Lost last year's efiled return

[Kessler15]

My grandson deleted my 2023 tax filing and I now only have the printed hard copy of my 2023 tax return that I filed using TurboTax.  How can I recreate 2023 so that when I begin my 2024 taxes with TurboTax Desktop the 2023 information will be there and will move forward?  Do I just have to reenter into the 2023 software (which I still have)?

[xmasbaby0]

If you used the CD/download software for 2023, the tax file was only stored on your own hard drive or any back up device you used like a flash drive.   It is not stored online.  So...if your grandchild really deleted the file, you can use your 2023 software to re-create the return---using Forms mode--- to match your printed copy.     Doing that will not enter all of your information regarding employers, financial institutions, etc.   You would have to go through the 2023 questions to get all of that into the file.     Or you can just start from scratch when you prepare 2024.

Are you certain it was deleted?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-...

[VolvoGirl]

You don't have the file ending in .tax2023?  Are you on Windows?  Yes you can make a new 2023 return and re enter it so it can transfer into 2024.  

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 .tax2023 or .tax2022, 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.tax2023". That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

The ~ is a tilde file. Those are temporary files that you normally don't see and normally are deleted. But now Turbo Tax is leaving them in the folder in case something happens like if your file gets corrupted or lost or your computer crashes. Then you can go back. If you can't transfer from the regular file you can transfer from the ~ file.

[Kessler15]

That's what I thought I had to do and will do it.  Yes, I'm sure the file is gone.  Check the Recycle Bin as well as everywhere else.  Last time I'll let my grandson use my computer lol!  Thanks so much!

[rjs]

I don't see the value in recreating your 2023 tax return just so the information can be transferred to your 2024 tax return. It's a lot of extra work with no discernible benefit, and it creates a chance for errors. I suggest that you just start your 2024 tax return from scratch, as if you didn't use TurboTax for 2023, and enter information as needed. That would actually be less work. You would be doing the data entry work on your 2024 tax return instead of on reproducing your 2023 tax return. Transferring from the prior year doesn't perform any magic that you would lose by starting 2024 from scratch.

[VolvoGirl]

Well if you have a complicated return like with depreciation and carryovers.  And if you have the 2022 tax data file you could transfer into 2023 again to bring everything forward.  

[rjs]

Thinking about this a little more, VolvoGirl has a valid point. But the key is that you have to have the .tax2022 file for your 2022 tax return. If you have that, then recreating your 2023 tax return could save some effort. You could start your recreated 2023 tax return by transferring information from 2022. That way you would avoid having to reenter a lot of the information, primarily the non-numeric information. If you do this, you have to make sure that the recreated 2023 tax return exactly matches your hard copy of the 2023 tax return that you filed.

[Kessler15]

Thank you for all your suggestions. Yes I do have depreciation to carry forward so  now have the suggestions from this group to do so.  I’ll also double check to make sure my file isn’t hidden somewhere on my computer.