How is the 5 efile limit counted? is it 5 per turbotax account used during the efile?

[noftsierb]

Completely useless response TBH.   I should not have to by another copy of tax software.  Also, since 2023 TT requires the software to phone home to your Intuit account so simply changing emails doesn't get around the issue.

[xmasbaby0]

@noftsierb Five federal e-files is an IRS limit---not a TurboTax limit.   If you have desktop software and have to file more than five federal returns, the additional ones can be mailed.  Or you might be able to use the online Free Edition if they are very simple returns.

[Angelface7777]

It's counted by IP address five per IP address. So you either have to change your IP address or use a different computer. But you can do more than 5 efiles with the same software buying new software and putting it on the same computer will not allow you to file five more and believe me I know this because I used to work for TurboTax it was a normal call to deal with on a daily basis . I have 2 computers so I can Efile 10 returns with the same program. You can install program on up to 5 computers.

[noftsierb]

Angelface is 100% wrong.  It is NOT by IP.  Turbo tax requires that you connect to Intuit when you install the software.   That is how they track it.   If you really used to work at TT your lack or proper knowledge is in line with the support I've gotten from them.

[noftsierb]

again, it it NOT connected to IP address.  

As a business owner I have a block of 16 IPs on my primary line and 7 on my secondary.   If it was simply IP based any idgit could hop on his neighbors wifi and get around the limit.

[actievejeremy]

I used to install the software on multiple different servers I had around the world that used to work to submit more than 5. I submit about 30 peoples taxes every year and I can tell you 100% it is NOT a government enforced limitation. Besides a small handful of business taxes I submit all of the easy to do tax returns on the government web sites themselves from one PC. This is a money grab from Intuit to get you to buy licenses for more than one PC. This only stopped working on Turbotax last year so they must have added a security key to "how many e-filed" lookup before you can submit with their software. 

[BrittanyS]

The 5 e-file limit is a mandate form the IRS in Publication 1345.  The publication requires software developers to mandate the e-file limit.  TurboTax does this through several factors.  The main being through linked emails and through the software packages.

[shersom]

First, I never post to these things, I read and learn, but this seemed off, so I went and looked up the IRS pub and here are my thoughts.  Take them or leave them.

From reading the IRS publication,  I get 5 returns per software package and 10 returns per email address and/or 10 returns per phone number.   

Logic would suggest,  2 TT desktop software licenses using the same TT internet account (email & phone #) should work. 

It seems, via the first hand experience expressed here, that TT  (no clue how) limits everything to 5 rather than the 10 the IRS allows.   

I would agree that multiple software packages installed on the same computer may cause issues, but it is very easy to switch between Microsoft product licenses, ie Office 2021 and MS365, so it shouldn't be that hard for TT to allow the use of multiple software licenses on the same computer as well.

TT shouldn't make it so difficult for families to follow the IRS's rules.

Per IRS Pub 1345 Rev 10-24  page 34    IRS Pub 1345

Additional Requirements for Software Developers Participating in Online Filing
A Software Developer that participates in Online Filing must also:
1. Ensure that its software package can’t be used to transmit more than five electronic returns.
2. Ensure that its software, if available for use on the Internet, can’t be used to file more
than ten electronic returns from one e-mail address. The email address used to create the
account with the software provider should be used when determining the number of uses.
Note: It is strongly recommended that the software provider normalize email address
handles (email address text excluding the domain) prior to determining how many
electronically filed returns have been submitted using the same email address. Normalizing
the email address can be done by applying the following text preprocessing measures.
These measures are applied to remove features that can obscure that apparently-distinct
email handles may resolve to the same inbox, depending on domain handling.
• Remove dots (R.o.b.e.r.t -> Robert)
• Ignore characters after the first plus sign (“+”) (Robert+White -> Robert)
• Ignore characters after the first hyphen (“-”) (Robert-White -> Robert)
3. Ensure that its software, if available for use on the Internet, can’t be used to file more
than ten electronic returns from one phone number. The phone number used to create the
account with the software should be used when determining the number of uses.

[Angelface7777]

Lol that's funny . I am not here to attack people . I am here with honest info. I have 3 computers I install on all 3 so now I can Efile 15 returns been doing it for 10 years. Same email address yes it does connect to your account but this isn't where the limiting starts when e-filing . This just limits how many devices you can install it on which is 5. Each of those devices can do 5 efiles. People would call all the time thinking they could just uninstall the program and buy a new one which a few did and had to be refunded. Only way it works different is if you are part of the pro series.  In which case you need to be a CPA and can then pay per efiled return.