboTax Live or as an upgrade from another version, and available through December 31, 2020. These services are provided only by credentialed CPAs, Enrolled Agents (EAs), or tax attorneys. Some tax topics or situations may not be included as part of this service, which shall be determined in the tax expert’s sole discretion. For TurboTax Live, if your return requires a significant level of tax advice or actual preparation, the tax expert may be required to sign as the preparer at which point they will assume primary responsibility for the preparation of your return. Intuit may offer a Full Service product to some customers. For the Full Service product, the tax expert will sign your return as preparer. Payment by federal refund is not available when a tax expert signs your return. On-screen help is available on a desktop, laptop or the TurboTax mobile app. Unlimited access to TurboTax Live CPAs and EAs refers to an unlimited quantity of contacts available to each customer, but does not refer to hours of operation or service coverage. Service, area of expertise, experience levels, wait times, hours of operation and availability vary, and are subject to restriction and change without notice.
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My Docs features: Included with TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, Self-Employed, TurboTax Live or with PLUS benefits and is available through 12/31/2021. Terms and conditions may vary and are subject to change without notice.
Tax Return Access: Included with all TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, Self-Employed, TurboTax Live or prior year PLUS benefits customers and access to up to the prior seven years of tax returns we have on file for you is available through 12/31/2021. Also included with TurboTax Free Edition after filing your 2019 tax return. Terms and conditions may vary and are subject to change without notice.
Easy Online Amend: Included with TurboTax Deluxe, Premier, Self-Employed, TurboTax Live or with PLUS benefits. Make changes to your 2019 tax return online for up to 3 years after it has been filed and accepted by the IRS through 10/31/2022. Terms and conditions may vary and are subject to change without notice.
#1 best-selling tax software: Based on aggregated sales data for all tax year 2018 TurboTax products.
Most Popular: TurboTax Deluxe is our most popular product among TurboTax Online users with more complex tax situations.
CompleteCheck: Covered under the TurboTax accurate calculations and maximum refund guarantees.
Get tips from Turbo based on your tax and credit data to help get you to where you want to be: Tax and credit data accessed upon your consent.
1099-MISC Snap and Autofill: Included in TurboTax Self-Employed and TurboTax Live Self-Employed. Available in mobile app only. Covers 1099-MISC within Schedule C. Feature currently available for new TurboTax filers with 1099-MISC income.
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TurboTax Free Guarantee: $0 Federal + $0 State + $0 To File offer is available for simple tax returns with TurboTax Free Edition. A simple tax return is Form 1040 only, without any additional schedules. Situations covered include:
- W-2 income
- Limited interest and dividend income reported on a 1099-INT or 1099-DIV
- Claiming the standard deduction
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC)
- Child tax credits
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- If you bought or downloaded TurboTax from a retailer:
  Try TurboTax software. If you're not satisfied, return it to Intuit within 60 days of purchase with your dated receipt for a full refund.
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  Try TurboTax software. If you're not satisfied, return it within 60 days of shipment with your dated receipt for a full refund (excluding shipping & handling).

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TurboTax CD/Download products: Price includes tax preparation and printing of federal tax returns and free federal e-file of up to 5 federal tax returns. Additional fees apply for e-filing state returns. E-file fees do not apply to New York state returns. Savings and price comparison based on anticipated price increase. Prices subject to change without notice.
Fastest refund possible: Fastest tax refund with e-file and direct deposit; tax refund time frames will vary. The IRS issues more than 9 out of 10 refunds in less than 21 days.
Pay for additional TurboTax services out of your federal refund: A $39.99 Refund Processing Service fee applies to this payment method. Prices are subject to change without notice. This benefit is available with TurboTax Federal products except TurboTax Business.
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#1 best-selling tax software: Based on aggregated sales data for all tax year 2018 TurboTax products.
Data Import: Imports financial data from participating companies; may require a free Intuit online account. Quicken and QuickBooks import not available with TurboTax installed on a Mac. Imports from Quicken (2017 and higher) and QuickBooks Desktop (2017 and higher); both Windows only. Quicken import not available for TurboTax Business. Quicken products provided by Quicken Inc., Quicken import subject to change.

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Get the latest stimulus news
and tax filing updates

Tax Refunds—Better Than Christmas?