Once you receive your order confirmation, you can download and install your TaxAct Desktop program. The steps vary depending on whether you are an Individual (Consumer) or a Professional. TIP You can also download and install previously purchased software at no additional charge by following the steps below. Individual (Consumer) Steps To access the download […]
New Customers There are multiple options available to accommodate the specific needs of your tax practice. See https://www.taxact.com/professional/products/pricing for detailed package and pricing information. Once you determine the type of returns you’ll be preparing and how many users you need (Single User or Multi-User), choose the edition or bundle that fits your practice and click Pre-Order. […]
2025 As 2025 TaxAct state editions are updated, details will be added below to highlight what’s new in each release. Download Information | Federal Update Information | https://www.taxact.com/forms Alabama 2025 1040 V1.0 01/09/2026 – Form 40NR (Nonresident return) not approved for paper or electronic filing. V1.01 01/15/2026 – Form 40NR can be e-filed or paper-filed. No […]
The IRS will begin accepting individual returns on January 26, 2026. The official filing season start dates are posted each year on the IRS website. The IRS accepts returns on a first-come, first-served basis. Because of this, we strive to have our product ready in time for you to be first in line! Our Federal […]
All TaxAct Customer Support: (319) 373-3600 Tax Professional Support: (319) 731-2682 Refer to our Contact TaxAct Service & Support page for support hours.
TaxAct Federal Desktop programs are available in early and final release versions. The early release version is usually released in late October for Professionals and December for Individual Consumers. The final versions of our Federal 1040 software programs are typically released in early January. The state modules begin releasing in early January and can continue […]
Follow these steps if you have forgotten your password: Click Sign In at the top-right of the TaxAct website. On the Sign In screen, enter the username, email address, or the mobile phone number associated with your TaxAct account. Click Sign In. On the Sign in with Password screen, click I forgot my password. A […]
In accordance with the IRS guidelines set forth by the IRS Safeguards Program and the Security Summit, TaxAct Professional account passwords expire every 90 days. If you recently received an e-mail notifying you that your password will expire within seven days, you may follow the instructions below. To reset your password before it expires: Sign […]
TaxAct offers several ways to pay for both Online and Desktop products. Go to the Paying TaxAct Product Fees FAQ for more detailed information and options.
Steps to Check for Program Updates: Open your TaxAct program. Click Online in the upper menu bar. Select Check for Updates from the dropdown menu. Follow the on-screen instructions to select and install the federal or state updates you need. NOTE: This process verifies and installs the latest program updates. Your data will remain intact and will not be lost during the update.
At this time, there are no plans to release a TaxAct Desktop product for Mac operating systems. However, Mac users can still complete their tax returns by using TaxAct Online Products, which are fully compatible with most modern web browsers. For details on supported browsers and system compatibility, please visit our System Requirements page.
Installing a State: If you have already purchased a state return, Sign in to your TaxAct account online. Click Orders and Downloads. Click Download next to the state/return-type you want.* Open your Downloads folder to locate the state file you downloaded (the file name is ta[last two digits of tax year][state abbreviation][form number].exe. For example, a […]
If a page fails to load or you experience difficulties signing in to your account, it can be caused by your web browser cache (temporary browsing data for helping pages load more quickly the next time you access them). Clearing your cache will most likely resolve the issue. Before clearing your cache, close all other […]
The Practitioner PIN method allows taxpayers to authorize the Electronic Return Originator (ERO) to enter or generate the taxpayer’s PIN. To set the program to automatically use the Practitioner PIN: From within your TaxAct Professional Edition program, click Preparer in the upper menu bar, hover your mouse over Master Information, then click Preparers. Click the […]
To share software downloads, unlimited or prepaid e-filing, reporting, or services, the Practice Owner has to send an email invitation to another preparer for them to join. The email will include a link for the preparer to create an account or sign into their account, and enter the information provided in the email. To invite […]
Each form you add has the potential to make a major impact on your overall return. In order to help maintain the accuracy of a return, there is not a way to downgrade the product used. If you believe you chose the more complex form in error, you may choose to start over by adding […]
Click any link below to go to our checklist for that return. Complete the checklist before completing your TaxAct® return to save time. 1040 Individual Income Tax Return 1065 – Partnership Return 1120S – S Corporation Return 1120 – C Corporation Return 1041 Estates & Trusts 990 – Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax
Although entering zero (0) in a number entry field may appear as a blank field, it is treated by the program as a zero.
Although TaxAct® provides the ability for desktop users of the product to override fields in the return if they wish, numerous Alerts are generated to warn of the consequences of doing so. The first key pressed to change a field that would be considered an override (changing a calculation made by the program) triggers a […]
If there are spaces remaining in any of the fields, the TaxAct desktop program interprets those spaces as data (even though you do not see any letters or numbers in that field). To ensure empty fields don’t have spaces in them: From within your TaxAct return (Desktop or Professional), click the data entry field (if a […]
The TaxAct online products require the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or version 13 or higher of Safari. TaxAct desktop products require Windows 10 or higher. Go to our TaxAct System Requirements webpage for details.
