First Time Filer - I reviewed TurboTax Business Desktop vs Online and need help. TIA!

[astracastra]

First off, thank you for taking some of your valuable time to read and reply!

I am a first time filer and I have already filed for my 1120S extension. Now, I am trying to understand the difference between Turbotax Business Desktop ($190) and Turbotax Small Business Online (~$490)!  Based on what I read, there is no difference in functionality - you get all the tax forms in both and you also get tax expert guidance in both - so why $300 difference (that's a lot in absolute terms and bonkers in % terms)?  In addition to price advantage, Desktop version gives direct access to the forms, lets you make manual edits, allows up to 5 returns for free (vs just 1 for Online) and finally, since it is sold at Big Box retailers, you may even get more discounts on the price!

This is America and there are no free lunches - a product with more features sell for more, which is mostly true even for products across the brands and almost always true within the same brand!  So this is a head-scratcher for sure.

Minor downsides that I can see with Desktop version are as follows

- You need to have a "private" computer (which is not a big deal these days.  Honestly, it is preferred for online version too)

- You have to download and install the software (not a major inconvenience these days)

- You have to keep installing new software for each tax year (this can be a little bit of a pain once you have > 10 years of returns).  I have a question on this too - can you not open 2023 tax file with 2024 or later software?

- You will not have access to your taxes without your private computer (not a big deal if you print your tax forms as pdf and put them on cloud drives like Google, OneDrive etc)

- You will not have the ability to delegate the whole tax filing to a tax expert with Desktop version (this could be a big deal for some but one could do that with their local tax expert)

All the downsides, except installing new software every year, are not really downsides to me.  So, I must be missing something!  What is that I am missing?  Thank you all in advance!

[LeticiaF1]

With the desktop version you prepare your own return, the online gives you two options with different prices:

• Assisted Business- where you get unlimited help from an expert as you do your return
• Full Service Business- where an expert does the return for you.  

Visit our Live Business site for more information.  
 

[astracastra]

Thanks a lot for your reply.  The Desktop version also says that I get access to tax experts - is it not the case?  Are you saying that Desktop version doesn't give any access to TurboTax tax experts?

[RobertB4444]

The access to tax experts with the desktop version is a little different.  If you have a question you can ask it.  But they don't do the return for you.

@astracastra 

[shlink]

@RobertB4444 When you say "But they don't do the return for you." I'm assuming you mean with the online Full Service Business option, a tax expert prepares your taxes. 

However the online Assisted Business option says you get unlimited expert help. It's my understanding you can ask questions via chat or phone call. 
Does the desktop Business version allow you to ask unlimited questions via chat and phone calls?

Also, @astracastra what option did you choose last year and were you happy with it?

Thanks

[RobertB4444]

Yes, TurboTax changes their offering every year.  For the 2024 tax season the tax experts are available at two different levels using the TurboTax Business desktop program.

You can use the program and have it be self-guided.  That will still allow you to send messages to tax experts and request help with questions as you go.  There is no limit on this help.

You can get a full service version that allows a tax professional to do your business return for you.

Here's a link to take you to the TurboTax for Business page.

@shlink