Difference between two TT files

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
January 20, 2019
1 reply
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How can I determine the difference between two TT files?

Two files show up when starting my new 2018 TT. One has a "~" in front of the name and is dated 4/16/2017, and the other is dated 4/17/2017. I'd like to make sure I import the one that I actually submitted online last year. They have a very, very slight difference in size, so I must believe that they are not identical. I do not recall which I used. I might have come back the next day and printed out a hard copy version, and also saved a pdf. I probably didn't change anything, but, because the sizes are not identical, I'd like to know how the two finished tax return files differ.

How can I determine this?

Thank you.

Forms

Carl

Level 11

The one with the tilde ~ in front of it is a backup file. TurboTax creates a backup every 10 minutes or so, and precedes the filename with a tilde mark. So take the one "WITHOUT" the tilde mark preceding the filename.

dgpretzelAuthor

Level 2

Thank you for the information. It makes sense. But, it also makes me wonder about past years. For over 10 years I have been using TT. In past years, it always finds only one previous TT file to use to initially prepopulate the current year's data. Never a file with a tilde. Just this year.

I do appreciate your response, and I am using your suggestion. But, I do wonder.

ZpTax

Level 4

To add to the original question. The tilde "~" is shown in the files list of Windows File Explorer. However, what about two identical files once TT is open? Should the one with blue bar and word "Continue" be used? And the other one is a backup file?

Intuit should eliminate the confusion and clearly identify those two seemingly identical files that appear once TT is open.