I cannot open my current file....How do I recover?

[mickman]

I tried to open my 2020 file and it says it is not to be found, but I cannot understand how to recover my backup file.

[MaryK4]

Use the steps in the following link to see if you have multiple logins.  Forgot your TurboTax Online User ID or password?

[kkevra]

I cannot open my current file....How do I recover? My back up file

[MichelleLO]

If you are using TurboTax online and do not see your tax data in your account, you may have inadvertently created another TurboTax account.  Go here to see how many accounts you may have, one of them should have the return you're looking for.

If you are using TurboTax Desktop, your tax file would be stored on your computer only. For assistance with locating your tax data file, please see the below help articles:

• Find your tax data file (.tax file) in Windows
• Find your tax data file in Mac

@kkevra

[helwalt]

How do I recover my 2020 Tax Return

[DoninGA]

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@helwalt wrote:

How do I recover my 2020 Tax Return

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You have to sign onto your 2020 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 2020 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 current or prior year online 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)

[edsikorski2]

I got a new computer.   Turbotax comes up  on it but there is no 2020 data .  How do I retrieve my data?

[DoninGA]

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@edsikorski2 wrote:

I got a new computer.   Turbotax comes up  on it but there is no 2020 data .  How do I retrieve my data?

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If you used the 2020 TurboTax desktop CD/Download editions on your old computer then the 2020 tax data file has to be copied from the old computer to the new computer with the 2020 TurboTax software installed.  The tax data file is in the Documents directory and in the TurboTax folder.

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.

[VolvoGirl]

@edsikorski2 

Are you on Windows or Mac Desktop?
For Windows. Your tax files end in .tax or .tax2020, .tax2019, .tax2018,  etc. They should be in your Documents in a Turbo Tax folder. You should also have the pdf files of each year. Or search your computer for all files ending in .tax. Also if you haven't done it, I would open each year in the program and save it as a pdf file, go to FILE - SAVE TO PDF so you don't need the program installed to view your return.

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. Then on the new computer copy the folder (or files) from the flash drive to your Documents folder.

You only need the tax return data file ending in .tax2019 to transfer into 2020.

See this article on how to move your tax return to another computer…….
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-move-my-tax-data-file-to-another-compu...

After you get the program reinstalled the first thing to do before you open your tax return is to update the program and install any state programs you had. Then open your file. So you first might need to start a fake return to be able to download the state program (go to FILE - NEW). Enter some basic information, then go to the state tab and download the state program. Then try to open your existing return, go to FILE - OPEN

[ybuerfeind30]

I want to get back to my return which was about 3/4 finished. How can I find it

[DoninGA]

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@ybuerfeind30 wrote:

I want to get back to my return which was about 3/4 finished. How can I find it

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You have to sign onto your 2021 online account using the exact same user ID you used to create the 2021 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 2021 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)

[mmatthews012412]

Re: I cannot open my current 2020 windows file....How do I recover?

[VolvoGirl]

@mmatthews012412   You have the .tax2020 file and the program doesn't open it?  Do you get any error message or code?  Have you updated the program?  Can you start a new blank return (go up to File-New)?

If your .tax2020 File has any state returns in it you need to first download the state program.

After you get the program installed the first thing to do before you open your tax return is to update the program and install any state programs you had. Then open your file. So you first might need to start a fake return to be able to download the state program (go to FILE - NEW TAX RETURN)

Then go to FILE -Open and find your return.

[NCperson]

@mmatthews012412 - a file ending with *.tax2020 can only be opened with the 2020 version of turbo tax.... are you trying to open it with the 2021 version????

if you begin a new return in the 2021 version, it will ask if you want to copy in last year's data... at that point the 2021 version should access the 2020 file to grab what it needs

[schiffmiller]

How can I recover my tax return from a PDF backup file?