Can I import last year's Turbotax file, prepared w/CD version of Turbotax, into Turbotax Online? It has all historical IRA contributions, etc. that I don't want to lose.

[Asnman]

Thanks @mesquitebean for your response.  I'm using Acrobat Reader DC, and looking at 2 different PDFs of my 2020 return.  One is the very basic PDF that you can get without using the "Add a State" trick.  That version has no TurboTax branded cover sheet or anything like that.  Just the official tax forms.  BUT, it does have bookmarks.

The other, much more extensive PDF that I downloaded after clicking on "Add a State" etc. has no bookmarks.  On the left bar shown in your screenshot, when I click on the tab of the much longer PDF, the bookmarks icon disappears from the left bar.

The PDF of my 2019 return has both the cover sheets and all of the worksheets, AND bookmarks.  Very puzzling.

[mesquitebean]

@Asnman 

I just made a 2020 PDF in the 2020 desktop software.   It has the bookmarks, and they are functional.   I have a 2019 Online TurboTax PDF that has bookmarks.   I'm sorry I cannot currently create a 2020 Online PDF since I don't use it.

I made another set of images of a 2020 PDF (made in the 2020 desktop version).  This PDF is also opend Acrobat Reader DC.   Where does your fail, when you follow these examples?

NOTE:  Your PDF may already open with the second image below (with the bookmarks icon visible.)  I showed the first image just in case that tiny side menu with the icons is closed.  The arrowhead will open it.  The arrowhead toggles that skinny left icons menu open and closed.

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By the way, does your thumbnails icon work in that skinny left column icons menu?  It's the icon just above the bookmarks icon.  If you click it, it will show the contents of your PDF as tiny thumbnail images.   They can also be made larger using the little "options" icon.

[Asnman]

Hi @mesquitebean yes, the thumbnail icon appears in the left column and does work.  But the bookmarks icon doesn't even show up in that file, presumably because there are none to display.

[mesquitebean]

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@ Asnman wrote:

Hi mesquitebean yes, the thumbnail icon appears in the left column and does work.  But the bookmarks icon doesn't even show up in that file, presumably because there are none to display.

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OK.   Sorry I didn't realize you didn't have a bookmarks icon at all in that skinny left menu.  I just wanted to be sure it wasn't hidden or that it wasn't functional.    If the bookmarks icon is not present at all, but the thumbnails icon is present, then it sounds like there aren't any bookmarks.   And I don't know "why" there aren't any in your Online 2020 PDF, while there is in my desktop 2020 PDF.

 I have nothing else to suggest other than occasionally trying to make a new instance of the PDF using that same "Add a State" method later in the season.   It might update at some point to have the bookmarks later in the year.

Or if you want to talk to TurboTax Support to get their thoughts:

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

You can use this contact form to get a phone number, or it may schedule a callback.
https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact

[Asnman]

Hi @mesquitebean I finally figured out a solution.  When I viewed the PDF from TurboTax Print Center, it "prepared" and opened the PDF up in a Chrome window on my Windows machine (it wasn't a regular instance of the Chrome browser with the menu bar, etc.)  I had originally saved the file from that Chrome window, and that was the file that was missing the bookmarks.

So I decided to try it again, and noticed a small button in Chrome that asked if I wanted to open the file in Acrobat.  When I clicked on that button, the PDF WITH bookmarks appeared!  I was then able to save the file from Acrobat, and it kept the bookmarks.  I compared both files, and they both have the same number of pages.

Thanks again for your patience and continued help!

[mesquitebean]

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@Asnman wrote:

 I finally figured out a solution.  When I viewed the PDF from TurboTax Print Center, it "prepared" and opened the PDF up in a Chrome window on my Windows machine (it wasn't a regular instance of the Chrome browser with the menu bar, etc.)  I had originally saved the file from that Chrome window, and that was the file that was missing the bookmarks.

So I decided to try it again, and noticed a small button in Chrome that asked if I wanted to open the file in Acrobat.  When I clicked on that button, the PDF WITH bookmarks appeared!  I was then able to save the file from Acrobat, and it kept the bookmarks.  I compared both files, and they both have the same number of pages.

Thanks again for your patience and continued help!

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Congratulations!   That's good to know that workaround, and I'm glad that new instance of the file saved through Adobe Reader has the bookmarks.  Good luck.