topic Re: Desk Top Version File Location in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Desk Top Version File Location

hdwatson — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:36:57 GMT

Basic Question:

When and where is the tax return file created (not the PDF)? Does it reside in a temporary location while the return is in process or is it created when the return is finalized and written in the .tax file for the tax year being prepared ?

Re: Desk Top Version File Location

DoninGA — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 21:26:28 GMT

The tax data file is stored, by default, in the TurboTax folder located in the Documents directory. The tax data file is created when you Save the tax return on exit or you can click on the File menu at the top left of the program screen and click on Save or Save as...

Re: Desk Top Version File Location

hdwatson — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:27:57 GMT

Thank you, but what I find in that folder is only the print PDF files . There is no .tax2022 file there. In my previous tax years, the .tax#### files and PDFs were stored together in that folder. The .tax2022 file seems to be located elsewhere. Is it possible that the .tax file(s) are not placed in the TurboTax folder until the current tax year program application is uninstalled? I can't seem to figure this out.

Re: Desk Top Version File Location

DoninGA — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:35:42 GMT

The 2022 tax data file, .tax2022, is stored in the TurboTax folder. I am using the 2022 Premier edition and that is where all my data files are stored.

Assuming that you did Save the tax return either on exiting the program or saving the return from the File menu, the data file should be in the TurboTax folder. If not, somehow the default location was changed.

Do a search on all your local and remote drives including the any cloud drives for the data file.