topic How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer

sharonpointer-ch — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 09:44:09 GMT

They are no where on my

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

Cynthiad66 — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:05:51 GMT

Here's how to view, download, and print your prior-year tax returns. You can access returns for the past seven years.

Follow these steps:

Sign in to your TurboTax account and continue through your prior-year summary. Make sure you're using the same TurboTax account (user ID) as in prior years.
On the Tax Home screen, scroll down and select Your tax returns & documents.
- You may need to answer a series of questions before the Tax Home option appears in the left menu.
Select the year you want, then select Download/print return (PDF).
- If the year you're looking for isn't there, it might be in a different account. Go here to find all of your accounts. One of them should have the return you're looking for.

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

xmasbaby0 — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 15:14:11 GMT

What software did you use? Did you use the CD/download? If you used the CD/download then your tax files are stored ONLY on your own hard drive. They are not stored online with TurboTax. You will not find them in an online TT account.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-tax-file-computer/L0XJvPaJr_US_en_US?uid=lro5b507

If you used online TurboTax software, then use the account recovery tool and you can locate them in your online account--for up to seven years.

You have to access your own account and/or print it for yourself using exactly the same account and user ID that you used when you prepared the return.

Start a 2023 return online and enter some personal information so that the menu on the left opens up and lets you access your past year returns.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/01/27010

Many people have multiple TT accounts and forget how to access them. Log out of the account you are in now.

Account Recovery

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901535-forgot-your-turbotax-online-user-id-or-password

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901486-how-many-turbotax-accounts-do-i-have

Or did you use the desktop version of TurboTax? If so, the files are on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-tax-file-computer/L0XJvPaJr_US_en_US?uid=lro5b507

You can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $43, an actual copy of your tax return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

SAVE YOUR TAX RETURN !

EVERY year before mid-October you should save a copy of your tax return as a pdf and print a copy of it for your records. That way you will not be searching online frantically when you need it for a lender, FAFSA forms, your next tax return, etc.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900937-why-should-i-save-a-pdf-copy-of-my-return

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899779-what-s-the-difference-between-the-tax-data-file-and-the-pdf-file

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1912466-how-do-i-save-my-return-as-a-pdf-in-the-turbotax-software-for-windows •

NOTE: TurboTax and the IRS save returns for seven years. Returns older than seven years are purged.

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

Hek052283 — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:06:39 GMT

This is exactly the problem that I have.

I downloaded Home & Business for tax year 2023 installed it, started a new return and tried to pull in last years return. TT said it couldn't find a return, spent hours trying to find the files and assumed it was the well documented problem that the process of updating wipes out a return.

This morning I saw a couple posts like this

How do I view, download, or print a prior-year tax return?

SOLVED•by TurboTax•68209•Updated 4 days ago

I have tried to find if I have more than one account, but this link does not work

If the year you're looking for isn't there, it might be in a different account. Go here to find all of your accounts. One of them should have the return you're looking for.

Would appreciate help finding out if I have more than one account.

I really don't want to start return without last years filing.

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

Cynthiad66 — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:19:29 GMT

Use the link below to view all of your accounts.

How to View All of My TurboTax Accounts

@Hek052283

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

Hek052283 — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:21:28 GMT

How do I sign out?

TT has asked me three times this morning to sign IN Ihave no idea how to "sign out"

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

xmasbaby0 — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:27:24 GMT

@Hek052283 You just leave the site. If you are using online TurboTax all of your work is autosaved. When you are ready to work on your return again, log in with the same account and user ID you used today.

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from y...

Hek052283 — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 17:33:24 GMT

Sorry this is a problem trying to find last years files.

I'm using Home and Business on desktop, not online

One solution is to log out and then go through the process to find all your accounts and see if your files are under different account.

BTW the Turbo Tax Icon on my desktop is different, the TT red disk with a check mark is inside a file folder.

So again I'm on a desktop, how do I log out?

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer

Deippitydee — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:36:35 GMT

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer

xmasbaby0 — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:39:51 GMT

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-tax-file-computer/L0XJvPaJr_US_en_US?uid=lro5b507

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer

norymydnew49 — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:06:22 GMT

how do I find returns for2021?

Re: How do you find your old tax files after you downloaded turbo tax and they disappeared from your computer

xmasbaby0 — Fri, 10 May 2024 14:07:41 GMT

@norymydnew49

You have to access your own account and/or print it for yourself using exactly the same account and user ID that you used when you prepared the return.

Start a 2023 return online and enter some personal information so that the menu on the left opens up and lets you access your past year returns.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/01/27010

Many people have multiple TT accounts and forget how to access them. Log out of the account you are in now.

Account Recovery

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901535-forgot-your-turbotax-online-user-id-or-password

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901486-how-many-turbotax-accounts-do-i-have

Or did you use the desktop version of TurboTax? If so, the files are on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/find-last-year-tax-data-file-tax-file-computer/L0XJvPaJr_US_en_US?uid=lro5b507

You can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $43, an actual copy of your tax return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf