SAVE YOUR TAX RETURN !
EVERY year before mid-October you should save a copy of your tax return as a pdf and print a copy of it for your records. That way you will not be searching online frantically when you need it for a lender, FAFSA forms, your next tax return, etc.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900937-why-should-i-save-a-pdf-copy-of-my-return
You can only transfer a prior year return into your current return. You can use the Desktop software and then transfer your 2021 tax return into your 2022 return. You cannot switch the 6 years of Online returns into your Desktop software.
How do I switch from TurboTax Online to TurboTax CD/Download?
Ok, thanks but that does not really address the question.
Yes and no... you should log in online and download the PDF and .taxfile for every tax year you have access to so you have all that information on your system ... and saving them to a removable storage medium like a thumb drive for safe keeping is a wise idea. If you need to actually open the prior year return you would need to download the amendment program for each of those tax years but usually the PDF file has everything you need.
Now when you start the downloaded program it will search for the prior year's .taxfile to transfer the prior year info into the current year's program.
To access your prior year online tax returns sign onto the TurboTax website with the User ID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/
Start the 2022 online tax return by entering some personal information (about a dozen screens) even if you will NOT use the TT program for the 2022 return. Then click on Tax Home on the left side of the screen.
On the Tax Home webpage -
Scroll down to the section Your tax returns & documents. Click on the Year and Click on Download/print return (PDF)
@Anonymous Your question was answered, you can only import a prior year return into the current desktop software. All 6 years of your returns you can download as a PDF file or a .tax file.
Related question - if I do switch to the download version (from online), and I want to do my kids' returns as well (I understand you can do up to 5 Federal returns), can the software import their prior year returns as well? Or does the software only consider one "user"?
@Anonymous If you use the Desktop software, you get 5 free federal e-files, after that any return would have to be mailed in. Each return would be started as a new return and you can import your child's prior year .tax2021 file into the current return.
Yes each return is separate. You can transfer each online return into the Desktop program the same way as the first one. Download the .tax2021 file from each online account.
If you used the online version last year and need to transfer your info to this year's Desktop version there are 2 ways depending on what you have.
1. If you saved the actual .tax2021 file (not just the pdf file) to your computer before online was shut down in Oct. then start a new return and the very first thing you do is Transfer from .tax file. You can only transfer at the very beginning. You should be able to download the .tax2021 file from online.
How to Access prior year online returns
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/00/27010
If you can't get the side menus to open up to access the prior year..... You need to start entering some basic Personal Info in 2022 for the side menu to open up. Just continue a little ways into 2022.
2. If you didn't save the .tax file to your computer or lost it, there is a way to do it by starting a 2022 return in the Online version, transfer to that and then continue in the desktop version. You won't have to pay for Online.
First transfer into the Online version
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/entering-importing/help/how-do-i-transfer-last-year-s-return-into-turbotax-online/00/25953
Then to switch to the Desktop program
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/how-do-i-switch-from-turbotax-online-to-the-turbotax-software/00/26129