Turbo Tax CD being discontinued? UNHAPPY CUSTOMER

[rak22]

Have received an email purporting to be from Inuit indicating that TurboTax will no longer be available in CD format starting in 2024.   IS THIS TRUE or is it a scam email?

If this is true, I am a very UNHAPPY CUSTOMER.  My individual situation and personal security emphasis leads me to installing the software from CD and working entirely off-line (after the software updates), printing the tax forms for postal mailing, and REMOVING THE SOFTWARE (and data files that have been transferred to a more secure device) before reconnecting to the internet. 

Is there any information about how the Download software will allow operations without (a) a live connection while the software is being used, and (b) no personal and tax information being uploaded to Intuit??

Turbo Tax has been a great product and I have been recommending it to many others.   If true, this product change is very bad news for me.

rak22

[Anonymous_]

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@rak22 wrote:

Have received an email purporting to be from Inuit....

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The email you received is accurate and true; it is not a scam email; the TurboTax desktop program will no longer be available on a CD.

I cannot answer your other questions except to state that the program on CD, once installed, operates precisely the same as if you downloaded the executable file and installed the program; exactly the same once installed.

It should also be noted that other income tax preparation software providers have also stopped selling their software on CDs or other physical media, most notably H&R Block. So, going forward, you will not find an income tax preparation program that does not require preparing your return entirely online or downloading a file to install on your computer.

[VolvoGirl]

After you install the download it is exactly the same as the CD.  You can do it offline.  BUT when do you usually install and when do you print to mail it?  Unless you install later close to April 15 there are weekly updates you need otherwise your return might not be right.  You should at least do an update right before you finish and print.   And when you start do you copy last year's .tax data file back to your computer so it will transfer into the next year?

[Opus 17]

Couple of things.

1. The CD is mastered from a very early version of the program, it can never prepare a tax return without downloading a significant update which is basically installing the program from a download anyway.  So whatever your situation is, you must already be used to connecting the internet for downloads at least temporarily.  

2. Once you purchase the download, you get an installer file (exe for PC or dmg for Mac).  Separate from actually running the install program, the installer file could be saved offline on a CD or flash drive if you ever need to re-install the program after removing it. 

3. You can download the installer file an unlimited number of times (you have a limited number of license activations, but you have unlimited downloads of the installer).  And I believe the installer is updated throughout the season, so if you re-downloaded the installer file in May, it would be fully updated.  If you save that updated installer file offline, you have something better than the CD, since that updated installer can be used to install a working version that doesn't need additional online access to view, prepare or revise a tax return. 

[Mike9241]

working entirely off-line (after the software updates), printing the tax forms for postal mailing, and REMOVING THE SOFTWARE (and data files that have been transferred to a more secure device)

this will still be true with the downloaded version. the only difference now is the initial download of the program that comes from the same servers as the patches. 

[rak22]

Thank you tagteam, VolvoGirl, Opus 17, and Mike9241 !

Obviously I have demonstrated my paranoia and panicked early.    This is great news for me and, in my opinion, good news for other customers that will also be able to adapt easily to the new distribution format while maintaining the same software install-use-backup-remove approach.  

Thanks for the detailed descriptions.  If anyone in the product management section is watching perhaps these details could be placed on the website somewhere for reference by others that may be confused about the transition.

Thank You !! 

Happy Again - rak22

[Richiesama]

This was very helpful for me as well. I always purchased the CD thinking that in some way it kept my data more secure. I am still not sure what happens if I have completed my returns but before I file them electronically I update the software. Does that mean that all my data is someway loaded into Turbotax servers before my software is updated with the changes from Turbotax??? As I am 80 years old so if this may be a naïve  question !!!

[VolvoGirl]

@Richiesama   No the CD doesn't make you more secure.  You data is not kept on the CD but on your own computer in a separate data file ending in .tax2023, .tax2022 etc.  You have to update the program before you can efile.  No, your data is not loaded into Turbo Tax servers even if you efile. 

The Download program is EXACTLY the same Desktop program as the CD. You buy it the same way directly from Turbo Tax or in stores like Costco. When you installed the CD you still had to go online to update it. It's only the method you use to install it. Even when I bought the CD I used the download method to install it. Don't confuse the Download with the Online web version.

You can burn the installation file to a CD or save to a usb flash drive. But since you now have to log into an Intuit Account all your downloads and licenses are listed there (even if you bought it from somewhere else) so if you need to download to install it again or install on another computer, even on the other operating system (Windows, Mac).

As of 12/20/24, you can buy an install CD for 2024 for $10 after you buy a License Code
https://turbotax.intuit.com/lp/ttd/4021