TurboTax Business
Consumer and professional tax preparation software from Intuit.
About TurboTax Business
TurboTax Business handles federal and state returns for sole proprietors, S-corps, C-corps, partnerships, and LLCs from a single purchase. Day-to-day, it walks owners through income, deductions, and credits using an interview format, auto-selects the correct forms, and flags overlooked write-offs like home office, vehicle use, and Section 179 depreciation. The AI layer surfaces contextually relevant deductions based on your answers rather than requiring you to know what to look for. The tool fits self-employed owners and small business operators who want accurate returns without a dedicated CPA on retainer. It handles multi-entity situations reasonably well but struggles once you introduce complex partnership allocations, trust returns, or multi-state apportionment beyond the basics. The optional CPA review add-on lets a credentialed preparer check your return before filing, which narrows the competence gap for trickier situations. Where it falls short: TurboTax Business is not practice management software. Bookkeepers and accountants filing on behalf of multiple clients need ProSeries or Lacerte instead. The QuickBooks import works cleanly for straightforward P&Ls but requires manual cleanup if your chart of accounts is non-standard. At $130 and up with no trial, you are committing before you know whether your entity type is fully supported.
Best for
Small business owners and individuals wanting guided tax preparation with expert assistance
Key Features
- AI-powered tax guidance and optimization
- Maximum refund guarantee
- Expert CPA review option
- Multi-entity business return support
- Automated tax form selection and completion
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Covers S-corp, C-corp, partnership, LLC, and sole proprietor returns in one product without switching platforms
- Interview-driven form selection catches the correct schedules automatically, reducing the risk of filing on the wrong form
- Deduction finder prompts for industry-specific write-offs including vehicle mileage, home office, and equipment depreciation
- Direct QuickBooks import pulls P&L and balance sheet data, cutting manual data entry for QuickBooks Desktop and Online users
- CPA review add-on provides a credentialed second set of eyes before submission without requiring you to hire a separate preparer
- Maximum refund guarantee backed by Intuit covers the difference plus interest if another method yields a larger refund
- Audit support included, with step-by-step guidance on responding to IRS notices and access to a tax professional for audit representation
Cons
- No free trial or evaluation tier; $130 entry price is a blind purchase until you confirm your entity type is fully supported
- Complex partnership allocations, multi-state apportionment, and trust returns push against the tool's limits quickly
- Not built for accountants filing multiple client returns; ProSeries or Lacerte are the correct tools for that workflow
- QuickBooks import requires manual chart-of-accounts cleanup if categories are non-standard or if you use a third-party bookkeeping setup
- State return filing costs extra per state, which adds up fast for businesses operating across multiple states
- Annual repurchase required; data carries forward but the license does not, and pricing has increased year over year
Ledger Brief Take
Built for DIY business owners who want professional-grade accuracy without hiring a CPA, TurboTax Business sits between basic consumer tools and full practice management software. The AI guidance mostly surfaces relevant deductions and flags common errors rather than replacing tax expertise, but the expert review option bridges the gap when complexity exceeds comfort levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions accountants ask about TurboTax Business.
What does TurboTax Business cost and what does the base price include?
TurboTax Business starts at $130 for a federal business return. State returns cost extra, typically $50 per state. The base price covers one federal return for your entity type. The CPA review and audit defense options are paid add-ons priced separately at checkout. There is no free tier or trial.
How does the QuickBooks integration work?
TurboTax Business imports P&L and balance sheet data directly from QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. The import maps common account categories to tax lines automatically. If your chart of accounts uses custom categories or non-standard naming, expect to manually reclassify some items before the data is usable.
Is TurboTax Business suitable for accountants filing returns for multiple clients?
No. TurboTax Business is licensed per return for owner-operators. Accountants and bookkeepers filing on behalf of multiple clients should use Intuit's ProSeries or Lacerte, which support multi-client workflows, batch processing, and firm-level management tools that TurboTax Business does not offer.
How does TurboTax Business compare to hiring a CPA directly?
TurboTax Business costs less upfront but requires you to do the data entry and answer the interview questions accurately. The optional CPA review add-on adds a credentialed check before filing. For straightforward S-corp or sole proprietor returns, the guided workflow is adequate. For complex situations involving multiple states, passive losses, or ownership changes mid-year, a dedicated CPA is faster and less risky.
What entity types does TurboTax Business support?
TurboTax Business supports sole proprietors, single-member LLCs, multi-member LLCs, partnerships, S-corps, and C-corps. It does not cover individual Form 1040 returns in the Business version; that requires TurboTax Self-Employed or TurboTax Premier on the consumer side.
How is tax data stored and is it secure?
TurboTax stores return data on Intuit's servers with 256-bit encryption and multi-factor authentication available. Prior-year returns are accessible through your Intuit account. Intuit has experienced security incidents historically, including a 2022 credential stuffing event, so enabling MFA on your account is strongly recommended.