Right after I e-filed my tax returns, I saved the TurboTax file before I exited the program. Then I made a copy of that “final” file. So I now have two copies of that final file, each with the exact same date and time -- which is what I wanted and expected, a true backup of my final file.
I went back into that file a little later on to check something. I was careful not to update the software before opening the file. After I was finished checking (absolutely no change was made), I was careful not to save the file before I exited the program.
However, in Windows Explorer, I noticed that the Modified date and time for the two files were no longer the same. The file I had opened to do some checking now had a later time stamp (around when I opened it). Why would and how can the time change if I never saved the file?
What I learned is that if I re-open the TurboTax file after I e-filed my returns, I am immediately shown a couple of new pages (it wasn’t there last year) by the program. It is a “Welcome Back to TurboTax” page where the program will confirm the status of my returns. On the second page, it shows “Your E-file Status” for my federal and state returns. Then there’s an Exit TurboTax button, which I clicked on and exited the program, again without saving the file.
After several iterations, what I discovered is that just by being in these two new pages (where no input can be made) and saving no file, the Modified time for the file will automatically change to when the file was opened. This shouldn’t be happening. The time differential makes me think that I made some unknown changes to the TurboTax file after I had already e-filed my returns, which is troubling.
So why does the Modified time for the TurboTax file change in this situation?
Thanks.
