topic TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

kcrannell — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:45:30 GMT

I downloaded and installed TurboTax 2024. I run a personal firewall called "Little Snitch" on my Mac. When the TurboTax application started up, it requested access to a location where I store my tax data, etc. (a typical thing). I then started getting notifications from my firewall whether to allow or deny access to dozens of website completely unrelated to the purpose of TurboTax. It was if the application was profiling me. Genealogy and DNA websites are not in any way shape or form congruent to the purpose of a tax filing application. My previous tax data is. I denied all requests unrelated to Intuit or TurboTax.

I tried to better glean where this particular set of websites was listed (Safari bookmarks, history, etc.), but it wasn't obvious. Many of the domains were ones I have not visited for a long while and I occasionally clear my history and web cache completely.

I find this invasive to my privacy - something Intuit touts as protecting. If not for my firewall, I'd never know.

What purpose does this hold, besides selling my data?

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

VolvoGirl — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 17:56:08 GMT

Where did you buy Turbo Tax? There are unauthorized vendors selling it that could compromise your computer.

Authorized Sellers
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-product-orders/obtain-authentic-turbotax-programs/L1yYfitCw_US_en_US?uid=lv4rnzmq

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

kcrannell — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:16:39 GMT

I downloaded directly from Intuit itself.

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

elipsett — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 04:33:07 GMT

This is one of the questions I have as well.
An Intuit account is required to install the software, and that's fine.
Is it necessary to connect to Intuit to _USE_ the software, and if so does Intuit download copies of your filing?
For obvious reasons I would prefer that nobody sees my filing except people I want to, which means my accountant (which would include Intuit only if I hire them to do my return) and the IRS.

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

jessen80 — Mon, 24 Feb 2025 01:23:54 GMT

Same issue. TurboTax Mac, downloaded directly from Intuit, is trying to connect to many unrelated web sites... even myspace.com!! These are not from bookmarks. What is TurboTax trying to do by attempting to connect to these scores of sites??! version = 2024.r19.022

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

MarilynG1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 22:14:27 GMT

I have never seen/heard of this before. I'd like to ask our team to investigate, if you could sent a screenshot.

@jessen80

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

kcrannell — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 01:14:42 GMT

The issue occurs on initial installation. Once installed, it doesn’t occur again. I suggest you find a Mac with Little Snitch installed, and install TurboTax 2024 for the first time. Your Mac should have internet access, and preferably a decent internet history (bookmarks, browsing history, etc). You could even use Wireshark or a firewall appliance to record the various attempts at connecting to various destinations. Or, just ask your developer team what destinations a freshly installed TurboTax app contacts. Use a commercial install package, not plain old build.

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

kcrannell — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 21:53:41 GMT

Let me clarify a little. The after purchasing TurboTax through my Intuit account (like I always do), and then downloading the available package to my Mac, I commenced installation. Once installed and starting to run, my personal firewall (LittleSnitch) started to fire off notifications on my screen asking to approve outgoing connections to a variety of domains having nothing to do with Intuit. I blocked them, since TurboTax doesn't need to go to genealogy sites, nor do my tax files have anything associated with any of those domains.

Subsequent upgrades from TurboTax never triggered these notifications.

So this appears to be part of the initial installation process.

Unfortunately, the default "deny" action was used until the installation quit (as opposed to forever), and I didn't have a chance to look in the LittleSnitch logs to see what domains I blocked. From a couple of domains I could recall, I searched my hard drive, searching in .plist files, libraries, etc., basically anywhere. I checked browser preferences for domains I may have given particular permissions to, bookmarks, etc. Nothing obvious. Guessing this must be a hidden file the operating system or Safari browser uses (Safari is my default browser, but I do have FireFox and Chrome that I use sparingly) and would vary from user to user.

I hope this helps to better describe the process to reproduce.

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

akch1 — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 20:26:12 GMT

Downloaded from intuit directly. And I get this problem also. It almost seems to have read my browser history to gather this list. Annoying.

Re: TurboTax 2024 connects to unrelated websites on initial start-up

JohnB5677 — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 15:00:14 GMT

For installation and software issues you can contact the TurboTax Support Phone Number