topic When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

vpi1963 — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 15:25:59 GMT

What does the tilda in front of the file name mean?

That’s ok and normal. The ~ is a tilde file. Those are...

VolvoGirl — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 15:26:01 GMT

That’s ok and normal. The ~ is a tilde file. Those are temporary files that you normally don't see and normally are deleted. But now Turbo Tax is leaving them in the folder in case something happens like your computer crashes. Then you can go back. Just ignore them.

I'm pretty sure I've seen TurboTax do this for years now,...

noodad — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 15:26:03 GMT

I'm pretty sure I've seen TurboTax do this for years now, and I've been deleting them (after I'm done filing and I'm archiving all my electronic files) because I thought that it was just a bug they never bothered to fix. I guess it's just another copy of the .tax data file? It looks like it is about the same size.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

hallenti — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:30:41 GMT

If we open from the folder rather than the "Recent" files within Turbo Tax, do we want to open the file without the tilde, or any file with the tilde that is the most recent? As an example, one file without the tilde was created at 06:09 AM, the one with a single tilde has he time of 06:14 AM, and the one with two tildes has a time of 08:11 AM.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

VolvoGirl — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:50:24 GMT

Just use or open the files without the ~ on it.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

stew2 — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 14:57:05 GMT

It is confusing because sometimes I see multiple files and often the one with the tilda ~ is most current. I wind up having to locate the file with the most recent saved date and time.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

Cass0317 — Sat, 05 Feb 2022 16:17:58 GMT

Please see the TurboTax FAQ below and view the solution under this article as this file may be opening due to a file corruption:

Error 102345 or Error 1932147737 occurs while opening a tax file

@stew2

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 20:56:50 GMT

I'm not getting these errors but when I restart TT 2021 I see 3 J form files. 2021, ~2021, ~~2021. The continue bar starts at the ~~2021 file. When I look back at my 2020-2015 TT folders, Those ~ files are there also. I understand they may be used for recovery while creating the return but, why aren't they deleted after the return is filed? Just makes more confusion.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

VolvoGirl — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 20:59:12 GMT

The ~ is a tilde file. Those are temporary files that you normally don't see and normally are deleted. But now Turbo Tax is leaving them in the folder in case something happens like your computer crashes. Then you can go back. Just ignore them.

This FAQ talks about the Tilde files,

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2588795-error-102345-or-error-1932147737-occurs-while-opening-a-tax-file

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

bkawin — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 21:03:59 GMT

The tilde identifies the copy of the file that is open and being worked on; it means work in progress. That copy vanishes when you close/save the file without the tilde in front of it.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:39:19 GMT

Even after finishing my return today, saving my file and closing TT, my tilda file is not disappearing and my non-tilda file is not updating. Opening the non-tilda file displays a file from 2 weeks ago. The tilda file is the latest and I dare not delete it. I even have a double-tilda file. VERY DISTURBING! Could this be because my files are encrypted?

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

DawnC — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 22:03:02 GMT

Yes, it could be encryption related. Open the file with tilda and do a ''Save As'' to see if you can get a current saved file. You definitely do not want to delete any of those tax files.

How do I back up my tax file in the TurboTax CD/Download software? @Anonymous

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

Anonymous — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 00:36:22 GMT

It was the encryption! I decrypted both tilda and non-tilda files, opened the tilda file from within TT, saved-as and overwrote the old non-tilda file, exited TT. I added a z prefix to the tilda file to get it out of the picture. I reopened the "new" non-tilda file, exited TT saving the file, and verified that no new tilda files were lingering and the non-tilda file mod date incremented.

This is a short-term fix. I did not have this problem last year using the same encryption software, Boxcryptor. I'm uncomfortable having my tax file unencrypted. The only apparent difference on my end is that last year I was using Google Drive and this year I'm on OneDrive.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

pierceMD — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 16:48:25 GMT

It definately doesn't disappear for every one. I have years of TT folders with them.

Re: That’s ok and normal. The ~ is a tilde file. Those are...

ronr32 — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 22:32:31 GMT

It appears the file with the tilde ~ is my current live TT file. Have no idea how that could be remotely possible. So now when I look at my file directory I have a TT file with two ~~. I always open my turbo tax file from within the turbo tax program, so there is now way that I selected the ~ file name as the current tax file to work with. There is no way I can start over with my tax return - I will need to rely on the ~ tax file as being full and complete which was the case on Feb. 21st. Although I don't fee comfortable at all with this situation!

Re: That’s ok and normal. The ~ is a tilde file. Those are...

CarissaM — Tue, 11 Apr 2023 15:06:58 GMT

This is normal you are seeing this. The reason is Turbo Tax is now keeping the tilde file, just in case something happens so you have the back up of your return.

Please let us know if we can further assist you. @ronr32

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

dmabus — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:01:36 GMT

I've been using Turbotax for years and have never seen the tilde file. Now when I close my file, I still have a tilde and a non-tilde file. Which one opens when I restart turbotax and inputting info in whichever file opens?

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

DoninGA — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:18:21 GMT

@dmabus wrote:

I've been using Turbotax for years and have never seen the tilde file. Now when I close my file, I still have a tilde and a non-tilde file. Which one opens when I restart turbotax and inputting info in whichever file opens?

The tilde file is only used if the program has a crash or the original file is corrupted so when the program is opened again it will use the tilde file. Otherwise only the non-tilde file will be used when the program is opened.

Go to this TurboTax support FAQ which has a section that describes the tilde file - https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/diagnostics/error-102345-error-1932147737-occurs-opening-tax/L34iSfAt1_US_en_US

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

VolvoGirl — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:18:54 GMT

It is working and saving in the regular non-tilde file. The ~ is a tilde file. Those are temporary files that you normally don't see and normally are deleted. But now Turbo Tax is leaving them in the folder in case something happens like if your file gets corrupted or lost or your computer crashes. Then you can go back. If you can't transfer from the regular file you can transfer from the ~ file.

Re: When I save my turbo tax file, why do I see two files one has a tilda in front?

dsttexas — Sat, 15 Feb 2025 19:19:35 GMT

The tilde character precedes the file name that TT is constantly saving. Without that, it is the file created when you exited and said SAVE. My two files are only 3 minutes apart with SAVE one the latest.