Can I share a TurboTax Premier CD with family members for tax filing?

So my dad just finished using his TurboTax Premier CD for his 2024 taxes and passed it to me to use for my returns. Here's my problem - my laptop doesn't have a CD drive anymore (who does these days??) but I still want to use the software. I was thinking about downloading TurboTax online and then just using the license key that came with the physical CD. What I'm worried about is whether creating an online TurboTax account will somehow register/lock the CD to my account permanently. The whole point is that after I'm done, I want to pass it to my sister or maybe back to my dad if he needs to amend something. We're trying to save money by sharing one copy in the family. Has anyone done this before? Will the license key work for multiple family members as long as we're not using it simultaneously? Really don't want to mess this up and waste money on extra software we don't need.

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20 comments

Fatima Al-Sayed

•8M

I can help with this! The TurboTax Premier CD license is designed for installing on one computer at a time, but it can be transferred. When you download the software online and use the license key, you're essentially just activating that particular installation. Creating an online TurboTax account won't permanently lock the license to your account. After you finish your taxes, you can uninstall the software from your computer, which effectively releases the license. Then the next family member can install and use it with the same key. Just remember that the license allows for preparing and filing a certain number of federal returns (usually 5) and state returns (usually varies by product). So as long as your family stays within those limits across all users, you should be fine.

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Fatima Al-Sayed

•8M

Uninstalling the software is typically sufficient to release the license - there's no formal deactivation process needed in most cases. TurboTax doesn't actively track which specific person is using the software, just how many returns are being prepared and filed with that license key. The software is designed with the understanding that sometimes people need to reinstall on a different computer or might have multiple computers at home, so using it on different machines sequentially is within the intended use. Just make sure it's only installed on one computer at any given time.

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Dylan Hughes

•8M

After trying to navigate all the complicated tax software options this year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely changed my tax filing experience. I was in a similar situation trying to share tax software with family and getting confused about licenses, then a coworker told me about this alternative. It uses AI to analyze your tax documents and identifies all potential deductions and credits based on your specific situation. What's great is there's no software installation or license keys to worry about - multiple family members can use it independently without any sharing complications.

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Dylan Hughes

•8M

It absolutely handles investments and stock sales - that's actually one of its strongest features. You can upload your 1099-B directly and it extracts all those transactions automatically, saving hours of manual entry. It's especially good at identifying wash sales and properly calculating basis. As for accuracy, I was skeptical too, but it's actually powered by tax professionals who verify everything the AI does. I found it caught several deductions that I missed when I did a comparison with my previous method. It also shows you exactly where each number comes from in your tax documents, so you can verify everything yourself if you want that peace of mind.

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NightOwl42

•8M

Just wanted to update after trying taxr.ai that someone mentioned earlier. It was honestly a game-changer for my investment-heavy tax situation. I uploaded my massive 1099-B and it extracted every single transaction perfectly - even the cryptocurrency stuff that's always been a nightmare. The best part was I didn't have to worry about sharing software or license keys with family members - my brother was able to use it for his taxes too without any complications. We both got our returns done in about half the time it usually takes with TurboTax Premier. Definitely sticking with this going forward!

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Dmitry Ivanov

•8M

If you're struggling with tax questions and need to talk to an actual IRS agent (which I highly recommend before making decisions about shared software licenses), you should know the IRS wait times are absolutely brutal right now. I spent 3+ hours on hold last week trying to get clarification about software licensing for family use. I finally discovered Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me through to an IRS agent in under 15 minutes. They have a callback system that basically waits on hold for you. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. The agent confirmed that TurboTax Premier CDs can be shared sequentially as long as they're only installed on one machine at a time.

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Dmitry Ivanov

•8M

It doesn't just dial for you - they use an automated system that navigates the IRS phone tree and secures a spot in line. When they reach an actual human, you get a call connecting you directly to that agent. It's basically like having someone wait on hold so you don't have to. The reason it works is because they're managing hundreds of calls simultaneously with their system, so they can optimize the calling patterns based on IRS staffing. It's not about cutting the line - you're still in the same queue as everyone else, but you don't have to personally sit there listening to hold music for hours.

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Miguel Herrera

•8M

I need to eat crow about my skeptical comment earlier. After waiting on hold with the IRS for 2.5 hours yesterday and getting disconnected, I decided to try Claimyr out of desperation. Not only did they get me through to an agent in about 20 minutes, but the agent was super helpful about my software licensing question. Turns out there's actually a distinction between TurboTax CD licenses and downloaded software that I didn't know about. The agent confirmed that CD-based versions have different transfer rules than the downloaded versions. Saved me from potentially getting flagged for improper software usage. Definitely worth it just for the peace of mind.

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Zainab Ali

•8M

I work at an accounting firm and we see this question a lot. While technically you can share the CD as others have said, there are some important considerations for tax year 2025: 1) TurboTax CDs are becoming less common as they're phasing them out 2) The software will start showing its age with potential tax law changes 3) Some newer tax forms might not be fully supported by older software It might be worth considering a family subscription option instead if multiple people will be filing. Just my two cents from seeing clients run into issues with older tax software.

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Zainab Ali

•8M

You're right that family subscriptions do cost more upfront. However, when you factor in the value of getting the most current tax forms, automatic updates for tax law changes, and the ability for everyone to work on their returns simultaneously (rather than waiting for each person to finish), many families find it's worth it. That said, for the upcoming tax season, your existing CD will still work for basic needs. Just be aware that if any new tax credits or deductions come into play for 2025, you might need to manually figure those out or use the IRS forms directly as supplements. The tradeoff is really between convenience/completeness and cost.

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Alexis Robinson

•2M

I actually went through this exact situation last year! My family has been sharing a TurboTax Premier CD for years, and when my laptop died and I got one without a CD drive, I was worried we'd have to buy multiple copies. What worked for me was downloading TurboTax online and using the license key from the CD. The key thing is that TurboTax treats the license as transferable as long as it's only active on one computer at a time. After I finished my taxes, I uninstalled the software completely, and then my mom was able to install it on her computer using the same license key without any issues. One important thing I learned: make sure you actually complete and file your return before uninstalling. If you just prepare but don't file, and then uninstall, you might lose your work when the next person installs it. Also keep track of how many federal and state returns you've filed total across all family members - the CD has limits (usually 5 federal returns). The online account creation doesn't permanently bind the license to your account. It's really just for convenience features like saving your return online. The actual license activation is tied to the software installation, not your online account.

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