Importing 2020 return from turbo Tax in Turbo Tax 2021 doesn't work with PDF File.

[VolvoGirl]

@sweettimber  How to Transfer into the Mac Desktop program
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-transfer-last-year-s-return-into-the-t...

Here's an idea. Do you still have 2020 installed? Try opening 2020 program and see if you can get your 2020 return to show up in it. Go to FILE - OPEN. And see if that is the right one.

Then in the 2020 program do a File-Save AS or Duplicate and give it a easy name you can find or search for. And note where it saves it or select where to save it so you can find it again. The file will end in .tax2020. Then close the 2020 program. Then start a new 2021 return and transfer from the 2020 file.

@macuser_22  Any Mac help?

[macuser_22]

1) Use the Finder search box for  tax2020 to locate the file.

2)

[Mac94920]

I must say I am very mad at Turbotax in regards to this. I have wasted hours on this ( and will waste more hours due to the fact I now have to add all of last years info) due to the fact that when launching TurboTax it states: "Browse for your return, Select Browse to find your return on your computer. We support files from TurboTax (tax2020 & .pdf),...
My computer hard drive crashed but I did what I was supposed to do, back it up on an external harddrive, just as recommended. BUT all that that the 2021 TurboTax will read is the very easy info, basically name, address Soc Sec number...NONE OF LAST YEARS tax info (Yes I am yelling)! It clearly states " .pdf " but that is BS!

I do thank other members for posting the same information as above so that I am not wasting more time trying to figure out why it is not reading the pdf....Get your act together Intuit!!!

[Carl]

The only thing you can import from a PDF file is the personal information. You can't import any numbers or other data. To get everything, you have to import from the .tax2020 file.

[ad judged12]

Same problem on my Mac; TurboTax 2021 does not offer TurboTax 2020 as a source for populating data. 

[DaraLO]

ad judged12 If you saved your .tax file to your computer (or an external drive), you can import that file into your 2021 tax return.  Please see the post above from @VolvoGirl and this one from @macuser_22 if you're using a Mac computer.  You can also find additional information in the following Help Article:  How do I transfer last year's return into the 2021 ...

Additional Resource:  Troubleshoot transferring from a prior year return

[sweettimber]

I forgot how I did it, but I was able to import my files. 🙂 

[ljallasia]

I'm trying to import my .tax2020 file into Turbo Tax 2021. The 2021 program asks for a txt file. When I go to documents, the tax2020 file name is light gray & will not transfer. I'm on a Mac. Any suggestions?

[DoninGA]

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@ljallasia wrote:

I'm trying to import my .tax2020 file into Turbo Tax 2021. The 2021 program asks for a txt file. When I go to documents, the tax2020 file name is light gray & will not transfer. I'm on a Mac. Any suggestions?

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I am not a Mac user but there may be someone who can help @macuser_22 

[ljallasia]

On a MAC: I ended up starting a new tax return. There it asks if you want to transfer file from your computer or continue without import. At this point I checked to transfer from my computer. Here it would let me transfer the .tax2020 file. Rather irritating that if you don't do this at this point, it is a different screen only accepting a .txt file!

[VolvoGirl]

Yes.  You can only transfer the .tax2020 file at the beginning of a new return.   The txf file is to only import current year info like investments.

[macuser_22]

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@DoninGA wrote:

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@ljallasia wrote:

I'm trying to import my .tax2020 file into Turbo Tax 2021. The 2021 program asks for a txt file. When I go to documents, the tax2020 file name is light gray & will not transfer. I'm on a Mac. Any suggestions?

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I am not a Mac user but there may be someone who can help @macuser_22 

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Yje file might not have read/write permissions. Use File -> Get Info to see and change permissions.

[faithie999]

I am a Mac user.  my 2020 return was clearly in my Documents folder but TT2020 had not appended .tax2020 to the name of the file.  I did that and then TT2021 found the 2020 document and transferred the relevant information.

[JimboD]

True. You must use this file. But you must first hit "Start New Return"; then hit from other financial software etc until TurboTax finds this file for you. Then hit 'transfer.'

[faithie999]

my issue was that after Start New Return, TT2021 couldn't find any other TT files.  on my Mac I did a Get Info on my TT2020 file and saw that it had a hidden .tax2020 extension.  so in Finder I appended that extension to the file and TT2021 then found the file immediately.  maybe a bug in TT2020 but that's behind us now.