topic Re: Confusing TurboTax repeated activation in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Confusing TurboTax repeated activation

Basenji — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:08:21 GMT

Downloaded and installed TT Premium for Windows. Started TT Premium, TT goes through latest update download. Then TT asks for activation license code. Enter code TT starts. So far no problem, functioning as expected.

Here are the issues:

1) Activation: Work on tax return. Get so far then save file. Next day start TT. TT opens with the usual delay statement and if no downloads asks for activation. WHY is TT asking to activate again? Previous answer posted in Jan 2026 is ridiculous. If I stop work on tax return, save file, close TT, and later that day re-start TT to resume work on tax return, TT does not ask to be activated. Repeat, TT does not ask to be activated.

TT is an installed app for Windows and should behave the same as other installed apps. They don't ask to go through activation every time you start them.

2) License Accounting: Looking at the picture, you see TT is now active on 2/5 installs or machines. How can this be when TT was only installed on this 1, repeat 1 desktop? Will this count just keep increasing until TT runs out of license depth? This is obviously a TT error and should be corrected.

Yet, update after update, these 2 issues do not get fixed.

Picture:

Re: Confusing TurboTax repeated activation

GabiU — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:04:39 GMT

Hi @Basenji
Check out this article for troubleshooting steps: How can I fix TurboTax requesting license activation on every launch?
You can contact us and mention your system prompted an activation without you filing a return or downloading it on another computer. Let me know if you were able to resolve this issue.

Re: Confusing TurboTax repeated activation

Basenji — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 16:43:02 GMT

Thank you for your time and reply. I did go to that link and followed the instructions but found it does not work.

My PC is Windows Defender enabled and I would never turn that off. And all of the other programs I have, when they update, they never ask for re-activation.

This is simply a very, very poor design from Intuit for TT and should be corrected - - -> hopefully.

Thank you.

Re: Confusing TurboTax repeated activation

gssulte7 — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 02:24:55 GMT

Same thing happened to me the 2nd time I opened TT Deluxe. I didn't notice if it showed a 2nd activation but all of the information that had been entered was still there so would believe it would show a 2nd activation. It did not request activation again the next time I opened it.

It appears to me that TT pushing people to do their taxes online with $0 cost to do so after you activate software. IMO, this is because of the issues with multiple virus attacks showing by various antivirus software and this recurring license activation.

Re: Confusing TurboTax repeated activation

TR2022 — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:38:45 GMT

I don't see how that article is useful. In order to license the software it needs to contact the licensing server, if it can't contact the licensing server to check if it is licensed then it wouldn't allow you to license it a second or subsequent time. I have also seen mention of an issue with removable media, if that is being considered as part of the hardware to determine if the machine is the same one attached to the license (similar to how windows Id's a machine) someone has some explaining to do. I can't see why you would consider removable media when determining that since it is just that, removable and may no longer be there. If that were the case, you would have to know what removable media was installed when you installed the software or it may continue to consider it a different machine. That also begs the question of does that include drives that use bitlocker? If so, will it not see the drive if you don't unlock it as part of the verification process? I hope not.