Who can designate an answer as the best solution? Once a post is marked with a best solution can there be followups for clarification?

[Questionasker]

1) Is it the person who asks a question the only one who can mark an answer as the best answer?  Or can someone else do that? 

2) Once a Q&A thread has a best answer marked, does that signal that no more replies are allowed as follow up to that question?

The reason I ask is it looks like the answer to a question I asked was marked as best solution by someone else and although it is a good answer I have replied to the answer asking for clarification.  However I wonder if my reply will be seen and responded to if there was already a best answer designation given to the original question.

[DoninGA]

You can designate an answer as helpful by clicking on the thumbs up arrow.

You can also designate a best answer even if others have chosen another answer as best answer.

[crash345u]

1. I only see the "Mark as Best Answer" button when I am the post originator.

2. I have the same question - after it's marked "Best Answer" does it get  unflagged so that Turbo Tax experts no longer reply? Others can still reply but I get the feeling TT  experts ignore.

[SusanY1]

Something marked as "best answer" does not prevent our experts from continuing to participate in a thread or hide the post from our answer platform.