How many years of returns are stored by turbotax

[NjoyBhappy]

You can access the returns filed using TurboTax Online for 7 years. 

• If you used TurboTax Online Deluxe, Premier or Home & Business to prepare the tax return you’re seeking a copy of, just log into your account at TurboTax.com. 

• On the Welcome Back screen, click the View your returns from prior years link, located below the Continue button.

• If you used TurboTax Fee Edition, you will need to purchase PLUS to access prior years' tax return .

NOTE: TurboTax doesn't store returns filed using the CD/Download software. Those are stored locally on your computer. Find your return on   Windows   or   Mac  .

TIP:  you can always request account transcripts from the IRS. Please see here for additional information: How do I Request Prior Year Federal Tax Returns?

[aceman05]

Why don't I see my 2017 and 2018 returns on line when I go into my account.  I used TT on line Home and Business?

[VolvoGirl]

Are you sure it was Home & Business?  Home & Business is the name for the Desktop download installed program.  The online name is Self Employed version.  

If you used the online version, That's common to end up with multiple accounts.  First LOG OUT of whatever TurboTax account you're logged into right now. Then use this TurboTax account recovery website to get a list of user ID's for an email address.  Run the tool against any email addresses you may have used

https://myturbotax.intuit.com/account-recovery/

If you used the Desktop CD/Download program, Then the only copies are on your computer.

[aceman05]

It was Home and Business and I thought it saved the returns also in the cloud?  I am worried about a fire or loss of hard drive and all my data.  Is there a way to put the returns in the cloud so I can access them for disaster recovery?

[xmasbaby0]

If you used desktop software downloaded/installed from a CD to your own computer, then the tax files are stored locally on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.  They are not stored online ( or in the "cloud")  If you cannot recover them due to a hard drive failure, etc. you can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $50, an actual copy of the return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Contact your state for copies of previous state returns.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901670-how-do-i-contact-my-state-department-of-revenue

[VolvoGirl]

You should always make backups.  You should save both the pdf and .tax files to either a flash drive or burn a CD or DVD.  You can backup to anywhere you want.  Do you have a cloud backup service or something like Drop Box?

The tax data files end in .tax2016, .tax2017, .tax2018 etc.

Are you using Windows or Mac? For Windows, 

What I would do is just copy the whole Turbo Tax folder that is under your Documents.  That should be where the .tax files and pdf files are stored.  Copy that folder to a flash drive or best yet is to burn it to a CD or DVD and then you will have a backup of them. 

Aren't you regularly backing up your whole computer?  That should also be backing up the tax files.

[VolvoGirl]

Found the FAQ 

How to backup in the Desktop CD/Download program

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-back-up-my-tax-file-in-the-turbotax-cd...

[aceman05]

Thanks for all the good data.  My concern has always been if there is a major fire....and the house and everything in it is destroyed.  Common in California unfortunately....yes, I backup to auxiliary hard drive and a flash drive, but if the house is gone...these too will be gone, unless I carried it with me.  

But I did just upload them into my DropBox account....which I did not realize I could do, so now they will be safe in the cloud!

Thanks again....