Tax returns prepared using turbotax online or turbotax desktop can be saved as either tax data files or PDFs. If the customer originally prepared their returns using turbotax online, the customer should be able to log back into their previous account and download all their PDFs. In some cases, a fee may be required. See my canned answer at the bottom.
If the customer prepared their returns with turbotax desktop, and if they still have the software installed on their computer, ask them to generate PDFs rather than tax data files. If they deleted the software but still have the CDs (or if they purchased downloadable installers) ask them to reinstall the programs and then save their files as PDFs.
There are also some commercial services that claim to keep old computers with old operating systems and tax programs of all brands, who will covert a data file to PDF for a fee. At least some of them use secure (https, ssl etc) methods to transfer the files, but I don't know how reliable they are.
Turbotax uses a subscription model. If you file for free, your tax return is available for free download and printing until October 15 of the year you file (or October 18 this year). If you use a paid version, your return is available for free download and printing until October 15 of the next year. After that, your return will be "locked" and you can unlock it by paying for an upgrade or using a paid version of Turbotax to file your tax return in the current year. However, this only works if you use the same account each year, because payments don't cross-apply to old accounts. Sometimes people create second accounts by mistake. Use the account recovery tool to see if you might have a second account associated with one of your email addresses. https://myturbotax.intuit.com/account-recovery/
If you used a paid version in 2015 and some or all of your past years' returns are locked, you may have used a different account. Use the tool above to check for extra accounts and then contact customer support.
If you used a free version for your 2015 taxes and did not save a copy before October 17, 2016, you will have to upgrade to buy access to your previous returns.
You can also get a transcript from the IRS, this not an exact tax return but is a legal record of what you filed and is valid for most reasons that you would need a copy of your tax return (loan application, etc.) https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900748-how-do-i-get-a-copy-of-a-return-i-filed-in-turbotax-online
Customer support hours are given below. To contact support, use this web form and type your question or a keyword. You will get an appropriate phone number for your issue. (You will not get a phone number if you use the link outside of operating hours.)
https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3300041
