Updated on Sunday, December 22, 2024: If you’ve purchased a download or CD version of TurboTax 2025 — including Basic, Deluxe, Premier or Home & Business versions (like the ones sold at Costco, Target or Best Buy) — then the terms found in the TurboTax Desktop Software End User License Agreement for the 2025 version (for tax year 2024) specifically state that you can install, authenticate and activate the software on up to 5 different computers as long as they are your own personal machines (home and work). Sounds easy and straightforward, right? No quite.

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Known issues.

Unfortunately, we’re seeing many people reporting problems trying to install the CD/download versions of TurboTax on their second laptop/desktop after the initial installation. The most common error seems to be: “This license code has already been associated with an account. Please check that account and look for it in Downloads.”

The cause of this error appears to be as a result of the initial installation; there is a problem if you installed the CD/download and activated the license key on your computer without first making a TurboTax account or signing in to your existing account at the official Turbotax installation page. For most users, the program DOES NOT ask you to do so, thus this is an error on Intuit’s part. Because your key was used without an account, it later won’t allow you to connect to a new or existing account for additional activations. In this case you’ll have to call Intuit’s TurboTax helpline and ask for a new license key code.

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How can I contact TurboTax by phone?

To get a new license key you’ll need to call and explain the situation with a live customer service representative. You can contact them by calling 1-800-446-8848 and pressing 1 when prompted, and then 1 again for a U.S. agent (press 2 for a Canadian representative). They are available live to take your call from 5:00AM to 9:00PM Pacific Time, 7 days a week, during the tax season. Remember, when asking for a new license key make sure you let them know which TurboTax Federal version you purchased AND any State return(s) you purchased as well.

For reference, you can provide these two threads that discuss the problems in detail from others having the same issues:

• https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/resolved-after-many-calls-cannot-reinstall-download-cd-product-on-second-computer/00/1770119
• https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/how-many-computers-can-a-turbotax-installed-on-using-one-serial-number/00/1298181

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How to “properly” install TurboTax 2025.

If you bought a TurboTax license (with or without the CD disc included) from a retail store like Costco, these these are the steps you should follow to ensure trouble-free activation:

1. Visit the Turbotax installation page on Intuit’s website and either sign-in to your existing TurboTax account or create a new account if you don’t have one.
2. Enter the License Code that you purchased into your TurboTax account and download the program into your online account.
3. Turn off or pause any other programs that your computer is currently running, including any AntiVirus programs, as this may cause an error at installation.
4. Download the program and open it in your “Downloads” folder. Double click on the exe. file to install it.
5. Copy the License Code from your TurboTax Account using the “Copy Code” link.
6. Enter the License Code when prompted to do so.

To install TurboTax on your additional Mac or PC computer, login to your TurboTax account from your 2nd machine and follow steps #3 to #6 from above. You can repeat this process and install the program on up to five personal computers.

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Comments.

If you’ve run into problems, have questions or know of any better workarounds, then let us know in the comments below.