topic sharing turbo tax with my immediate family in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

ld keeler — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 03:55:19 GMT

For many years I would purchase turbo tax for my 4 children and help them with their taxes. After they got married they did their own and we could share one CD disk for the 5 of us. Now it looks like that Intuit no longer allows that unless of course all 5 of us can have access to each others tax information which is unfathomable that they would dream up such a stupid idea. Why is it that software companies become successful and then somehow lose their way and shoot themselves in the foot? I have had issues with TurboTax in the past and thought about trying H&R block but haven't pulled the trigger. Intuit just gave me the motivation to do so. Apparently I can transfer all my info from Turbo to H&R. I understand that the IRS plans on providing their own free software at some point.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

CatinaT1 — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:14:43 GMT

The TurboTax user license allows one user to install copies of TurboTax on up to five computers that the user owns. You can also prepare multiple returns, including returns for other people. But the license does not allow, and has never allowed, one copy to be shared among different people. This year, that license is being enforced by requiring users to log into their TurboTax online account when they install the program for the first time. This locks one particular copy of the program and one license code to one user account. The only way you could install the program on a computer that you do not own, would be to give the other person your online username and password. And even though that workaround might allow the installation, it’s still a violation of the license.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

VolvoGirl — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 16:19:28 GMT

And by logging into your account to install, you still would never have access to anyone else's return. Returns are only kept on the computer that it was done on. And I think each person has to log into their own account at the end to efile.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

ld keeler — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 18:47:12 GMT

Great, that clears up the confusion. Thanks

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

ld keeler — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 18:48:41 GMT

Thanks...good to know that tax files are not viewable by others using the same license code!

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

denmoo1 — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 21:47:24 GMT

You will definitely lose me as a customer with this nonsense. I bought a physical copy of the software and have no intent to log in anywhere in order to use it. Nowhere on the physical copy does it say that this is a requirement so that is false advertising as well. I would encourage you to revisit this policy as the complete offline privacy of turbo-tax is one of its most compelling features.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

taxlady28 — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 00:22:44 GMT

TurboTax was the last tax software company to offer CD's. if you use any other company, you will have to download the software.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

xmasbaby0 — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 01:22:25 GMT

@denmoo1 There are no other tax software companies that will be selling plastic CD's with their tax software for 2024 tax returns. The download software is the same software as the CD---only you download it to get it. Every CD you have ever purchased in the past has required you to download updates and state software, so it is not much different than what you have always been doing --- with the exception of the initial download to your own hard drive instead of putting a piece of plastic into a disc drive to get started.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

brett2013 — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 18:18:04 GMT

I've been using turbotax with my wife for years, Always the two of us, never a problem, This year they are losing my business, We bought Premier like we always do. She filed her taxes, I went to do mine and I have to rebuy to do mine, Total BS See ya Intuit, Very disappointed.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

DoninGA — Sat, 08 Mar 2025 18:22:07 GMT

@brett2013 If you downloaded and installed the 2024 desktop software to include the license code, you can complete and file as many federal tax returns as you need without charge.

Just click on the File menu at the top of the desktop program screen and click on New Tax Return.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

SLYKTAX — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:42:41 GMT

To exact. I don't want to login to my account and let a family member use it to prepare his return.

I have installed on a laptop Window 10 PC and I use a flash drive to do my 2024 tax. I efiled already.

My laptop is especially used for TAX purpose only. Nothing else.

So now I open the TT software, and I log out from my account.

If a member use my laptop and starts the software, what appears:

"Stay up to date .............." and asked to login or registered etc

1.) Can he registered or login to his account whence the software was registered under my name? If so, will that affect owne5ship of the software?

2.) I believe he can skip my clicking continue, correct?

3.) I believe he can also skip by going to File --- New Tax Return -- and work on his. Correct?

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

DoninGA — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:50:31 GMT

@SLYKTAX Once you have installed the TurboTax desktop software with the license code, you never have to sign onto the TurboTax online account again.

For another tax return, you only need to click on the File menu at the top left of the desktop program screen and then click on New Tax Return.

If you are concerned with someone trying to view your tax return then you can password protect your return.

With your tax return Continued, click on the File menu and then click on

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

MarilynG1 — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:52:09 GMT

It's not advisable to use TurboTax or save any tax files on a removable drive, or a cloud-based drive. They can get corrupted and unusable.

No one can log in to their account through the TurboTax program you have installed on your computer. I would recommend skipping the registration page entirely for multiple users. It is not required to prepare a return.

Anyone using TurboTax on your computer is logged in as you.

Once you open TurboTax, anyone can 'start a new return' as you mention. However, they are logged into TurboTax as you.

@SLYKTAX

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

DoninGA — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 16:53:05 GMT

@SLYKTAX Sorry, I clicked on Post by mistake before I finished my answer -

With your tax return Continued, click on the File menu and then click on Password.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

VolvoGirl — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 17:10:10 GMT

@SLYKTAX You can sign in or sign out of your account under FILE on the top menu. Then right above Exit is Sign in or out. Don't know what that lets you do exactly. Maybe another user can log into their account to file their return.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

SLYKTAX — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 19:59:13 GMT

Best answer you provided!

Now I believe it is like this. Hopefully it is accurate.

There is a distinction between a desktop version and an online version.

Working online required login - obviously needed. The login user is limited to the one who registered as the software owner.

Working on a desktop version shouldn't required anyone to login and work to finish because the software is activated. However, when coming to efile the return, the person has to login and provide his own account so that he could provide his credit card # to be charged for efiling, especially the State return.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

SLYKTAX — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 20:14:10 GMT

Ya. I have been using a flash drive with only the very last past year tax file to be transferred and start working for years without failing.

At the end of efiling for the year, I just have to save two extra copy to two portable drive where all my past tax files are kept just incase one died.

Now the flash drive I work on have would have this year and last year tax return files. I would delete last year and kept this year in the drive to be transferred next year.

It works fine. Even it get corrupted, I still have the backup. I let my family members use my laptop and they use their own flash drive to work on theirs.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

VolvoGirl — Sat, 15 Mar 2025 20:25:48 GMT

You now need to create or log into an Intuit Account to use the Desktop program.

Since you now have to log into an Intuit Account when you first install it, all your downloads and licenses are listed there (even if you bought it from somewhere else) so if you need to install it again or install on another computer, even on the other operating system (Windows, Mac) you can download it again.

See this FAQ on How to get started with Desktop. Scroll down to - You need an Intuit Account to use TurboTax Desktop for a few reasons:
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/license-information/install-turbotax-cd-download-software-license-code/L1wFOSXur_US_en_US?uid=lnz7f146

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

elvinc — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:41:25 GMT

I don't think that's true. Anyone with the license holder's username and password can login to Intuit and retrieve all their tax filings even if they were submitted with Desktop editions. I can do so and is a big reason against sharing.

Re: sharing turbo tax with my immediate family

xmasbaby0 — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 23:33:10 GMT

@elvinc When you use desktop download software the returns are not stored online. They are stored on the hard drive of the computer on which the return was prepared. Logging in to a TT account online does not permit anyone to see the return you saved on your hard drive.