How to recover lost tax records

[Fosterjohnson]

Turbo Tax deleted a saved return and I have totally lost my tax record!

[DoninGA]

You have to sign onto your online account using the exact same User ID you used to create the online account.

Close all TurboTax windows on your web browser (including this one).  Copy and paste the account recovery website link onto a new web browser window and run the tool.

Use this TurboTax account recovery website to get a list of all the 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 none of the user ID's received will access your account, then use the option shown in blue on the account recovery website, "Try something else"

If you used the desktop CD/Download editions installed on your computer, the only copy of your tax data file and any PDF's will be on the computer where the return was created.  TurboTax does not store online any returns completed using the desktop editions.

To access your prior year tax returns sign onto 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)

[Mike9241]

what year? Turbotax and the IRS only save returns for 6 years.

[Fosterjohnson]

Last year (2020). I do my taxes thru the downloaded version of TurboTax and not the online version. 

[VolvoGirl]

Your return doesn't show up when you open the program?

Sorry if you used the Desktop CD/Download program then the only copy is/was on your computer.  Turbo Tax doesn't have or store a copy even if you efiled it.  Check your backups for any .tax or .tax2020 files.

If you used the Windows Desktop program you need the file ending in .taxyyyy to open in it.  The tax files (and PDF files) should be in your Documents then in a Turbo Tax subfolder.  If you can't find them do a search for all files ending in .tax or .tax2020 or .tax2019, etc.  And check the Recycle Bin.  For Windows 10 check the One Drive.  Did you make any backups?  Like DropBox.

If you don't have the main .tax file you might have one that starts with a Tilde sign ~ like  "~your name.tax2020".  That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

Find your Tax file in Windows

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows/00/...