All Posts

After an exhausting time (both husband and I) on the phone with tt cs without a proper solution, I realized for the time we consumed trying to resolve the issue, we could have simply done our taxes again at freetaxusa. I *thought* it would be difficult since we were tt customers for decades so it had our rental depreciation worksheets and we did not want to have to manually type the info again on FTUSA...well..we did it! And happy to report that the federal and state return numbers align with that of tt! What a relief to know that now we are not bound to tt..I paid under $25 to prepare both fed and state returns and efile them! Whereas, I prepaid to get Premier tt online at the the early bird special $120 for both fed and state! And freetaxusa completed the 5695 form correctly! No need for a workaround...Looking forward to using FTUSA for subsequent years at only $25...:) BTW, just got an email from FTUSA that our federal and state returns got accepted as I was typing this post...Yay!

This answer assumes your previous returns were prepared in Online TurboTax.   Any return prepared in desktop TurboTax will not be in an Online account.  Here's how one would normally find past-year online returns and how to troubleshoot for multiple accounts (User IDs) if necessary.  Many people end up with more than 1 account.  The pathway to download the PDF or tax data file depends on whether or not you have started an online 2025 return.  I provide both scenarios below, so choose which one is appropriate for your situation.   If you have not yet started a 2025 online return: Sign in to your account.   What you see next depends on whether or not you have already started a 2025 return in that account.   If your left column menu is minimal, and does not have a Tax Home tab displayed, that would imply you have not started preparing a 2025 return in that account.  If you haven't yet started a return, it will start asking you some questions.  Answer those preliminary questions on a few screens (you don't actually have to prepare a return), and then when you are far enough into the process, the left menu column will change, and you'll then see a Tax Home option in the left menu column.  Do not click the Documents tab.  Instead, click on Tax Home.  Then on the Tax Home screen, scroll way down to the bottom to "Your Tax Returns & Documents".  Expand that section and choose the past year you want.   If your past returns are not shown there, then you likely have multiple accounts and signed into the wrong one.  I'll tell you below how to troubleshoot.   If you have already started a 2025 online return: Log in, and if you've already started a 2025 return in that account, then it may already open at the Tax Home.  If not, click the Tax Home tab in the left column menu.  Do not use the Documents tab.  At the Tax Home scroll down and expand "Your Tax Returns & Documents."   If the past returns are not there, see the steps below.   If you do all that and can't find the past return, here's how to look for multiple accounts: You can have up to 5 accounts that use the same email address for notification purposes.  A User ID may be an email address, but it doesn't have to be.  It might be only part of an email address, or it can be anything at all.   To get a list of your User IDs, reset password, and recover account access, etc., you can use the tool at the link below.  When using the Account Recovery tool, try using your phone number first if you can still access it.   After that, if necessary, then run the tool on your email address(es) you can access. NOTE: Before running the account recovery tool below, log out of all Intuit accounts including this user forum, or you might end up in a loop.  Then clear your browser Internet cache, close your browser, then reopen it, and go to the link below.  You may wish to copy this link so you can paste it into the new browser session. https://myturbotax.intuit.com/account-recovery If still no luck after running that on your phone number you can still access and email address(es) that you can access,  here's another method:          Go back to the tool again, but this time leave the data field blank, scroll down a bit, then choose the small blue link that says "Try something else", and it will look you up by other parameters.

Thanks, that's what I thought based off the instructions. I have been wondering if in the future the IRS could say I had to do it if their definitions of long term residents or something change. Would it do more harm than good to fill out the form now to prevent any future potential issues, or do you think it's unlikely there would be any issues?

For seniors age 65 and older, the enhanced senior deduction is first calculated automatically by TurboTax in the background on Schedule 1-A (Part V), and then the amount flows to the Form 1040, Line 13b.  It is not part of the standard (or itemized) deduction.  It is a separate entry in addition to the standard (or itemized) deduction.   If you're still preparing your return online, here's how you can preview the Form 1040 and confirm you are getting the enhanced senior deduction.   With your return open go to the left column menu, and click on TAX TOOLS, then subtab TOOLS. In the Tools window choose "View Tax Summary." On that Tax Summary screen you should see a line that says you are getting "Additional Deductions (Schedule 1-A)." While still on that Tax Summary screen,  you can further verify it by going over to the left column menu and clicking on "Preview my 1040."  That opens up the Form 1040 Worksheet.    Scroll down to Line 13b, and the figure there includes the enhanced senior deduction from the Schedule 1-A. And while you are there, you should see your standard (or itemized) deduction on Line 12e.

@tsnolan1993  wrote:  "I am switching to turbotax online - so how do I start multiple returns like the desktop version?"   Why are you wanting to do that?   The desktop version is a superior product and has more features that I'll mention below.   Or do you have Windows 10 and can't install the desktop program due to the Windows 11 requirement?   Be aware that Online TurboTax can only prepare 1 Federal return per online account per year.   Each return will need a separate account and will have a separate fee (unless that person qualifies to use the Free Edition.) Online TurboTax has no Forms Mode, so you can't see the forms during preparation except for the Form 1040 and Schedules 1-3.  You cannot directly edit on forms during preparation like you can in the desktop version.   Desktop TurboTax can prepare multiple Federal returns and includes 5 Federal efiles.   Some desktop editions include a state program that can prepare multiple state returns (of that 1 state.)   There is a $25 fee to efile each state return, but there is no state efile fee for New York state.   There is no fee to print and mail the state returns.   Desktop versions also have Forms Mode for viewing/printing, even editing forms during preparation.

First, if you efiled, be sure your efiled return was accepted.   If using Online TurboTax, you can check at the Tax Home page.   If that showed your return was accepted, you can track your Federal refund at the IRS "Where's My Refund" tool: https://www.irs.gov/refunds If you filed a paper return by mail, it can take up to 4 weeks just to show up in that tool.   The FAQ below tells how to check on a state refund.   When you scroll down further there, you will see a link for your state.   FAQ:  How do I track my state refund? https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-refund/track-state-refund/L3jgO8PGs_...