I’m trying to add PLUS and it’s not letting me do it. I need to view my 2017 return.

[mesquitebean]

You have a problem in that  you appear to be using Live Basic, which is already a higher upgrade than PLUS.  Live Basic is 79.99 for a Federal return, and 34.99 for any state return, while PLUS is 19.99.   We can tell you what to do once we understand all of your situation.

Was your 2017 return prepared with Online TurboTax?  If so, log in to your account and look in the section "Your Tax Returns & Documents."   Choose tax year 2017, and look for a link to download/print the PDF.   Do you find evidence of your return there OK, but when you try to download, does it ask you to pay?    If it was prepared in Free Edition last year, access will be locked.   If that's your situation, we can tell you how to pay to unlock your 2017 return.   The method to unlock it depends on what all you have done with your 2018 return.

If you find no evidence at all of your 2017 online return in that account, we can tell you how to look for multiple accounts.    A return prepared in desktop software (CD/download) will not be in an online account.

Please answer all of the following:

1. Have you already filed a 2018 return in Online TurboTax, or is one in preparation?  Or did you file elsewhere?
2. Was the 2018 return prepared in Free Edition or another edition?
3. How did you get in Live Basic?  Did you want that extra feature when you prepared your return, which includes live help from a CPA/EA tax expert?   Or did you recently upgrade by mistake, trying to resolve this prior-return access issue?
4. Is the 2018 return in the SAME account as the 2017 online return?

We can tell you how to unlock a return once you answer all the questions above.

There's also a free option if a return transcript will suit your purpose.   You may be able to immediately download one at the IRS website if you qualify to open an IRS account there.  Otherwise, to order a transcript to come by postal mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

Was your 2017 return prepared with Online TurboTax?  If so, log in to your account and look in the section "Your Tax Returns & Documents."   Choose tax year 2017, and look for a link to download/print the PDF.   Do you find evidence of your return there OK, but when you try to download, does it ask you to pay?    If it was prepared in Free Edition last year, access will be locked.   If that's your situation, we can tell you how to pay to unlock your 2017 return.   The method to unlock it depends on what all you have done with your 2018 return.

If you find no evidence at all of your 2017 online return in that account, we can tell you how to look for multiple accounts.    A return prepared in desktop software (CD/download) will not be in an online account.

Please answer all of the following:

1. Have you already filed a 2018 return in Online TurboTax, or is one in preparation?  Or did you file elsewhere?
2. Was the 2018 return prepared in Free Edition or another edition?
3. How did you get in Live Basic?  Did you want that extra feature when you prepared your return, which includes live help from a CPA/EA tax expert?   Or did you recently upgrade by mistake, trying to resolve this prior-return access issue?
4. Is the 2018 return in the SAME account as the 2017 online return?

We can tell you how to unlock a return once you answer all the questions above.

There's also a free option if a return transcript will suit your purpose.   You may be able to immediately download one at the IRS website if you qualify to open an IRS account there.  Otherwise, to order a transcript to come by postal mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

Was your 2017 return prepared with Online TurboTax?  If so, log in to your account and look in the section "Your Tax Returns & Documents."   Choose tax year 2017, and look for a link to download/print the PDF.   Do you find evidence of your return there OK, but when you try to download, does it ask you to pay?    If it was prepared in Free Edition last year, access will be locked.   If that's your situation, we can tell you how to pay to unlock your 2017 return.   The method to unlock it depends on what all you have done with your 2018 return.

If you find no evidence at all of your 2017 online return in that account, we can tell you how to look for multiple accounts.    A return prepared in desktop software (CD/download) will not be in an online account.

Please answer all of the following:

1. Have you already filed a 2018 return in Online TurboTax, or is one in preparation?  Or did you file elsewhere?
2. Was the 2018 return prepared in Free Edition or another edition?
3. How did you get in Live Basic?  Did you want that extra feature when you prepared your return, which includes live help from a CPA/EA tax expert?   Or did you recently upgrade by mistake, trying to resolve this prior-return access issue?
4. Is the 2018 return in the SAME account as the 2017 online return?

We can tell you how to unlock a return once you answer all the questions above.

