Turbo Tax Software

[winstons2016]

In 2016 I purchased and downloaded the Turbo Tax software onto my desktop. Will I be able to use this same software again for 2017, or will I need to purchase and download the 2017 version?

[mesquitebean · Accepted solution]

No, you cannot use the 2016 software to prepare a 2017 return.   Each tax year requires a new TurboTax product for that specific year.    You will need to purchase 2017 software (CD/download) if you want to prepare your 2017 breturn on your desktop. 

Hopefully, you saved the *.tax2016 data file from last year.   Once you install your 2017 software,  you can transfer the  *.tax2016 data file into your new 2017 return so you won't have to re-enter a lot of things from last year.   

When you start the new 2017 return, the program should churn a bit and search your computer for the *.tax2016 data file.   When it finds it, it will offer a button you can click to transfer the 2016 return.   If it doesn't find the file, you can use the Browse feature to point the program to the file location.   The default location for  tax data files is the \My Documents\TurboTax folder.