This is the most confusing tier. Home & Business is actually more powerful than Self-Employed for one specific reason:
Here is how the four desktop versions stack up. | Feature | Deluxe | Premier | Self-Employed | Home & Business | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Best for | W-2 earners, homeowners, charity | Investors, rental property owners | Freelancers, gig workers, 1099 contractors | Business owners (LLC, S-Corp, sole prop) | | Investment sales (stocks/crypto) | ❌ (Manual entry only) | ✅ (Imports from brokerages) | ✅ | ✅ | | Rental property income | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Business expense finder | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Schedule C (Profit/Loss) | Basic only | Basic only | Advanced (Industry-specific) | Advanced + Payroll | | Asset depreciation | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Corporate/Partnership returns | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (1120, 1065, etc.) | | Maximum state returns | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Deep Dive into Each Version 1. TurboTax Deluxe (The Baseline) Price: ~$55 + $45 per state compare turbotax download versions
The desktop versions go on sale at Amazon, Costco, and Best Buy in late January and early February—often $20–30 cheaper than Intuit’s direct price. Do not pay full retail. This is the most confusing tier
Note: Features and pricing are based on the current tax year. Intuit occasionally adjusts feature sets, but the core differences between tiers remain consistent. While many taxpayers have shifted to online filing, the downloadable (desktop) versions of TurboTax remain popular for their ability to handle complex investments, rental properties, and the ability to file multiple returns for one price. However, choosing the wrong version means paying for tools you don’t need—or missing deductions you do. TurboTax Deluxe (The Baseline) Price: ~$55 + $45
Despite the name, "Deluxe" is actually the entry-level download version. It handles everything a typical W-2 employee needs: mortgage interest, property taxes, charitable donations, medical expenses, and child tax credits.
Buy this only if your only income is from a job, a bank savings account, and perhaps a small side gig without assets. 2. TurboTax Premier (The Investor’s Choice) Price: ~$90 + $45 per state
It cannot import stock or crypto transactions. If you sold any investments, Deluxe forces you to manually type every trade—a nightmare if you have 50+ transactions.