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I purchased a new computer how do I copy the 2023 turbotax program onto my new computer?

 
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3 Replies
LenaH
Employee Tax Expert

I purchased a new computer how do I copy the 2023 turbotax program onto my new computer?

You’ll be able to install the software on up to 5 computers owned by you (at home or at work). There are two ways to install TurboTax Desktop:

  • Insert a physical CD into your computer.
  • Download the software from Intuit or the retailer you bought it from (like Amazon, Costco, or Staples).

Select your situation here to learn more about how to install TurboTax Desktop. Once downloaded, please see How do I activate TurboTax Desktop? Using your Intuit account, you can easily install TurboTax Desktop on another computer because TurboTax stores your license code.

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I purchased a new computer how do I copy the 2023 turbotax program onto my new computer?

Did you already start your 2023 return on the old computer?   Are you on Windows or Mac?


For Windows. Your tax files end in .tax or starting in 2008, .tax2008, .tax2021, .tax2022, .tax2023 etc. They should be in your Documents in a Turbo Tax folder. You should also have the pdf files of each year. Or search your computer for all files ending in .tax.


What I would do on the old computer, is copy the whole Turbo Tax folder that is under your Documents. That should be where the .tax files and pdf files are stored. Also if you haven't done it, I would open each year in the program and save it as a pdf file, go to FILE - SAVE TO PDF so you don't need the program installed to view your return. Copy that folder to a flash drive or best yet is to burn it to a CD or DVD and then you will have a backup of them. Then on the new computer copy the folder (or files) from the flash drive to your Documents folder.


You only need the tax return data file ending in .tax2022 to transfer into 2023 or .tax2023 to transfer into next year. You don't need to install older programs unless you need to amend or you didn't save the pdf file. And they only support the last 3 years. If you install an older year you won't be able to update it or download any state programs, so you won't be able to open your return.


See this article on how to move your tax return to another computer…….
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-move-my-tax-data-file-to-another-compu...


After you get the program reinstalled the first thing to do before you open your tax return is to update the program and install any state programs you had. Then open your file. So you first might need to start a fake return to be able to download the state program (go to FILE - NEW). Enter some basic information, then go to the state tab and download the state program. Then try to open your existing return, go to FILE - OPEN

rjs
Level 15
Level 15

I purchased a new computer how do I copy the 2023 turbotax program onto my new computer?

The tag below your question says that you are using TurboTax Online. If that's correct, TurboTax Online is not installed on your computer. You can access TurboTax Online on your new computer by signing in from your web browser, using the same user ID that you used on the old computer.


If you actually used the CD/Download TurboTax software installed on your old computer, you cannot copy the TurboTax program from the old computer to the new computer. You have to install the program on the new computer, just like you installed it on your old computer. You can copy your tax return data files (the *.tax2023 files) from the old computer to the new computer.


When you start TurboTax on the new computer it will not automatically find the copied tax return files. On the first screen, click "Find a Tax File" to locate a copied .tax2023 file and open it.

 

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