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New Member
posted Aug 23, 2025 11:46:48 AM

Recover older lost return

I paper-filed my 2019 federal return after printing it from TurboTax. Now I cannot find my own copy either on paper or on my computer. Is there a way to recover such an old return from TurboTax?

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1 Replies
Level 15
Aug 23, 2025 12:17:00 PM

That depends ---what software did you use?   If you used desktop download then the return is stored only on your own hard drive or any back up device you used like a flash drive.  It is not stored online.

 

 

You can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $30, an actual copy of your tax return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

 

 

If you used online TurboTax, then use the account recovery tool to find the return.

 

  You have to access your own account and/or  print it for yourself using exactly the same account and user ID that you used when you prepared the return.

 

 https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

 

Start a 2024 return online and enter some personal information  so that the menu on the left opens up and lets you access your past year returns.

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/01/27010

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/save-2021-turbotax-online-return-pdf/L8dHfRkpT_US_en_US?uid=m5y4ch1y

 

Many people have multiple TT accounts and forget how to access them.  Log out of the account you are in now.

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/account-management/many-intuit-accounts-turbotax/L9aVfKS1Z_US_en_US?uid=ll5g6zcx

Account Recovery

 

 

Or did you use the desktop version of TurboTax?  If so, the files are on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-tax-file-computer/L0XJvPaJr_US_en_US?uid=m6gufxei