You can install TaxAct on one additional computer (example: home laptop and office computer) for the purpose of completing your income tax return. The TaxAct program will only work on one computer at a time, and you will only be able to file the returns that you have paid for. Once you have purchased a […]
If you receive a “Tax Act Final Version Not Found” error when attempting to install a TaxAct® Desktop state module, the error message is most likely caused by one of these issues: The Federal program needs to be installed first. Sign in to your TaxAct Account online, click Orders and Downloads, then download and install the […]
Follow the steps below to select one or more states for your return. You must complete the steps again if you want to add states to another return. After installing a state, from within your TaxAct return (Desktop or Professional), click Return in the upper menu bar, hover your mouse over State, then click Add/Remove State. In the window […]
TaxAct® has two different types of products that allow you to prepare, print, and e-file your Form 1040 tax return: TaxAct Online and TaxAct Download. With TaxAct Online, you can add multiple returns to your account; therefore, a whole family can access their returns from the same account. You will access the account and return(s) […]
Home Shopping Network How long is my voucher valid? Offer Valid until 11:55PM CT on 10/15/19 and is subject to change. What does my voucher cover? The $35 discount is valid on TaxAct Deluxe + Retail, Premier + Retail or Self-Employed + federal and state online bundles Who do I contact if I have issues […]
TaxAct introduced an app for iPad® and Android™ tablet users for the 2013 tax filing season. Starting with tax year 2015, there is no need to download or install a separate app for mobile devices. TaxAct Online‘s responsive design allows you to navigate the software with your chosen device, whether a laptop or desktop computer, phone, […]
If you trust the device you are using to sign in, you can skip entering the verification code the next time you sign in by checking the box next to “Don’t ask again on this computer”. Otherwise every time you sign in, we will send a one-time-use verification code to your email address or mobile […]
Below are a few of the enhancements and new features in TaxAct 2019 Professional Editions. We’re excited about these, but we’re even more excited that this is the first of many improvements for tax year 2019. New! Simplified installation method – Now you can install all products with one click. New! Create a Copy – […]
Password protection for TaxAct® Professional Enterprise editions has two levels: Program-level password and User-level usernames and passwords. Finding the Password Protection Feature To access the Password feature within TaxAct Professional Edition: From the Preparer top menu hover on Master Information and then click Security. Security Levels No Password Protection – The TaxAct program will […]
A file becomes corrupt when a piece of the file is either missing or altered. One of the main causes can be that the connection was disrupted while downloading. Please temporarily disable any download managers you may have running and attempt to download the file again.
There are a couple of reasons your most recently ordered products wouldn’t show up on your download page: First, you can check the anticipated release dates to make sure that your product has already been released and is available for download. The products will only show up and be available for download if they have […]
If you are using a dial-up connection and are trying to download the full TaxACT program or an update to a previously installed program and experience difficulties with disconnects or time-outs, please use the following tips: Try your download again. We have multiple download servers in various locations. Perhaps you are experiencing an issue with […]
Update E-mail Address & Password (Video)
TaxACT Online vs. Desktop (Video)
TaxACT Donation Assistant (Video)
Signing Into TaxACT (Video)
Forgot Online Username and Password (Video)
Downloading and Installing TaxACT (Video)
TaxACT Enterprise Installation TaxACT Enterprise Edition is designed for tax preparers who want to store, share, and collaborate with others on the same existing network. It is great for offices with multiple preparers who wish to share workloads, data, and responsibilities. The program takes advantage of your existing network and allows for a shared client list, shared tax […]
Installation of TaxACT Enterprise Edition TaxACT Enterprise Editions allow network sharing of Client returns and universal Preparer settings. When set up properly the Enterprise software will allow you to open and manipulate client returns on all networked PCs, set user-level restrictions, attach documents for future reference, and other advanced features. Please follow the […]
The TaxACT Desktop programs and the returns associated with these programs follow a standard naming convention. In order to locate your files, you can simply perform a Windows Search for the files following these guidelines. NOTE: The file names below assume that the tax year is 2010. If you are looking for files associated with […]
It is sometimes necessary to install the TaxACT program in "Safe Mode". This can be a result of a number of conflicts between other programs, device drivers, or other software and the TaxACT installation program. These conflicts can cause the installation program to freeze, abnormally quit, or even lock the system. Installing into "Safe Mode" […]
Compatibility Files With the upgrade from earlier versions of Windows to Windows Vista, Microsoft has implemented a new file system structure/policy. During installation of a program, if Windows cannot identify an application as having sufficient rights to insert specific data into certain folders, it will "hide" the actual application data files in a virtual storage […]
To check on the status of your clients returns in the TaxACT Preparers Program using the Electronic Filing Manager: Ensure that you have your Electronic Filing Identification Number (EFIN) and Password entered in your Preparer Master Information Click on the Electronic Filing Manager tab Choose the appropriate preparer in the Show Clients for window Click […]
To create a new TaxACT Online account you may use the instructions below. Please note that there is not a way within a current account to start over or create a second return for a second individual within the same account. Go to the TaxACT website Choose from the Free Federal, Deluxe Federal, or Ultimate […]
Navigating Through TaxACT Online (Video)
