Can I start a tax return on one computer and finish on another? I started 2017 on my laptop and need to finish on my desktop but it doesn't show up when I login.

A 2017 tax return?

You cannot use the TurboTax online editions for a 2017 tax return, the online editions are only for tax year 2018.

If you purchased, downloaded and installed the 2017 TurboTax software on a laptop, then that is where the only copy of your tax data file and any PDF's will be located.  TurboTax does not store online any returns completed using the desktop editions.

You will need to download and install the 2017 software on the desktop computer and then copy the 2017 tax data file from the laptop to the desktop computer.

If you have the Desktop program installed on your laptop here are my notes for moving to another computer.

Your tax files end in .tax or .tax2015, .tax2016, .tax2017 or .tax2018 etc.  They should be in your Documents in a Turbo Tax folder.  You should also have the pdf files of each year.  Or search your computer for all files ending in .tax. 

What I would do is just copy the whole Turbo Tax folder that is under your Documents.  That should be where the .tax files and pdf files are stored.  Copy that folder to a flash drive or best yet is to burn it to a CD or DVD and then you will have a backup of them.   Then on the new computer copy the folder (or files) from the flash drive to your Documents folder.

The programs need to be installed from the CD or download them again.  You don't need to install them unless you need to amend or open a return.

After you get the program installed the first thing to do before you open your tax return is to update the program and install any state programs you had. Then open your file. So you first might need to start a fake return to be able to download the state program (go to File-New Tax Return).

Then go to FILE -Open and find your return.

 See this article on how to move your tax return to another computer…….

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901474-move-your-tax-return-to-a-different-computer

Thanks for the response.  Just to be clear, if I am going to download the program to a different computer then I will have to pay for it again?  I have the return partially completed on the laptop, but need to finish it on my desktop.

If you downloaded it initially from TurboTax, just log in to the TurboTax account that you downloaded it from and you should be able to download it again for no additional charge.