Can I look at my draft return before signing?

[mesquitebean]

roaringbranch  asked:  "Can I look at my draft return before signing?"

Yes you can!   And you should!

I don't know what product you are using.   If you are using desktop software, you can go into Forms Mode or prepare a preview PDF at any time.  

If you are using Online TurboTax, you can see a preview version of your Form 1040 and Schedules 1-3 at any time for free.   Or you can pay in advance to have full viewing/printing privileges.

 Here are the 2 options in Online TurboTax:

You can preview your Form 1040 and Schedules 1-3 at any time for free.  Here's how:

• Open your return, and in the left menu column, choose TAX TOOLS, then choose TOOLS.
• In the Tools window, choose View Tax Summary.
• When the Tax Summary opens, look in the left menu column and choose Preview My 1040.
• That will show you the Form 1040 and schedules 1-3.

Or if you wish to do so, you can pay in advance to view/print the Form 1040 and all forms in your return at will.  Here's how:

• Open your return, and in the left menu column, choose Tax Tools, then Print Center.
• Then choose "Print/save/preview this year's return."
• On the next screen choose to "Pay now".
• Note:  It may try to upsell you on add-ons like MAX, which you can choose or decline.
• The next screen should be an Order Summary.  Review that, and if all is OK, click Continue.
• It should then prompt you for payment by credit or debit card.  The screen only says "credit card", but it will take a debit card.  If it should offer you the option to "pay later" out of the Federal refund, that can't be used for this purpose.  You will need to pay now by credit/debit card in order to download/print prior to filing.
• Then you should have an option of which PDF to download/print/view.  "Just my tax returns", or "include government worksheets (optional)", or "include government and TurboTax worksheets (optional.)"

 NOTE:  Remember all PDF tax documents and tax data files are very sensitive files, since they contain your personal ID info, financial data, and possibly bank account numbers, etc.  Be sure to store them safely and securely to guard against computer theft, hacking, etc.

[roaringbranch]

Thanks for detailed instructions -- as far as I can tell, turbotax does not provide any way to follow that path to the 1040 form, neither step-by-step nor intuitive. I'm using TT online on a Mac. I miss the old TT where I could toggle between the program and the forms, and edit in either place. 

The real problem is that TT imported my 1099 pdf with an error in the transfer. I can't figure out how to easily correct the error. I guess I can delete the erroneous report altogether, and then re-enter manually, but it's annoying. Let me know if you have any ideas. If not, I'm nonetheless grateful for your help so far!

[mesquitebean · Accepted solution]

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@ roaringbranch wrote:

Thanks for detailed instructions -- as far as I can tell, turbotax does not provide any way to follow that path to the 1040 form, neither step-by-step nor intuitive. I'm using TT online on a Mac. I miss the old TT where I could toggle between the program and the forms, and edit in either place. 

The real problem is that TT imported my 1099 pdf with an error in the transfer. I can't figure out how to easily correct the error. I guess I can delete the erroneous report altogether, and then re-enter manually, but it's annoying. Let me know if you have any ideas. If not, I'm nonetheless grateful for your help so far!

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You're welcome.  But I don't know why you were unable to use the steps above to preview the Form 1040  and Schedules 1-3.  I can't get it to fail when I use them.  In the first set of steps above (i.e., to get to Preview My 1040), where did you hit a roadblock?

     If you are using Online TurboTax in a browser, it shouldn't matter whether you are using a Mac or a PC since it's all done through a browser.  

As for your 1099, in Online TurboTax there is no Forms Mode to directly access and edit a form.  Forms Mode is only available in the desktop version of TurboTax.  So to correct a 1099 that was imported incorrectly from a financial institution, you'd either have to go through that particular 1099 interview again and make any corrections in the boxes there, or delete the 1099 and re-enter it manually.

To see all the forms in your return prior to filing, then, as I mentioned above, you would have to pay the product fees in advance.

[roaringbranch]

A slight misunderstanding... the steps you spelled out did work, and I'm grateful to know how to find the 1040 now. However I was just observing that I had no obvious or intuitive way to find those steps inside TurboTax without your help. Also, I'm interested in your information that desktop download version has different user tools than the online version -- maybe I will use that software next year. For now, the 1099 with the TTax generated error is too complicated to enter manually, and I'm going to just let it go to IRS as is. The error is in payer name and address; the Schedule D entries and final tax calculation are correct. Thanks again.