When I started a new return, I could not import last year's return because I could not retrieve the information on the USB drive. Is there another way I can access it?

[CassLO]

Please see the TurboTax FAQ's below, for assistance locating your .tax file:

• Find your tax data file (.tax file) in Windows
• How do I find last year's tax data file (.tax file) on my computer?

If you need further assistance, feel free to reply back to this thread.

[clueless-in-ca]

To clarify...I saved my .tax2021 "2021 Tax Return" on a USB drive.  I cannot open it.  It says that it is unreadable (and my options are to INITIATE/IGNORE/EJECT).  Do I have any other options available to be able to transfer the 2021 Tax Return to my 2022 Tax Return?  Does TurboTax have it because I e-filed?  

[CarissaM]

If you filed using Turbo Tax online as your post states, you can follow the instructions here to access a prior year's return. 

If you filed using the desktop version, then Turbo Tax would not have a copy of the return, and you would need to contact the IRS for a copy of your return. 

[Critter-3]

The program will not transfer the prior year info off a thumb drive ... so copy the file back to the hard drive and try again.   If the file on the USB has been corrupted and you don't have it saved anywhere else you are out of luck.  

[clueless-in-ca]

If the 2021 tax file is truly unretrievable (and therefore, unable to transfer to my 2022 tax return), could I redo my 2021 taxes using the Turbo Tax 2021 software and entering line by line (using the paper copy that I have)?  Then I can save that file and use it to transfer to my 2022 tax return (?).  

I just don't want to start from scratch on my 2022 return.

Thank you for your help!

[Critter-3]

Yes you can do that.   Going forward save the PFD & the .taxfile more than once to more than one storage device to avoid this problem in the future.

[fanfare]

"I just don't want to start from scratch on my 2022 return."

But you're willing to start from scratch on your 2021 return.

It makes no sense.

@clueless-in-ca 

[clueless-in-ca]

What I mean is...on the 2021 return, I can just input all the information (line-by-line).  Ideally, I don't have to think about anything--since I have the paper copy of the tax return.  If I were to do the 2022 return "from scratch," I would have to figure out what I did with my refinancing from 10 years ago, things that I deducted for home to rental, etc.  Things that were done years ago that still impact my 2022 return.