topic Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey in After you file

Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

glennvanstrum — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 06:40:12 GMT

I just downloaded and opened the 2022 premier turbotax. I cannot find the .tax2021 file in my Mac to transfer to my new file, although the 2021 program opens and still contains all the data. Thus, I know the .tax2021 file is in my computer somewhere, but several hours of searching with the patient help of an Intuit rep yielded nothing. Anybody know how to find this file?

I tried searching with ~.tax. *.tax, with and without the 2021. Nothing. Nothing like it comes up when I search "in my Mac." Yet I know the data is there, again, or the 2021 program wouldn't work. I have .pdf files, of course, but they don't transfer.

Help.

Re: Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

VolvoGirl — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 23:36:20 GMT

How to find tax files on Mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac/00/26206

Here's an idea. Do you still have 2021 installed? Try opening 2021 program and see if you can get your 2021 return to show up in it. Go to FILE - OPEN. Then save it again with a name and place you can find. Go to File - Save As or Duplicate. Then start a new 2022 return and transfer from the 2021 file.

Or did you use the Online version last year?

Re: Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

glennvanstrum — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:20:36 GMT

Thanks, I’ll try it but my expectations are low. 2021 does open and works as I said. You have to find the .tax file, though, to migrate the data. Intuit could make this easy but doesn;t.

Re: Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

glennvanstrum — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:21:23 GMT

P. S. Thanks for the suggestion.

Re: Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

glennvanstrum — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 15:18:40 GMT

I got it to work. Here's the deal. The saved file in MacIntosh is not labeled .tax or .taxfile or .tax2021. That is a Windows thing only. The program is saved within the desktop icon program.

For Mac, when you get the window in TT asking you to import, you import that file (labeled YourName.2021). Then everything works fine. But if you try to search for .tax, .tax2021, etc., you get zero. So the problem is a Windows/Mac dichotomy.

I still think Turbo Tax needs to explain this in their save window at the end, along with how to save the .pdf version for printing.. They need to explain that to migrate last year's program into the next year's with Mac, you use the above method, and don't use .tax or .tax2021, etc.

Re: Unable to find .tax2021 in my Mac running Monterey

VolvoGirl — Sat, 03 Dec 2022 16:17:13 GMT

I think in MAC there is a way to turn on and show the extensions.

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/show-or-hide-filename-extensions-on-mac-mchlp2304/mac