There's also a free option if a return transcript will suit your purpose.   You may be able to immediately download one at the IRS website if you qualify to open an IRS account there.  Otherwise, to order a transcript to come by postal mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

Also, if all you need is your 2017 AGI, there should be a free link in the section "Your Tax Returns & Documents".  Choose tax year 2017 and look for a link "View adjusted gross income (AGI.)"

[jcowette]

I filed for free on turbo tax and am just trying to add plus. I accidentally click live basic and I hope I doesn’t automatically charge me because I file for free back in January.

[mesquitebean]

No, it won't automatically charge you.  You would have had to take active measures to pay for it with credit/debit card after it showed you an Order Summary.  So you should NOT be charged for it merely by selecting it by mistake.   But it does cause a problem that TurboTax Support will need to resolve for you.

Normally, if your return was still in preparation,  you would be able to clear and start over and get back to Free Edition in order to upgrade to PLUS.    However, since you have already filed, you can no longer clear the return.   So if you try to print now, it will indeed charge you for Live Basic.    So here's what to do:

Phone TurboTax Support tomorrow.  Since you are currently in Live Basic, that product qualifies for phone support.   Tell them exactly what happened.  Tell them you upgraded too far by mistake after filing and ask them to unlock the 2017 return.   It's possible they won't even charge you the 19.99.

The other option is to get the free return transcript from the IRS as I mentioned in my comment above.

TurboTax Support  Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Monday-Friday

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

[jcowette]

I never got a summary or gave any form of payment.

[mesquitebean]

---

jcowette wrote:
I never got a summary or gave any form of payment.

---

That's what I said.  It won't charge you unless you try to print while being in Live Basic.  And even then it would first show you an Order Summary and ask for card information.   So don't worry about any charges for selecting it by accident.

As I said above, this can only be resolved by TurboTax Customer Support.  You probably won't even have to pay anything, or at most it would be 19.99.    When you tell them you upgraded too far by accident, they may just unlock the prior return as a courtesy.

[jcowette]

Thank you!

[mesquitebean]

You're welcome.   Good luck.

[jf0609]

We applied for an extention on our 2018 return but need access to our 2017 federal return as we are buying a house.  

[mesquitebean]

---

@jf0609 wrote:

We applied for an extention on our 2018 return but need access to our 2017 federal return as we are buying a house.  

---

I'm not sure why you are mentioning a 2018 extension, unless it means that you had not yet finished and paid for a 2018 online product you were using..   Extended 2018 returns were due by October 15, 2019, unless you met an exception such as a disaster area.  Online TurboTax closed on October 20 to prepare for the new 2019 online product, which comes out likely the first week of December.    A 2018 return would now have to be prepared/finished in the 2018 desktop software (CD/download).   In any case, you didn't say if you had paid for a 2018 TurboTax product or not.    I presume you have not, or the 2017 return should not be locked.

If the 2017 return is locked and it asks you to pay, normally the way to pay is to upgrade a current year tax return to PLUS and pay the 19.99.    Since 2018 online TurboTax shutdown in October, the current year's product is now TurboTax 2019, which normally start ups the first week of December (although I believe it was 2-3 days early last year.)

Therefore,  November is typically a "limbo period" for access to prior returns, since it is not yet possible to use the usual online method of upgrading to 2019 PLUS (or higher product) yet.    You will likely be able to do it the first week of December.

If you need a copy expeditiously, you can try contacting TurboTax Support by phone and ask them if they will unlock it for you.  You may run into a roadblock reaching phone support, however, since you have not yet paid for 2018.  It may ask you to pay.

Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Monday-Friday.

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

If you can't reach them that way, then you can use messaging at Twitter or Facebook to reach a support agent directly.  Same business hours.

https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax
or
https://www.facebook.com/turbotax

Here's another option.  Many mortgage loan companies will accept an IRS tax return transcript.  You can ask yours if they will.   If you qualify to open an IRS account, you can download a free tax return transcript from the IRS.  If you can't download one, a transcript by mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

If the 2017 return is locked and it asks you to pay, normally the way to pay is to upgrade a current year tax return to PLUS and pay the 19.99.    Since 2018 online TurboTax shutdown in October, the current year's product is now TurboTax 2019, which normally start ups the first week of December (although I believe it was 2-3 days early last year.)

