Thank you for posting this...I also am up to 3 activations used  even though I only have 1 install on 1 machine.  Latest prompt for activation code was this morning 01/29/2026 after a downloaded update. 

Not sure if this is the article you referred to in your post, but I  found this  which may/may not related to your software activation experience: 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/install-products/turbotax-2019-turbotax-...

I have the same issue. I intentionally bought the TurboTax download version from Costco to avoid the online product, yet the software demands activation every single time it is launched. None of the “solutions” in the linked article work. This is an obvious defect in TurboTax’s software and should be fixed properly, instead of pushing frustrated customers to flood an already overwhelmed call center.

I had exactly the same issue today. Did you call customer service? Did your issue get fixed? Please let me know. 

Thanks.

Hi, 

 I didn't need to call customer service.  I uninstalled Bitdefender Internet Security (my PC then defaulted to Windows Defender)  the Turbo Tax update processed without asking for an activation code.

Yes. Completely uninstall Bitdefender on Window 11 is the most efficient solution. Only disabling antivirus feature on Bitdefender will not work!!!

Do not follow https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/install-products/turbotax-2019-turbotax-...

It is a waste of the time. 

Thank you very much for your advice.

Completely uninstall Bitdefender on Window 11 is the most efficient solution. The issue gets fixed. Only disabling antivirus feature on Bitdefender will not work!!!

The solution is to completely uninstall Bitdefender on Window 11. The issue get fixed.

Those steps on this article did not work for me.

The quick solution is to completely uninstall Bitdefender on Window 11. The issue get fixed.

Yes, disable any anti-virus you have if you're having issues with TurboTax Desktop.

Here's more info on  Troubleshooting TurboTax Desktop Issues.

@umbrella 

I uninstalled bitdefender after the trubotax update, and I'm still being prompted to activate again. Any suggestions? 

When you originally installed your software, did you have a thumb drive in one of your USB drives? Or do you have your software installed in OneDrive instead of a local drive?