I'm attempting to recover copies of my taxes from the past 7 years as my old computer where those files were stored. How can obtain printable copies?

[DoninGA]

TurboTax only retains the last 7 years of the online tax returns, the same retention period as the IRS.

To access your prior year online tax returns sign onto the TurboTax website with the User ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

Start the 2023 online tax return by entering some personal information then click on Tax Home on the left side of the screen.

On the Tax Home webpage -

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

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.

Or go to this IRS website for free federal tax return transcripts - https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

For a fee of $43 you can get a complete federal tax return from the IRS by completing Form 4506 - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

[adorsai]

Thanks for sharing that information. Yes, it answered my question but at the same time it raised another, which is why doesn't TurboTax make it possible for those of us, dare I suggest the majority of us who use their 'online' programing, be able to download their past 7 years worth of taxes?  The system which they have in place now is totally useless to the majority of their users because there is no way to translate the data into a printable PDF format.

[SteamTrain]

@adorsai 

Certainly, the Desktop software users need to save their own PDF backup files...on AND off computer.

BUT.....Online folks

For "Online" users, the PDF files are right there in your account.  (2016 & earlier are not as those are beyond 7 years old).  You do NOT need the software if you save your own PDFs ever year (AND BACK THEM UP...or print copies for your paper files).   I just now downloaded (again) the 2018 PDF easily from my Online account.

____________________________________