Turbotax and Windows 10

Does anyone know of a safe workaround to install Turbotax 2020? According to Turbotax, Windows has a security feature if we disable, we won’t be able to put it back. TIA!

Have you considered using the free software provided by your tax money?

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I use H&R Block (software) every year. I can’t imagine TurboTax telling people to bypass Windows security.

@PHolder Free File only works if your income is at or below a certain level. Not everyone qualifies.

In my case, I use H&R Block to do all of the work. I eFile my federal refund (included in the cost of the program) and then use fillable forms to take what the software outputs as my state return and fill in to efile my state. I refuse to pay more money for the privilege of filing my taxes.

I don’t use Turbotax and I gone mac partly do to Windows 10; Try the IRS Free File Program.

We can thank Intuit’s (developer of TurboTax) lobbying efforts for that!

@Jannery I say ditch TurboTax, go with the IRS tool if you can. If you don’t qualify then go H&R Block. While H&R also maintain lobbying efforts to cheese us all over, they’re somewhat less egregious than Intuit’s in my research.

If you’re asking the TWiT community, you must be as confused as we are (or appear to be) on this issue. The problem you reference is not yet identified as an issue but has re-occurred since TurboTax 2019 and something I recognize from a number of years ago with a different piece of software.

One workaround is to create a new Administrator user on the computer, reboot and install as the new Administrator. One user mentions this on the TurboTax community website. Re: Please try uninstalling & reinstalling the pro… (intuit.ca)

Additionally, if you didn’t know how to add a user account in Windows 10. Create a local user or administrator account in Windows 10 (microsoft.com)

Using the advice of TurboTax, they would recommend looking at the error messages especially if it refers to .NET Framework. You can also Google search or use the Microsoft support site to narrow down the issue further once you find the cause or error message. Windows Installer and .NET Framework Errors (intuit.ca)

I should point out, I have no objection to paying for software to help me prepare my taxes. My objection is the extra costs to efile. Before federal efile was included in the software, I would print and mail my return. Of course, they just jacked the cost of the software by $20 to cover the efile fee. Since my state offers the fillable forms option of no cost to efile, I will happily just transfer the data from H&R Block to those forms.

Also, know that you can file now, but not pay until May.

Thanks Baconator26. Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks PHolder. Will check out IRS Free File.

Thanks Aaron K. TurboTax was warning us about the possible security problem, didn’t tell us to bypass it. We are going to look into Free File and H&R Block.

Thanks tailspower. We’re also thinking about getting a Mac.

Thanks nrfildes for your thoughts.

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Thanks knewman. We are going to check out Free File and H&R Block.

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This is the first year I didn’t use Turbotax. I went with Taxslayer instead and like it much better. And it’s much cheaper.

To return to the OP’s original question, you can “install” TT if you want to. But the easy (modern) way is to just go to Turbo Taxes web site, file online. There’s really no reason to install tax software on to your computer anymore.

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While this is the case, I know I personally prefer to use software and store my returns locally versus using a website.

Aaron, I’ve used the online version of TT and TaxAct for many years. When you finish you can save a PDF of your Fed and State returns on your computer. Same as the old way you’re using.

Yes. But the main data is still on their site. With local software, the only thing in the cloud is file transmitted.

Oh, so you’re worried about them having some of your information. I gave up that fight long ago.

Right! If you are going to file online you might as well accept that your information is out there, Even the software I’m sure transmits that information to their servers. Oh well