Therefore,  November is typically a "limbo period" for access to prior returns, since it is not yet possible to use the usual online method of upgrading to 2019 PLUS (or higher product) yet.    You will likely be able to do it the first week of December.

If you need a copy expeditiously, you can try contacting TurboTax Support by phone and ask them if they will unlock it for you.  You may run into a roadblock reaching phone support, however, since you have not yet paid for 2018.  It may ask you to pay.

Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Monday-Friday.

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

If you can't reach them that way, then you can use messaging at Twitter or Facebook to reach a support agent directly.  Same business hours.

https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax
or
https://www.facebook.com/turbotax

Here's another option.  Many mortgage loan companies will accept an IRS tax return transcript.  You can ask yours if they will.   If you qualify to open an IRS account, you can download a free tax return transcript from the IRS.  If you can't download one, a transcript by mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

If the 2017 return is locked and it asks you to pay, normally the way to pay is to upgrade a current year tax return to PLUS and pay the 19.99.    Since 2018 online TurboTax shutdown in October, the current year's product is now TurboTax 2019, which normally start ups the first week of December (although I believe it was 2-3 days early last year.)

Therefore,  November is typically a "limbo period" for access to prior returns, since it is not yet possible to use the usual online method of upgrading to 2019 PLUS (or higher product) yet.    You will likely be able to do it the first week of December.

If you need a copy expeditiously, you can try contacting TurboTax Support by phone and ask them if they will unlock it for you.  You may run into a roadblock reaching phone support, however, since you have not yet paid for 2018.  It may ask you to pay.

Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Monday-Friday.

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

If you can't reach them that way, then you can use messaging at Twitter or Facebook to reach a support agent directly.  Same business hours.

https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax
or
https://www.facebook.com/turbotax

Here's another option.  Many mortgage loan companies will accept an IRS tax return transcript.  You can ask yours if they will.   If you qualify to open an IRS account, you can download a free tax return transcript from the IRS.  If you can't download one, a transcript by mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

If the 2017 return is locked and it asks you to pay, normally the way to pay is to upgrade a current year tax return to PLUS and pay the 19.99.    Since 2018 online TurboTax shutdown in October, the current year's product is now TurboTax 2019, which normally start ups the first week of December (although I believe it was 2-3 days early last year.)

Therefore,  November is typically a "limbo period" for access to prior returns, since it is not yet possible to use the usual online method of upgrading to 2019 PLUS (or higher product) yet.    You will likely be able to do it the first week of December.

If you need a copy expeditiously, you can try contacting TurboTax Support by phone and ask them if they will unlock it for you.  You may run into a roadblock reaching phone support, however, since you have not yet paid for 2018.  It may ask you to pay.

Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Monday-Friday.

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

If you can't reach them that way, then you can use messaging at Twitter or Facebook to reach a support agent directly.  Same business hours.

https://twitter.com/TeamTurboTax
or
https://www.facebook.com/turbotax

Here's another option.  Many mortgage loan companies will accept an IRS tax return transcript.  You can ask yours if they will.   If you qualify to open an IRS account, you can download a free tax return transcript from the IRS.  If you can't download one, a transcript by mail takes 5-10 calendar days.
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

[mesquitebean]

@jf0609 

Oh, here's one other thing if you're trying to unlock a 2017 online return.   A user reported the following as a workaround; at least it worked for him.  Your mileage may vary.

NOTE:  You have to try this during business hours while Support is open, or it may not work.

The interface in the steps below may not be fully functional when they are closed.   But here is a  possible workaround to use when they are open. Hours are 5AM-5PM Pacific (8AM-8PM Eastern) Mon-Fri.  They are closed on weekends this time of year.

Log in, and at the main Tax Home page immediately go to the top right corner and click HELP.   Scroll way down beyond the suggested links and click on CONTACT US.

You may have to enter a question.

Choose to phone TurboTax Support, or it may say schedule a callback.

In any case, it may then ask you to pay to have phone support.

Once paid, then past returns should be unlocked.

In the future it's a good idea to save a copy of your return and/or PDF each year (in a protected and secured safe place) so you don't have to worry about access problems.