Why doesnt my turbotax free edition acknowledge the 2016 turbotax return i have on my computer? it says i didnt file with turbotax last year and i have the past 2 years

You will need to make sure you are in the same TurboTax account that you used in prior years.  Then, you will need to upgrade (since you are in Free Edition) and pay for TurboTax before getting access to your prior filed return.

Here is a helpful link to help you transfer last year's return to TurboTax Online:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/3301662