You would have to buy another TurboTax product, with a different email address, to file five (5) additional income tax returns. However, you could file as many paper returns as you like and mail them in.
Our license agreement doesn't allow the use of TurboTax for commercial or professional tax preparation. If you need to e-file multiple returns and you are a professional tax preparer, take a look at our ProSeries or Lacerte software.
[Edited 3-16-2020|9:57 am PST]
So you only have to use a different email address? Are you positive because last year I e-filed 5 returns from my desktop computer and after those 5 were filed, I attempted to uninstall that version of TT and install the new one that I purchased with the new keycode and when I got to the end of my first return, it told me I had already reached my maximum of 5 returns. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong because I don't know where I was associated with MY email. Maybe when information rolled over from previous years in startup? I had to install it on my laptop instead to have access to e-file 5 more and then a 3rd computer to finish the family.
I might be interested in buying the Pro Series but not if it's like CPA software. I like the completely simplicity of Turbo Tax Deluxe for easy returns (and I haven't worked in a CPA office in 30 years) plus if that's the cost every year... FORGET IT!!! Buying 2 cheap laptops for the extra e-files would be cheaper. 🙂
You can prepare as many returns as you want with the CD/Download version of TurboTax. It's just that you can only e-file five returns. The rest can be printed and mailed.
You would have to buy another TurboTax product, with a different email address, to file five (5) additional income tax returns. However, you could file as many paper returns as you like and mail them in.
If you want to use any of the "pro" tax software you will need an Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) in order to efile any returns.
I called Intuit about the 5 e-file maximum. They advised setting up a unique user id and unique email address (and use a unique cell phone number when prompted within the e-file section) for each turbotax program that is purchased for use on a single computer. This is apparently a common practice among family members, neighbors, and co-workers. They also advised creating a spreadsheet to chart which family members', etc returns are filed with each userid/email so that the 5 e-file maximum per program is followed. My understanding is that the 5 e-file rule per tax program is an IRS restriction to help slow identity theft and refund theft. Also, keep in mind that tax preparers who charge money for their services are supposed to register with the IRS as paid preparers. The above comments are not directed to paid preparers.
@hopekonz Yes, you are correct. The 5-e-file maximum is per IRS regulations. Thank you for sharing this information with the TurboTax Community.
The following Help Article contains additional information for those who are interested: How many returns can I e-file in the TurboTax CD/Download software?
So let's get this straight: is it your contract with the IRS that prohibits this, or is it your software use policy which forces us to the 5-efile limit? There's a huge difference.
The federal government doesn't care if you prepare taxes for other companies using TurboxTax if your are registered. What If I own 6 companies, get registered and want to use Trubotax?
The "professional" tax programs all gouge you with per-form fees that can quadruple the cost of a single tax return and it is in Intuit's own best interest to prevent you from exceeding 5 e-files. This limit has nothing at all to do with IRS regulations and has everything to do with squeezing more money out of its customers.
@OmgTaxes The
IRS limit
is five federal e-files. It is not a TurboTax limit. If you have more than five federal tax returns to file then the extra ones can be printed, signed and mailed.
If you are a professional tax preparer with the credentials to use professional tax software then you are not limited to five returns. Folks using "do-it-yourself" tax software such as TurboTax are limited to five federal e-files.
No, that is not correct. They use that restriction as an excuse. registered preparers would use it in an instant if TurboTax/Intuit would simply let them do so, and that has nothing at all to do with IRS regulations and is exclusivly a choice made by Intuit to put a squeeze on it's own customers, because once you begin to use the "professional" programs, you pay all kinds of fees for each form you have to use throughout your filing process ginning up hundreds in fees that are simply free money for Intuit.
IRS has nothing at all to do with that limitation being put into TurboTax.
Start googling to see how many federal returns you can file with some of the other do-it-yourself software programs such as H & R Block, TaxSlayer, etc. and let us know what you find out.
Here is a link to the
IRS Publication
that explains the rule. Read page 36, about the middle of the page, under "Additional Requirements for Participants in Online Filing."
The *5 return limitation ONLY applies to personal tax returns and not business returns filed using the TT BUSINESS program.
So if I buy H&R Block software and Turbo Tax and run them on the same computer, I would get 5 E files from each for a total of 10?
Unknown ... you can try it and see. But why don't you use one of the IRS FREE FILE options for all those who qualify to use them. For 2021 your AGI just had to be $73K or less. https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
The returns are for family members who don't qualify for the free IRS filing.
Don't any of those family members own a computer you can use at their home to install a second program on ? This way you have a separate liscense number and internet connection.
It's too late to efile 2021 now. But for next year 2022 if you try it please let us know if it works to use different programs.
I have struggled with this for 2 years. Nothing I tried allowed more than 5 e-filings. I had to submit some of my kids’ returns by mail and both years the ones that were submitted by mail were delayed and didn’t process until August. If Turbo Tax is just trying to make more money, they should charge additional for the additional e-filings instead of making this so difficult for families.
The 5 efile limit is from the IRS. It's to prevent fraud and people filing fake returns. To do more you have to sign up as a ERO - Electronic Returns Originator and be an authorized E-file provider. https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/become-an-authorized-e-file-provider
Maybe you can use the Online Free Edition to file for someone? Or the IRS Free File, it can do more than the Turbo Tax Free Edition.
https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free
@KCLindgren Five federal e-files is an
IRS
limit. It is not a TurboTax limit.How do i get additional filing - need more than 5. if i purchase another program can i use the same computer with a different email address?
@terry823 wrote:
How do i get additional filing - need more than 5. if i purchase another program can i use the same computer with a different email address?
The 5 e-file limit is imposed by the IRS. Even if you bought another copy of turbotax and installed it, that alone will not bypass the IRS limit. If there was a way to bypass the IRS limit, I wouldn't tell you, because it's their regulation, not a Turbotax license thing.
Using turbotax installed on your own Mac or PC, you can prepare as many tax returns and you want, as long as they are for non-commercial purposes. You can e-file the first 5, and file the rest by mail.
This is patently false, and is a narrative that only comes from Intuit.
Your statement is based on an assumption conveniently made by Intuit only.
There exists no IRS law or regulation that prevents Turbotax specifically from allowing more than 5 e-files. Let that one sink in...
There is a regulation, often misquoted and misinterpreted that states non-professional tax filers without a PTIN cannot e-file more than 5 times. That's a whole different animal.
It is perfectly legal for a tax professional with PTIN to e-file more than 5 times using TurboTax. Since Turbo Tax is quite capable for most small businesses, it is Intuit alone that creates this barrier because it's own "Commercial" tax software charges by the form, with tons of other extra and unnecessary fees that create artificially high costs for professional tax preparations that are no more complex than Turbotax.
If Intuit wanted to, it could create an option to enter your PTIN within Turbotax and continue e-filing, but they don't, because they want bookkeepers & tax professionals to pay them up to quadruple the cost for the same returns instead.
That's the rest of the story.
That being said there are quite a few ways to get around the limit, but you'll have to do things like use a VPN, different email address etc. in order to lawfully use TurboTax to file more than 5 e-files in a year as a tax professional with a valid PTIN. Or did you think all CPA's throw their money away just because Intuit wants them to? LOL
See IRS Handbook for Authorized IRS e-file Providers of Individual Income Tax Returns page 34 #4 and page 36 #2 for limit of 5 efile
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1345.pdf#page36
Additional Requirements for Participants in Online Filing
In addition to the above, participants in Online Filing must adhere to the following:
1. Ensure that no more than five electronic returns are filed from one software package or one e-mail address.
2. Supply a taxpayer with a correct Submission ID.