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Level 1
posted Jun 4, 2019 2:18:02 PM

Is it possible to efile additional returns once you reach the five free ones?

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1 Best answer
Expert Alumni
Jun 4, 2019 2:18:04 PM

In accordance with IRS regulations, you can use the TurboTax software to e-file up to five (5) federal tax returns. You can prepare as many returns as you want, but only five can be e-filed.

For returns with multiple states, you can e-file up to three (3) states per federal return; the rest must be paper-filed (which probably isn't a big deal, as many nonresident state returns can't be e-filed anyway).

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.

3 Replies
Expert Alumni
Jun 4, 2019 2:18:04 PM

In accordance with IRS regulations, you can use the TurboTax software to e-file up to five (5) federal tax returns. You can prepare as many returns as you want, but only five can be e-filed.

For returns with multiple states, you can e-file up to three (3) states per federal return; the rest must be paper-filed (which probably isn't a big deal, as many nonresident state returns can't be e-filed anyway).

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.

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 2:18:07 PM

I assume you are using the CD version that you installed on your computer.

The answer is no. The IRS says you can only e-file a maximum of 5 returns per e-mail address. After that, you have to print, sign and mail any additional returns. So with the desktop version you can complete as many returns as necessary, per IRS regulations you can only e-file 5 of them.

Level 4
Mar 21, 2020 9:20:18 AM

I'm still a bit confused by the "5 eFile limitation".  Your comment says "The IRS says you can only e-file a maximum of 5 returns per e-mail address" .  What email address are we referring to here and where does this email address get used by TurboTax to track the number of eFiles?  Is this the email address used when registering the installed copy of TurboTax?  Is this the email address used when logging into my Intuit account?  People can and often do have multiple email address (both with the same email domain name, like yahoo.com, or with different email domain names like gmail.com, hotmail.com, harvard.edu, etc.), so apparently the same person could eFile 5 times for each of their emails?  Is it possible that  I install TurboTax with one email address, eFile 5 returns, then remove and re-install TurboTax with a new email address and eFile another 5 returns?