All Past Years Tax Returns are missing

[user17694464374]

I have downloaded the desktop version of Turbo Tax Home and business 2025 and when I went to start my tax return and transfer 2024 it wasn't there. I have looked everywhere that I can think that it should be, and I can't find any of the returns that I did for 2024. I have been using Turbo Tax for years and have never had this happen. How do I find the 2024 tax returns? I looked in Adobe Acrobat, documents, once drive and there is only two of the returns that I did for 2024. I have checked the recycle bin and trash.   The actual name of the return will show up if you right click on the Turbo Tax 2024 but if you click on it nothing happens. The returns are also missing for all the other years that I have done all the way back to 2018. I have contacted Turbo Tax Customer Service, I have updated my Microsoft and Turbo Tax.  I have deleted the Turbo Tax and reinstalled.  I really need to find these files. I do have copies of them but need the software to work because all my previous years deprecation is on it.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Bsch4477]

Any return created on your desktop computer is on your computer generally in  a folder called Documents /Turbotax. There are no returns that you can see on the TurboTax site. 

[SharonD007]

To find your tax data files that were saved on your computer, refer to the TurboTax articles:

How do I find my tax data file (.tax file) on my Windows computer?

How do I find my tax data file (.tax file) in Mac?

[user17694464374]

Mine are not there my sons are but mine is missing.

[user17694464374]

Mine is not there it shows up in the window.

[CatinaT1]

Please refer to this help article for guidance on locating your .tax2024 tax file.  If you are using TurboTax Desktop, it will be saved on your computer drive.  

If you used the online version:

To access your tax returns (current or prior year) you will sign into the TurboTax website with the user ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and on the section Your tax returns & documents click on Show.  Click on the Year and Click on Download/print return (PDF)

As an alternative for current year return, when you sign onto your online account and land on the Tax Home web page, scroll down and click on Add a State (You will not really be adding a state). 

This will take you back in to the 2025 online tax return.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen.  Find the Print Center and choose the year you want to print.  If you want your full return including worksheets, choose the option Include government and TurboTax worksheets.

In TurboTax Online, follow these steps to print/view your return and all of the informational worksheets after you have filed:

1. Sign in to TurboTax
2. Scroll down to Your Tax Returns & Documents
3. Select 2024 and then Add a State (You aren't actually adding a State but this gets you back into the Print Center)
4. From the left panel Select Tax Tools, scroll down a little and select Print Center
5. Select Print, save or preview this year's return
6. Select the 2024 Federal and/or State return box
7. Choose to Include TurboTax and government worksheets
8. Select View or Print Forms

[ddunlap]

Happened to me this year. 2024 Returns are missing and most of the older return too. Never had this problem before. Have been using Turbo Tax for years. I now believe this is a critical problem with Turbo Tax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[user17694464374]

Me too, they have no answers and told me to try Microsoft and they told they can't help with missing data.

[CandidCustomer]

I 100% agree. I went to work on my taxes for 2025 this last weekend and they were all missing from my computer AND Turbo Tax. 2013 through 2024 were missing. I spent about 5 hours searching for them on my computer (many different ways I had never even tried before). But with the internet's help and my resolve to figure it out, I found all but one year. Of course that was the year I needed the most (2024). However, I was able to log on to the IRS and get a transcript of my 2024 return which will have all the numbers I need to file 2025. But something serious is going on for so many people to be missing files. I talked to Apple Support and they said something could have updated in the background and removed the files. Ironically it was only my tax returns linked to Turbo Tax, and it happened on August 28, 2025. The empty folders were all timestamped with that date. Every single one. It very disturbing that something like this can happen. Thank goodness the IRS is getting with the times and allowing folks to download past filings! I thought having them saved on Turbo Tax and printing a PDF for my computer would cover me. But I guess I'll have to physically print them out as well now.  Good luck everyone!

[mesquitebean]

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@ CandidCustomer wrote:  2013 through 2024 were missing (from Mac I presume)

. But with the internet's help and my resolve to figure it out, I found all but one year. 

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Where did you find the tax data files?  It might help someone else.

Because of seeing stories such as yours in this forum over the years, here's my routine when using TurboTax each year:

I save a copy of the *.taxYYYY data file on a flash drive after every work session.  And each year I archive a copy of the *.taxYYYY data file and and 2 PDFs--one PDF with the return "as filed", and a second PDF with the return and all forms and worksheets.  If saving just 1 PDF, then I'd save the larger one with the return and all forms and worksheets.  And since I print out a copy of the return to review prior to filing, I save that, too.