Unable to e-file amended 1040X for 2021

[pk]

A possible suggestion from @Anonymous_ --

If you told TurboTax to save your files on desktop, then everytime  you work on the return, it creates a temp. backup, marked with a  tilde in front of the  name of the file.  I think it often leaves it there  and updates  it the next time you open the file to work on the return, thus for safety's sake it always keeps a back-up while changes are being made.    This opens up the possibility , especially after filing the return, to either select the directly  ( by double clicking the  tilde file on the desktop ) or choosing this from the list of files and thus TurboTax on the desktop  would be out-of-step  with the actual situation.   In my personal I always make changes and  save these often with a different suffix, but even here I can choose the wrong file because TurboTax doesnot/cannot  warn you that you are on the wrong file.

While this scenario explains one possible way that a user might end-up in this situation, it may or may not be the actual situation.  But it would be interesting if @dmch1  and @Lizgirlll  could look in their TubroTax files and see if this may be the situation.

pk

[Lizgirlll]

@pk @tagteam

Thanks for sharing the suggestion from @tagteam. I tried it but did not find any temp backup files being created on my desktop.  With TurboTax open, I searched my computer for tilde files as well as those with suffix .tax2021 but came up empty for temp files. I'm using a Mac desktop and wondering if that makes a difference in whether and how temp backup files are created and stored.

One thing I noticed that may or may not be relevant concerns file size:  the .tax2021 file that was saved upon successful completion of e-filing my return is 3.1 mB.  When I re-open this file using TT, which leads to the (incorrect) message that I have not e-filed a return, TT then saves the .tax2021 file as 2.7 mB, smaller than the original. Makes me wonder if the original file contains information that I e-filed, but this somehow got corrupted so that when re-opened, TT cannot read this and saves a smaller file omitting this.

Having noted this, every time I've tried one of these suggestions, I have used the original tax file that was saved when I e-filed.  I go into my Mac's TimeMachine backup to retrieve this file. I also tried retrieving the version of TT that I used to e-file, in case any of the subsequent updates made it incompatible with reading my e-file history, but this didn't make any difference. After running into all these dead ends, it seems like I'll need to paper file the amended return once my e-filed return is processed.

[fanfare]

@Lizgirlll 

When you amend on paper,

Do not include your old 1040 nor your revised 1040 because the Form 1040-X reflects any changes there and becomes your new tax return.

Include any new/corrected tax document only if it shows federal tax withheld, and include in order only those Sequence Numbered tax Forms and Schedules that changed or were added due to your amendment.
Attachment Sequence Number is on all the forms and Schedules that come after 1040.
Mail to the address shown for your location in the Instructions for Form 1040-X.

[Lizgirlll]

@fanfare 

Thank you for these helpful tips! This was my first time using the Community and I’ve been overwhelmed by how helpful you and @pk have been in offering advice, troubleshooting suggestions, and following up. It’s awesome that you generously contribute your time and expertise to this forum. Kudos!

[pk]

@Lizgirlll , it is users like you that give us the "energies " to continue in this quest to help others.   We are volunteers and so appreciation like yours goes longways.  Thank you very much.

regards,  

pk