Prior Year tax returns not showing on my turbo tax desktop file

[lmkfdk]

I have downloaded the desktop version of Turbo Tax Home and business 2025 and when I went to start my tax return and transfer 2024 it wasn't there. I have looked everywhere that I can think that it should be, and I can't find any of the returns that I did for 2024. I have been using Turbo Tax for years and have never had this happen. How do I find the 2024 tax returns? I looked in Adobe Acrobat, documents, cloud storage and there is only one of the returns that I did for 2024. The returns are also missing for all the other years that I have done all the way back to 2018. I need help or this is going to cost me hours to prepare the returns for 2025.

[mesquitebean]

How were the prior returns prepared?   If prepared Online, they won't be on your computer (unless you downloaded them) but would be in your online account.   If prepared in desktop software, perform an automated search of your entire system for any files ending in *.tax2024 and also look in the Recycle Bin.

If you have more than 1 Windows user local account, such as an Admin account or other Windows user account,  log into each one and perform the searches in each Windows account.   

[mesquitebean]

You mentioned "cloud storage", but we don't know which one that means.   So if you haven't already, check to see if the files could have ended up in OneDrive.

The default location in Windows for TurboTax files is the Documents\TurboTax folder.   You said you looked in Documents, but also be sure you looked in the TurboTax folder that is in Documents.  Maybe you already have.  

[GabiU]

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[lmkfdk]

Hello,

I had already tried all your suggestions to search my computer and my OneDrive storage. The tax returns are not there. Why would I not have my saved pdf tax files that were there before? I have always saved as PDF's in all my prior Turbo Tax programs. All but 1 return is missing. I'm not sure what else to do. I did mail a request to the IRS for my 2024 tax return.

[mesquitebean]

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@ lmkfdk wrote:

I had already tried all your suggestions to search my computer and my OneDrive storage. The tax returns are not there. Why would I not have my saved pdf tax files that were there before? I have always saved as PDF's in all my prior Turbo Tax programs. All but 1 return is missing. I'm not sure what else to do. I did mail a request to the IRS for my 2024 tax return.

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Sorry you are having that issue.   I've seen it happen to users a small number of times, but I don't know why it happens or what else to suggest.   I presume you did also check the Recycle Bin, since you said "tried all" suggestions.  You can see if anyone else responds in this thread, or if you wish to discuss it with TurboTax Support to see if they suggest anything else, here's how to reach them:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/contact/

Since I've seen this happen to a few other users in this forum over the years, I make a point of saving a backup copy of my current in-progress *.tax2025 data file to a thumb drive after every work session.  And when my return is finished and filed, I save backup copies of both the tax data file and PDFs to external storage, too.  I usually save a PDF "as filed", and a PDF with "all forms and worksheets."   These files also need to be safeguarded against hacking, computer theft, etc. since they contain a lot of sensitive personal info.

[mesquitebean]

Addendum:

Forgot to mention this in the last comment.Since you say you have PDFs that are missing, too.  I presume you have also searched your computer system for files ending in *.PDF in addition to searching for the *.tax data files.

[SV69]

Same issue with me, the only document I have is an email from Intuit stating my return was accepted.  I have sent in a request for all my files.

[stockmanreef]

this is the second year in a row that I can't find my previous year's tax return on my computer and I can't even open up last year's turbotax to find my last year's taxes.  WTF. at least I saved as a PDF

I guess next year I will move to a different platform if turbotax.

[Thefrg]

Did you have any luck getting a digital version of last years return to be able to import into TurboTax desktop 2025?

[mesquitebean]

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@Thefrg wrote:

Did you have any luck getting a digital version of last years return to be able to import into TurboTax desktop 2025?

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How was your last year's 2024 return prepared?    If it was prepared in 2024 desktop software, then you are the only one who could have saved the *.tax2024 data file on your computer, external storage, or cloud storage.   If you used Online TurboTax, we can tell you how to find and download the *.tax2024 data file so you can transfer it into a 2025 desktop return.

[Thefrg]

I saved .pdf files. Wasn’t the .tax2024 data file supposed to save automatically?  

[mesquitebean]

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@Thefrg wrote:

I saved .pdf files. Wasn’t the .tax2024 data file supposed to save automatically?  

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Yes, the *.tax2024 data file is saved automatically, whether using Online TurboTax or desktop TurboTax.    If you used 2024 desktop software, the default folder for the data file (at least the Windows version) would be the Documents\TurboTax folder, but it could have been saved in another location.  You can search your entire system for any file ending in *.tax2024 or you can also search for just *.tax to see if you can find the data file.  And also look in the Recycle Bin and search any external storage.  If you use any cloud storage like OneDrive also look there..  If you have the Windows version and have multiple Windows user accounts, such as an admin account, etc., then do the searches from within each user account.

[Thefrg]

I have been purchasing the desktop version for several years. I did all of the recommended actions and the .tax2024 files are not anywhere. Previous years do show up. I enabled showing hidden files. Still no luck. I know I did not delete these files.  I only use this laptop for this because it hasn’t been available for Mac.  All I can assume is that the software isn’t auto saving the final .tax file.  Luckily I saved .pdf versions but that won’t help with auto importing that data. Seriously considering requesting a refund and trying another software since I will have to input everything from scratch again anyway. 

[shenry32162]

Plus, I had to call customer support this morning as the 2025 turbo tax wouldn't download.  Customer service rep, Sharon had to shadow my laptop to get it to download.  She stayed on the line long enough to make sure it would open, which it did.

BUT, I realized after we had hung up that my 2024 returns are missing.  It's as though they were never filed, but they were and I do have hard copy of my return.  I had to enter all my information from start.  Took me 5 hours to enter all the information.  

So where are my 2024 files?