The TurboTax desktop editions for tax year 2021 are available now at this website - https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/cd-download/

The TurboTax online editions for tax year 2021 should be available in early December.

Thanks for the quick and clear reply!

Although the downloaded program becomes available every year sometime in  November with the online following sometime  in December  they are NOT fully operational programs ... they are only beta versions.  The final program and the state programs are never fully operational until late January at the earliest.  

http://taxpreparationsoftware.com/

ANY tax software released by any company prior to about January 15 is only released for marketing and market share.  No program is complete and ready to file until the IRS approves their final forms and then individually reviews each program's implementation of the form.  And some tax situations aren't able to be filed until February or March, again mostly due to IRS delays.

Thanks for the clarification!  I realize things won’t be finalized, but will I be able to get a head start on entering things like deductions?  Or do I need to wait until the program is final before entering any data?  

Just be aware that the results you are getting is not accurate but you can make entries if you wish. 

Be careful if you have Windows 11.  Downloaded 2021 Premier today and it won't install.  Starts the process, but closes after it asks if you want to allow TurboTax installer make changes to your hard drive.  A fix is needed, but not sure how to convey this to the proper folks.

If WIN 11 is anything like 10  ... make sure you have all the updates installed and reboot the computer at least 2 times  then delete the TT install file and try again with a fresh download.  Also make sure you have administrator rights in the user you are in.  

Thanks for the suggestions, but no luck.  I'll try the download on another computer that still has 10 and hope someone at Intuit and/or Microsoft addresses soon.  It's bound to rise as a major issue as users recognize they can now get TT 2021.

Beta version of TT  +  new WIN OS  =  recipe for disaster

I am sure it will eventually be worked out ... you are the first person to post on this forum about this issue. 

Speaking of 2021 program: How in the world do I enter stock sales in the new version (Home & Business)? If I try to pull up form 8949 it says that it's created from Sch D and I can't make a new one myself. There's nowhere to input anything other than a few checkboxes on Sch D. Last year Sch D had a "quickzoom to 8949" button on it; this year it doesn't. I would think this would be one of the easiest things to carry over year to year. The tax computation on the back end may change but the entry of the data should be consistent, unless I missed something changing this year.

Thanks.

One again the 2021 program is not yet fully functional and broker statements will not come out until mid February at the earliest so I would wait until you can import the information instead of trying to enter them manually.  

And direct entries in the FORMS mode is not wise ... all data should be enter in the step by step mode. 

To enter an investment sale from a brokerage account (1099-B), follow the steps below.

• Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
• Click on Wages and Income (Personal Income using Home and Business)
• Click on I'll choose what I work on
• Under Investment Income
• On Stocks, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Other, click the start or update button

Thanks, I'll take a look at the Q&A method. Always forget I can switch back to that if I need to.

I do direct input because I'm a CPA, and I'm trying to do tax planning because it's a weird year and need to check my estimated payments beyond the spreadsheet I use to compute them.

I still don't understand why there can't be one easy-to-find entry form for stock sales, rather than having to go through multiple links to get there. I realize that the rules have gotten complicated for the day traders and crypto folks, but for the vast majority of us the transactions are few and simple.

Well you must be a CPA that doesn't do taxes of you would have a professional program since you must use a professional program if you charge for income tax prep services.   The DIY programs really should be completed thru the interview screens not the FORMS mode.

If you did not already know ...

This is my mini version of  a tutorial  that should be in the downloaded program: 

What is Forms Mode?

Forms Mode lets you view and make changes to your tax forms "behind the scenes."

If you're adventurous, you can even prepare your return in Forms Mode, but we don't recommend it. You may miss obscure credits and deductions you qualify for, and you may forget to report things that will come back and haunt you later.

Forms Mode is exclusively available in the TurboTax CD/Download software. It is not available in TurboTax Online.

Related Information:

• Why would I use Forms Mode?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Windows software?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Mac software?
• What is-the-meaning-of-all-the-different-colors-in-forms-mode

If you want to play around with different figures and tax scenarios without affecting your original return you can ….

• >>>In the TurboTax CD/Download software by creating a test copy: 
• 1.  Open your return in TurboTax. 
• 2.  From the File menu, choose Save As. 
• 3.  Give the copy a new name to distinguish it from the original (for example, by adding "Test" or "Example" to the file name). 
• 4. Click  Save. You are now safely working in the test copy and anything you do here will not affect the original. 
•  https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900642-how-to-make-a-test-copy-of-your-return

• >>  use the WHAT IF tool: 
• - Click Forms Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 2 (forms view) 
• - Click on the Open Form Icon 
• - In the “Type a form name.” area type What-If (with the dash), click on the name of the worksheet - click on Open Form 
• - You will see the worksheet on the right side of the screen; enter the information right into the form 
• - To get back to interview mode - click on the Step-by-Step Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 1

It's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your tax data file, in case your original gets lost or corrupted. Here's how:

1. From the File menu in the upper-left corner of TurboTax, choose Save As (Windows) or Save (Mac).
2. Browse to where you want to save your backup.
   • Tip: If you're saving to a portable device, save it to your computer first to prevent data corruption. Then, after completing Step 4, copy or move the backup file to your device.
3. In the File name field, enter a name that will distinguish it from the original tax file (for example, add "Backup" or "Copy" to the file name)
4. Click Save and then close TurboTax.
5. Restart TurboTax and open the backup copy to make sure it's not corrupted. If you get an error, delete the backup and repeat these steps.

If you make changes to your original tax return file, repeat these steps to ensure your original and backup copies are in-synch.

Related Information:                             

• Retrieve a Tax File from a Portable Device
• What's the difference between the tax data file and the PDF file?

AND save it as a PDF so you have access to a copy even if you don’t have the program still installed and operational :

• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Windows?
• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Mac?

AND protect the files :

• How can I protect the tax files on my computer?

"I still don't understand why there can't be one easy-to-find entry form for stock sales, "

There is a such a  form  -- easy to find? not so much.

Warning :  TurboTax 2020 has taken to suppressing, i.e. not printing, certain transactions that you entered explicitly.

This causes consternation.

This will probably continue in 2021 unless they fix it.

The program is interview based and the information goes to multiple worksheets before is transfers to the forms themselves ... so if you enter a sale in the interview then switch to the forms mode you may be able to track it down to the correct worksheet.

*** other clues to the downloaded program ***

In the forms mode ... double click  or right click on a box on a form to data source it ... sadly it doesn't work on all boxes. 

What's the meaning of all the different colors in Forms Mode?

When you look at an onscreen tax form using Forms Mode, you might wonder why one figure is blue and the one next to it is red or black.

These colors indicate the source of that data.

Will trurbotax inform us when the 2021 return is online ?

@georgeestes9  Check back in early December.

I got my CD How do I install it to start my 2021 return?

Ready now or when?

@Apaulvin-509 

Wait for a reply ... this is a form not a chat line.

If you got the CD then put it in the CD drive and download the installation file as the instructions with the CD tells you to do.  

I have tried loading the TT 2021 Premier from a CD and by downloading it from TT. Neither will load. I've tried on Windows 10 and 11. Neither work. Problem is not my computer. Dell Software support also tried with no luck. This needs to be fixed by TT immediately.

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@Jack05 wrote:

I have tried loading the TT 2021 Premier from a CD and by downloading it from TT. Neither will load. I've tried on Windows 10 and 11. Neither work. Problem is not my computer. Dell Software support also tried with no luck. This needs to be fixed by TT immediately.

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Troubleshoot install for Windows - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/troubleshooting/help/troubleshoot-installing-and-running-turbotax-on-windows/01/25718

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