Yes, you can start with deluxe and upgrade to premier based on your tax situation
Here are the difference between TurboTax Online and the TurboTax CD/Download software.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3659053
Hope this helps !!
The online version is cheaper or free! But it's a bait for your personal, financial, tax information, and asks you to sign forms to give Turbo Tax or Intuit permission to share all your information with it and it's affiliates, partners etc.
The online version is not as "mature" as the CD or downloaded computer version.
So far as I tried, the online version doesn't give you the flexibility of saving your tax return files into different versions, like 2020-Filing-Jointly or 2020-Filing-Separately, to see if which is the best choice for you.
This is the 2nd year I tried the online version, and very disappointed so far!
It takes time for Turbotax to do debugs and optimize it, I guess!
Best regards!
ONLINE vs. DESKTOP
When you use Online TurboTax,
you get one return per fee.
Each return needs its own account and user ID. If you use the same account and user ID for a second return, you overwrite the first one and lose it forever.
When you use Desktop TurboTax, which you install from a CD or download to your own hard drive, you can prepare and e-file multiple returns for the cost of the software. You can e-file up to 5 Federal returns—more if you mail the additional ones. If you have multiple returns to prepare for family members, Desktop is more cost effective.
Desktop --unless you specifically buy federal Deluxe only from a retailer-- will include the software for one specific state. You can prepare as many returns for that state as the number of federal returns you prepare. E-filing state returns is an extra fee which can be avoided by printing and mailing the states. Additional--other--state software is an additional fee for the software.
2021 TURBOTAX
CD/DOWNLOAD (This requires a full PC or Mac—-cannot be used on a mobile device)
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/cd-download/
You can also purchase the CD/download from various retailers such as Costco, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Staples, Sam’s Club, etc. etc. etc.
This link Where can I obtain authentic TurboTax software? has a list of authorized TurboTax resellers.
When you use desktop software, there is an additional fee to e-file a state return. You can avoid that fee if you print, sign and mail the state return. The state e-file fee is $19.99 and increases in March.
ONLINE 2021
https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/
And just so you know—online prices go up in March—Pay your fee before then to lock in the discount