Members at Costco have access to huge discounts, including TurboTax. The real question is this: is the TurboTax Costco discount bigger in stores or online?
When you walk through Costco this time of year, you’re probably going to see the physical TurboTax product that you can install on your computer.
Let’s break down the differences between the Costco TurboTax physical product and the online Turbo Tax offers available to everyone. (Currently it’s up to 10% off)
Costco TurboTax: Physical Product Review
I have family members who continue to buy TurboTax at big box retailers like Costco. I’ve asked them why they prefer this method and the top reasons include:
- Prefer to store previous tax returns on my physical computer and work on it without needing wifi access.
- I was at the store anyways (reminded of it this time of year)
- “It was on sale” Sometimes you can find Costco TurboTax Coupons in the sales paper or flyers.
There’s nothing wrong with these reasons for buying the physical TurboTax product from a store like Costco.
But before you make a decision to rush out to Costco, consider the price of TurboTax in stores and online.
TurboTax Discount
You’ll notice the chart below comparing the price of TurboTax online vs the physical product you’ll find in stores. This comparison uses the coupon listed below. It applies a $10 to $20 discount on the available Turbo Tax products, so use the coupon below when comparing the physical vs online versions.
TurboTax Costco Price vs Online
Let’s compare the cost of the physical TurboTax software from Costco to the online version. For comparison’s sake, we’ll compare the price using the latest TurboTax coupon (applied here).
| TurboTax Deluxe Online: Up to 10% off | TurboTax Premier Online: Up to 10% Off |
| TurboTax Deluxe Costco: $price specific to store | TurboTax Premier Costco: $ price specific to store |
Normally the TurboTax Costco price is at or slightly below the online discount. But as you can compare, the deluxe edition is currently cheaper when you purchase it directly online, but the premier version is a penny cheaper when you buy in the store at Costco!
These prices are always fluctuating and these prices are updated as of December 2024. But it’s a good reminder that it always pays to check the price of TurboTax online and in the stores to compare each deal!
Benefits of TurboTax Online
The online version of TurboTax may be easier than you think! Here are some of the benefits of using TurboTax online instead of a physical product.
Online Discounts on Pricing: TurboTax is known for running promotional discounts from January through April. The current discount is up to 10% off TurboTax.
Convenience and Security: Using TurboTax online is convenient because you can quickly save and access your tax return anywhere. No worrying about hitting save on your computer or worrying about harddrive issues. Your tax return is safely prepared and securely stored on the TurboTax servers.
Free File Online: Did you know that a lot of people are eligible for free file? You don’t even need to purchase TurboTax from Costco! Use TurboTax Free Edition* ~37% of taxpayers qualify. Simple Form 1040 returns only (no schedules except for Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Student Loan Interest)
Conclusion:
If you’re on the fence about the online TurboTax version or buying TurboTax at Costco, I would encourage you to compare price, convenience, and to figure out which TurboTax product is right for you.
The last thing you want to do is to buy one version of TurboTax at Costco and have to return it because you needed the premier version.
With the online TurboTax platform, you can quickly change your package to the different levels based on your needs.
Next Steps:
- Compare the TurboTax Costco prices to the current online offers at TurboTax
- Determine which version you need.
- Commit to online or physical product and file!
Personally, I recommend filing online because of the convenience and flexibility to choose different packages if needed.
I hope you found this review to be helpful!