topic We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return? in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:41:39 GMT

Last year we didn't assign these.

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 06:52:12 GMT

It's not clear what you're doing. I don't understand that. Perhaps someone else in the user forum will know what you mean during the day when the tax experts are posting. You can explain in more detail, but remember this is a public Internet forum, so do NOT post any personal info.

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:05:14 GMT

I do the taxes for three of our kids.I tried to open last years tax return and received a message to put in a passcode. We didn't make one on last years taxes. Since this failed it asks for the name of your best teacher. We didn't put one of these in last year. I need a way to work around this screen and get their taxes into a 2022 tax form.

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:22:02 GMT

@ rbrungard1 wrote:
I do the taxes for three of our kids.I tried to open last years tax return and received a message to put in a passcode. We didn't make one on last years taxes. Since this failed it asks for the name of your best teacher. We didn't put one of these in last year. I need a way to work around this screen and get their taxes into a 2022 tax form.

You obviously meant to type a "2021 tax form", not "2022." The current return is a tax year 2021 return.

It's a bit confusing, since underneath your original question it says "Online TurboTax", but it sounds like you are using the desktop software (CD/download) for last year and this year. Is that correct? Are you using the Windows or Mac version?

So do you have a password-protected *.tax2020 data file that you want to transfer into your new 2021 desktop return?

If you didn't assign it a password, then I don't have any idea how it got password-protected. When one assigns a password to their data file, it also asks one to choose a hint, which in this case sounds like someone chose "name of your favorite/best teacher" as a hint.

When are you receiving that message? Are you trying to "open" the *.tax2020 data file with your 2020 software, or are you trying to "transfer" it into your new 2021 return?

Are you sure you are opening or transferring the right data file?

Do you have more than one *.tax2020 data files on your computer?

Could someone else have prepared a return with your 2020 software and password-protected it?

Could one of your kids have assigned a password? Have you interrogated them?

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:37:44 GMT

Yes I'm using the download for each year and I'm using a Mac.

Get the message when I try to open one of the kids return so we can download it or copy the info to this years tax return..

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 07:46:13 GMT

@rbrungard1 wrote:
Yes I'm using the download for each year and I'm using a Mac.
Get the message when I try to open one of the kids return so we can download it or copy the info to this years tax return..

It's a multi-step process to password-protect a data file, so it sounds like "someone" did so. Did you ask all of your family members?

See the info in this FAQ:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-password-protect-my-tax-file-in-the-turbotax-cd-download-software/00/25903

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 08:29:22 GMT

Yes I asked everyone and none of us did it?

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 08:35:21 GMT

Thank You

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:03:15 GMT

rbrungard1 wrote:
Yes I asked everyone and none of us did it?

Unfortunately, I can't explain that.

Maybe you've already tried this, but when that hint appears, try using names of the teachers that you, your spouse, or kid would choose in answer to that hint.

Others in this community forum are likely to see this thread today or so, so see if you get other suggestions.

If you want to discuss it with TurboTax Support, here's how to phone them during business hours. Be sure to tell them you're using the Mac version. I don't use a Mac.

Hours are currently 5AM-9PM Pacific (8AM-12 Midnight Eastern) 7 days/week.

FAQ: What is the TurboTax phone number?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 09:10:19 GMT

@rbrungard1

I just found the following FAQ which has more Mac information. Review the 2 sections where it shows "Mac not using Keychain" and "Mac using Keychain." With the latter, there may be a way for some users to remove a password from a TurboTax file if a user has given Keychain access to TurboTax.

FAQ: How do I access my password-protected TurboTax desktop file if I forgot the password?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/how-do-i-access-my-password-protected-turbotax-desktop-file-if-i-forgot-the-password/00/27068

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

rbrungard1 — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 08:14:55 GMT

That didn't work for me. I could ge to the keychain but couldn't proceed from that point.

Now when I try to pull up the 2020 file it goes to the enter your password.

Not sure how I can get this to work? Can I down load the 2020 Tax file as a new file? One of our daughters sent me her return from last year.

Re: We didn't assign a passcode or teachers name to any accounts. How do we get around this to copy the return?

mesquitebean — Wed, 02 Mar 2022 10:30:43 GMT

@ rbrungard1 wrote:
That didn't work for me. I could get to the keychain but couldn't proceed from that point.
Now when I try to pull up the 2020 file it goes to the enter your password.
Not sure how I can get this to work? Can I down load the 2020 Tax file as a new file? One of our daughters sent me her return from last year.

The FAQ did say it would be a rare chance that that would work, but it was something to try.

Sorry, but I don't understand what you mean by "can I download the 2020 tax file as a new file?" I'm not sure what that means. The way you are using "download" keeps me confused. "Download" normally implies retrieving something from a server. If you used the 2020 desktop software last year, there is no *.tax2020 data file to download from the Internet. It's stored locally on your computer.

"Transfer" is the word to use when one is trying to incorporate a *.tax2020 data file into a new 2021 return; i.e., transferring the 2020 info into 2021.

If you've tried to transfer the *.tax2020 data file into a new 2021 return, but can't transfer it due to the password-protection, you can start a new 2021 return and manually enter anything from 2020 that's needed.

TIP:

I don't know how and in what format your daughter sent you a copy of her 2020 return--a print out on paper, a PDF, a *.tax2020 data file, etc. But be aware it's not safe to email tax files in regular unsecured email. They contain way too much sensitive personal info, such as SSN, DOB, etc. and can even include bank account numbers.