Yes, you need separate accounts. I'll give you more details below as well as info on the 2 free products that your child may be able to use.
@chadfletch
However, do NOT start the second account until you read about the 2 free products, since one of them (FREEDOM Edition) would require a new account at a different website if you already set one up before starting FREEDOM.
Yes. Each online account can only handle 1 Federal return per tax year. If you try to prepare a second return in the same account, it will overwrite the first one, making it unrecoverable.
A
separate account (separate User ID) is necessary for each Online return, and a
separate fee (if applicable). You can use the same email address in
the Account Settings (Profile and Security tabs), if desired for notification purposes,
but each User ID must be unique. A User ID does not have to be an email address.
For future reference, the desktop products (CD/download) can handle multiple returns.
Please see this FAQ on how to start a second Online return:
TurboTax has 2 free products, but only one has a free state return. The regular Federal Free Edition is for simple 1040A or 1040EZ returns. It is currently free for the Federal return, but 29.99 for each state return. (The free state return in the Absolute Zero promotion expired at the end of March 16.)
TurboTax also has another free product called the FREEDOM Edition (not to be confused with the regular Free Edition). It has free Federal preparation AND free State preparation. There is no efiling fee.
The Freedom Edition is more fully-featured than the regular Free Edition. The Freedom Edition can prepare Schedule A, C, D, E, and F that the Free Edition cannot. It will prepare a Form 1040 or 1040A or 1040EZ.
For Freedom Edition a user needs to meet only ONE of these qualifications:
AGI of $33,000 or less
or active duty military (including Reservists and National Guard) with a military-issued W-2 and a 2016 family AGI of $64,000 or less
or eligible for the Earned Income Credit (EIC).
The FREEDOM Edition is located at:
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom">https://turbotax.intuit.com/taxfreedom</a>
How to switch and start over in Freedom Edition (requires new account at the Freedom website)
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-freedom-edition">https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2026912-how-do-i-switch-to-turbotax-freedom-edition</a>