How to Update TurboTax to the Latest Version

Tax forms, rates, and calculations get refined all through filing season. The version on your CD or in your original download is rarely the most current. Running updates keeps your return accurate and makes sure the forms you need are available and finalized.

This is an independent help guide, not an official Intuit resource. Always file with the most current version available for your tax year.

By default, TurboTax checks for updates whenever you open it with an internet connection. If it finds one, it usually prompts you to install before you keep going. Saying yes to these prompts is the easiest way to stay current, so let them run instead of dismissing them.

You can also kick off an update yourself. From the menu bar, open the Online menu and choose Check for Updates. TurboTax will look for anything newer, download it, and apply it. It may ask you to close and reopen the program to wrap things up.

State forms are released and finalized on their own schedules, often a bit later than federal forms. If a state form isn't ready when you start, run the update again closer to when you plan to file. That same Check for Updates command pulls down state updates too.

If an update fails, try these steps:

• Confirm you have a working internet connection.
• Temporarily pause your antivirus or firewall software, which can block the download, then try again.
• Close and reopen TurboTax, then run the manual update.
• Restart your computer if an update seems stuck partway.

Before you file, run one last update check. This is the single best habit for dodging last-minute issues, because a form that was a draft last week may have been finalized since. Once the program reports there's nothing more to update, you're good to review and submit.