topic Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

avh — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:05:33 GMT

I am preparing taxes for me and my wife. Last year we filed married filing separately. This year we are doing the same (state taxes are much better this way). When I did her taxes, Turbotax 2021 pulled in my 2020 file instead of my wife's file. How can I change the file that Turbotax uses to fill in information from last year? I cannot see how to do this. Thanks!

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

VolvoGirl — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 02:21:12 GMT

Just start a new return and transfer from the right file. You can't fix the wrong file now after you started. The 2020 files end in .tax2020. See if her 2020 file is on your computer.

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

avh — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 02:22:52 GMT

I have her file, but how do I tell turbotax to use her file and not mine??

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

VolvoGirl — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 02:49:23 GMT

When you start a brand new return, go up to FILE - NEW it should give you a box with all the 2020 returns to transfer from. Her 2020 return should be listed. If it's not you can browse to where it is. Should be the same process as you did for y our return and her wrong one. Ignore the return you just started for her and start a new one over.

Your 2020 returns end in .tax2020 and should be in your Documents in a Turbo Tax folder. Hopefully you have one for you and one for her. OR how did you prepare the returns last year? Did you start separate returns or use the same return and change just change the info on it? Or one thing that can happen is if you both have the same first name initial the the second return may have saved over the first return. You have to make sure each return is saved under a unique name.

Do you get to this screen?

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

avh — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 03:16:01 GMT

Thanks so much VolvoGirl. I was able to get to that screen. With your help, I now see what I did wrong. I first prepared a MFJ return to compare with both of us filing MFS so we could see which was the best way to file. When I prepared the MFJ return, I pulled in my MFS tax form for 2020. I then modified that joint form to MFS for each of us to see if it would be better, but I did not start new forms for both of us; that means that my 2020 info was loaded in all cases. Thanks for helping me solve the mystery! Too bad you cannot load a new form AFTER the fact instead of starting over. Thanks again!

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

VolvoGirl — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 03:23:15 GMT

Oh you should not do it that way. It probably won't work to compare them. You need to do 3 returns starting each one from scratch. One Joint and 2 more returns for Separate each person. Do not just change things around.

How to Compare Joint to Married Filing Separately

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/married/help/how-can-we-compare-married-filing-jointly-with-married-filing-separately/00/26551

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

tnort001 — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 12:59:21 GMT

You can manually enter tax history information on the "Tax History" form. Go to the forms list and scroll down towards the bottom of the list - you will see the form.

Re: Wrong Turbotax 2020 file being pulled into 2021 return

tnort001 — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 13:01:15 GMT

I should have added - this only seems to update the form - so, I guess this isn't a reasonable response....hmmm