Why NOT choose the CD? It gives you the most control over installation, entering your info and e-filing 'properly'!

[mctrue633_2024]

Sometimes you get what you pay for.  IMO, nothing should be offered 'for free'.  Here's my take for those who use 'free' online tax preparation...and then complain when they run into issues.

I do not 'choose' to be a slave to the internet, subscription plans or 'cloud storage' for the rest of my life, and especially not for tax return preparation.  I want to be independent whenever I'm trying to get something REAL done that isn't fancy (I'm not a gamer or a streaming content addict). 

Call me old-school...when I finally decide to retire from 'living' online, I think I'll choose to have NO internet service and pull out my old Fujitsu Windows XP laptop again to work on any documents!  (I still have MS Office software on CD for that one - and solar panels with battery backup to keep basic home power (lights, fridge) on during outages)

I'm happy to have filed both my Fed and CA returns today without any serious issues - but let me WARN you to e-file your Federal 1040 BY ITSELF and make sure it's been accepted BEFORE you PAY $$ to e-file your State return (because you will most likely have to pay TurboTax's e-file fee up front, and if it fails to go through you could be stuck).  I never got a refund from TT after this happened to me and I had ended up filing by mail!  (this is inexcusable, especially since I'd used the Premier version previously)

[SteamTrain]

Even if you are somewhat of a Luddite..like myself....the CD hasn't been usable to prepare a filing copy of Federal, or state taxes for 20-some years.  The CD is, effectively, a beta-version.

So you will always need the internet to update the software to a Jan or Feb version so that you can actually file something that is correct for most user's situations.

The advantage of the download installation file (at least if you get it directly from TTX), is that you can download new installation files throughout the season. Each of those copies has the most recent bug fixes already included....at least up to that point in time. So downloading an installation file for 2023 taxes, in June or August of 2024, that would include virtually every bug fix they had for the year in that one file. Not that you'd necessarily need to use them in that particular computer (because you should be using the in-software updates), but if you get a new computer, say a year or 2 later, you can use the most recent TTX installation file to install TTX on that new computer, without it needing a year's worth of bug fixes.  (As long as it is a Windows computer)

None of that will fix the issue of the now-required installation service codes not being usable after 3-4 years, not unless TTX changes their policy for those codes.  i.e. no one can install 2019 software now .