How is the 5 efile limit counted? is it 5 per turbotax account used during the efile?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
June 6, 2019
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TurboTax Free Edition Online

PopeyeTheSalior

Employee

By using TurboTax desktop edition, It allows you to e- file up to five federal tax returns.

Please see below information for details.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3302087

daveikay

You did not answer the question. "How is it counted?" E.g. does it check the number of e-files associated w/ a license key?

JamesG1

The number of e-files generated from the individual software that you purchased. See here.

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Jenmarmar

I have not used all 5 of my efiles in my home and business software and it says that I have reached my limit. I HAVE to efile tonight for the extension deadline. Why is it saying that I have reached my limit? Where can I see this? @JamesG1

noftsierb

it used to be 5 email addresses. I have 6 kids and would use 2 desktop installs with 3 kids on each. That worked up until this year when they force you login for everything. Now they track it all and you get 5...total...Its a cash grab from TT. They say its IRS requirement - which is 100% false I am not a paid preparer I am a dude with 6 kids....

CatinaT1

It is an IRS requirement for software providers. See requirement number 5 on page 31 of this IRS Publication: IRS Pub 1345. The IRS requires that software developers ensure there is no more than 5 electronic files from one software package or from one email address.

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noftsierb

Sorry that is 100% FUD.

IRS requirements are 5 per Email address. Prior to Intuit forcing cloud auth you could enter a different email address for each filing. Now its tied to the Inuit ID. More Intuit spying and inconveniencing users.

Guess TT didn't read the OR statement. For 20 years I have done 7 e-files with one paid HAB ($100 now). tax Act does not have this limitation my friend with 7 kids pays $40 and does 8 e-files. TT just interpreting IRS rules in a way to generate more revenue.

edmiller24

My wife and I have 6 adult children and we are trying to assist them in efiling their taxes. I realize there is a five efile return limit, so my wife and I purchased two separate TurboTax software products, installed them on two different computers, used two separate Turbotax accounts with two separate e-mail addresses. Given that we are two separate individuals and by dividing our children's returns between the both of us, I would have thought we could do five returns each. However, as soon as I got to my third return (and after she had done three returns using separate purchased software, separate computers, separate email, and separate Intuit account), I was still told by the software that I could not efile the third return for our children. Why are we being treated as one individual? What mechanism is being used to inappropriately identify as just one individual? Any thoughts out there?

xmasbaby0

Employee

The IRS does not reveal exactly how they "know" ---but the five federal e-files is an IRS limit--not a TurboTax limit. So if you have more than five returns---pick whose return is getting mailed. Rock/paper/scissors; flip a coin; draw straws.....Buying two copies of the software wasted money and will not allow you to file more than five. Sorry,

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maglib

Employee

@tiggersb314

There is a new limit of 5 e-files per license, not just per laptop.

You need another TT account to hold a new license. Or you can always file by mail.

You would need another license installed on a computer that has never had the old license on it (I tried to delete and remove an old license and downloaded a new one and it still erred). Possibly a full removal of old license would work but, I did not try it.

Take the file you have been working on sign into the new license, under HELP on the top of your screen choose Switch product. Here is where you assign the new license and it signs you out. Then call up that return and save it with the new license assigned,

Then you need a thumb drive. You need to copy and paste using file manager the .tax file to a thumb drive.

Then copy from that thumb drive to the new laptop with the new TT install on it.

Call it up, you now have a new license and using the new account, you should be able to e-file.

Yes, you will have to pay for another license or choose file by mail instead.

Sorry I am just the bearer of the news.

**I don't work for TT. Just trying to help. All the best. ***Say "Thanks" by marking as BEST ANSWER and clicking the thumb icon in a post and that I solved your question**Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer" I am NOT an expert and you should confirm with a tax expert.

Bonnie07

I had this issue in this tax season. I filed only 3 returns but when I filed the 3rd one, It didn't go through because I reached the limit of 5. I called turbotax and the specialist said it would be ridiculous if the software counts the rejected returns as 1 attempt ( One of the return I had to file twice because it got rejected due to his long and complicated name), so she advised me to I efiled again and still failed. Then, when I called for another specialist, she said rejection is counted as an attempt. so I filed 3 times + 2 rejections=5 limits.

I think it's ridiculous to count the rejection as an attempt. I paid for 5 returns, then it should be 5 different returns, not by how many time I transmit 1 return.