Please stop all the TurboTax software updates

[gggbot]

Every year the software updates many many times between the time I install it and when I finish filing.  I expect that there is a date when final forms are available and I expect there will be no more form changes after that.  The software should be mostly ready by Jan 1 and any issues should be quickly fixed soon after that.  Why are there program changes week after week after week?  This makes me concerned that if I file too early, something will be wrong with my return due to a software problem.  And it makes me think that your company is incompetent every single year.

Please realize the message you are sending to your customers with your update strategy and do better.  All we want is the final official forms from the IRS and for your software to properly handle our information and not expose us to liability.  Anything non-critical is something for you to improve for next year.

[xmasbaby0]

Interesting that you do not want your software to update during a tax season in which Congress changed tax laws mid-season--requiring all kinds of recalculations for many people........

[Mike9241]

not only are there updates during the filing period but some occur afterward.  if you don't update, you may void TurboTax's accuracy guarantee and in addition, might get a bill or maybe a refund from the IRS and the same may happen if you have a state with an income tax. you do have the option of saving as a pdf a copy of your return as filed. 

[Anonymous]

It is literally impossible for the software to even be remotely close to complete by January 1.  The tax forms themselves are rarely even ready by then!

As for when the tax forms are final, many were not slated to be final this year until mid-March and that was before Congress made retroactive changes to the tax law in February.   Those law changes required not only forms to be changed but also calculations to be updated. 

It isn't TurboTax that needs to change here, but your expectations.  

Plan next year to file closer to April, install your program then, and give it a full day or so to catch up on updates and you should be mostly complete and ready to go.  

Also, for the reasons you stated - in modern times it's really a bad idea to file your tax return the day the tax season opens.  You may just find that you have to refile because of changes Congress makes after you file!