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New Member
posted Jan 29, 2024 2:53:40 PM

Unable to access old return in Turbotax online.

I filed with TurboTax online in 2020 and prior years.  In 2022 or 2023, unsure when, I lost contents of harddrive where i had my prior year returns PDF files saved.    in October 2023 when i attempted to login Turbotax in 2023 to download my returns filed in 2020 and prior years I was unable to access them.   It said before it would let me access prior returns i had to start a new one.   When I started a new one -- and gave my current address -- which changed in 2021 --  it created a new account.   now i am unable to get my old returns.   is there any way can i get help from turbotax to get to my old account to get my old returns downloaded again/

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3 Replies
Level 15
Jan 29, 2024 2:54:33 PM

How to Access prior year online returns
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/00/27010

If you can't get the side menus to open up to access the prior year..... You need to start entering some basic Personal Info in 2023 for the side menu to open up. Just continue a little ways into 2023. I had to go though about 12 screens.

If you used the Desktop CD/Download program then the only copy is on your computer and not saved or stored online. So you need to make and keep your own backups.

Or request a transcript from the IRS
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Or get a copy of your return using form 4506
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

New Member
Aug 2, 2024 2:58:57 AM

Was my 2019 return submitted to IRS?

Level 15
Aug 2, 2024 5:48:52 AM

@Marksat3581 No one in the user forum can tell you if you filed a 2019 return.   You will have to look for yourself to see if your account says that the return was prepared and accepted, or if it says "rejected" or something else.  If it does not say it was "accepted" then it was not filed.  You can also check to see if the IRS has a transcript of a 2019 return for you.

  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.

 

Start a 2023 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

 

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

 

Account Recovery

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901535-forgot-your-turbotax-online-user-id-or-password

 

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901486-how-many-turbotax-accounts-do-i-have

 

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/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

 

 

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=lro5b507

 

 

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

 

 

 

SAVE YOUR TAX RETURN !

 

EVERY year before mid-October you should save a copy of your tax return as a pdf and print a copy of it for your records.  That way you will not be searching online frantically when you need it for a lender, FAFSA forms, your next tax return, etc. 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900937-why-should-i-save-a-pdf-copy-of-my-return

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899779-what-s-the-difference-between-the-tax-data-file-and-the-pdf-file

 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1912466-how-do-i-save-my-return-as-a-pdf-in-the-turbotax-software-for-windows

 

 

NOTE:  TurboTax and the IRS save returns for seven years.  Returns older than seven years are purged.