Why does TT2016 list 2 entries for every individuals return to select for transferring with one being a TT file and the second sub-entry a PDF copy?

[jghiller]

If you want to see what is shown send me an email to (Removed) I meant last years TT program.

[VolvoGirl]

This is a public user to user forum and it is not safe to post any personal info here or you might get spammed, scammed or worse.  As I said the extra duplicate ~ tilde files ARE .tax files and not pdf files.  You could even use it to transfer from.   

The tilde files are temporary files which use to be deleted or at least hidden each year.  But starting last year for 2015 return the programmers left them showing so in case your actual .tax file crashed you could get your info back.

[jghiller]

I am sorry to say the tilde PDF files displayed in my TT are in fact PDF backup copies made for record keeping. I use the downloaded TT and until this year, no other files were displayed except Tax files. These PDF files can and are to be used with Adobe Acrobat. End of story.

[jghiller]

I apologize for my ignorance regarding the new process started in last years TT with the saving of backup TILDE files. With these files being sorted to the top of the TT directory and having the same date stamp as the PDF backups, one could easily at first glance when starting TT2016 think that it was not distinquishing between the other product supported PDF files and TT PDF files. When you do a BROWSE, TT also looks for PDF files as shown in the file search popup screen(*.pdf, etc). I also apologize for trying your patience. If you work for TT maybe it should be easier for me to open an issue and call someone to clarify this easily, rather than bouncing around in the forum. I certainly have paid enough over the years to get one on one support easily and quickly. If you do not work for TT then that comment was unnecessary. Having used TT for over 10 years, seeing this new start screen can obviously confuse us common folk. Taxes are hard enough. More doc on the TILDE files would have helped.

[jghiller]

Thanks for the info. The root problem was after using TT for over 10 years all of a sudden I see 2 entries for everyone I did taxes for. My first check was to look at the date stamps. The tilde version matched all my PDF backup copies and because TT doesnt display the entire name(unless you expand the field), I had no thought about them being tilde tax files because I had not seen any info on this new process of creating tilde files last year or this year. When I viewed my TT directory my focus was always on scrolling to the bottom for last years files. The thought to look all the way at the top, not understanding what the tilde prefix represented, didnt happen. Then after noticing the info that TT supports H&R and TaxAct PDF files I also assumed TT didnt differentiate their PDF files from TT PDF files. I wonder how many users who dont live on PCs and worked elsewhere in IT over their career, are also wondering what is going on all of a sudden. With all that I have paid over the years for TT, it would have been nice to know - '...hey we are going to start creating an additional copy of your tax data, and instead of modifying a portion of the standardized name, we are going to prefix the new files with a tilde representation....' So IMHO, the ball was and is in TT's court. Let folks know about these files. Lastly, during the final phases of completing a return, things get busy and at times lose some structure by veering off to collect more money for additional filings, and presenting multiple times and ways to save and/or print copies for record keeping. And thats apparently the time when TT is generating this new tilde version. It could easily get lost in the mad race to the end so one can start to relax again. This is how best laid plans can go awry.

[retiree]

As VolvoGirl has stated the tilde itself DOES NOT designate a .pdf file.

Perhaps a little explanation regarding the file naming structure used by Windows (& MAC) systems. 

Each file and program have unique names and are presented as "filename.exten "    Where:

filename   is a unique name assigned to a file; and can typically be just about anything

exten    is a specific extension that are used by various programs to attached 'ownership' to that type file

Specifically in this case .tax15 identifies a file as being a data file created by TTax for the tax year 2015.  A file extension of .pdf identifies files intended to be readable by a PDF (Portable Document File) viewer program (eg Adobe Reader).  That is basically the only way .pdf files are identified --a prefix of ~ (tilde) has no  special meaning with regard to .pdf file.

When a filename if prefixed with a tilde the sorting sequence of a list of files will be altered.  Depending on sorting preferences at any given time (based on user selection) the files prefixed with a tilde will be listed before a similarly named file without the tilde (or,  based on user selection, the tilde prefixed files could be listed after similarly named files without the tilde).

It may be that a setting on your PC prevents the system from displaying the filename extensions.  To change your PC's setting to show full filenames (with extensions) you need to navigate to "Folder Options" by clicking the start menu and entering "folder options" in the search box. 

1.    Then click on "Folder Options" in the list displayed. 

2.    Click on the "View" tab; and

3.    scroll down the list to: "Hidden files and folders". 

4.    Then click/select the option to "Show hidden files, folders, and drives". 

5.    Finally click 'Apply" and then click "OK".

[retiree]

It is only recently that TTax began *retaining* the tilde prefixed files. Last year 2015 we raised the issue with TTax when it was first noticed; and again this year 2016 we have again raised the issue because ow even the TTax program appears to be confused by the tilde and offers those files for transfer.  

It would indeed be nice if TTax recognized the error and deleted the duplicate files identified by the tilde --or at least did not offer to transfer those files.