I used Turbo Tax destop and need to file to a .tax file, how do I do this as I can only see to save to a Pdf file?

[DoninGA]

When you click on the File menu at the top left of the desktop program screen and click on either Save or Save As... the tax return is saved as a tax data file.  The tax data file will have a file extension of .taxyyyy where yyyy is the tax year, eg .tax2023 for tax year 2023

[ramsamtaxes]

Only "Save" was an option, which I did. But it saves only as a pdf file, no .tax file anything. Additionally, I now to file a tax return for my 103 year old mother and cannot see to find a place to start a new return. HELP, please.

[DoninGA]

There are Two File selections using the TurboTax desktop editions.  One is used when you are filing your tax return and want to save the return as a PDF.  The other is the File menu in the upper left of the desktop program screen in the Black bar at the top of the screen.  In this File menu you will have option to Save, Save As... and New Tax Return.  Clicking on New Tax Return will start another tax return.

See screenshot -

[Boomdog19]

Normally the file is saved in a Turbotax folder, you may have inadvertently selected a different folder .

 Do a file search for   *.tax2023 to see where it may have gone ( the * tells it to search for any file with .tax2023 name)

 As far as starting a new return, open Turbotax, in top left click on file and the dropdown menu will have an option that says "new tax return"

[Mike9241]

there is no need to save a .taxYYYY file. that is the TurboTax data file that is saved automatically when you close desktop.  to do another return from scratch with desktop, open the app and use the blue link that says start a new return if it was already started it should appear in the list of returns below where it says "continue your 2023 return" then on that return click the continue icon 

******

make sure the returns are actually e-filed by going through the entire Turbotax process including selecting e-filing and then on the page that has an orange transmit now link, click on it. If you successfully do this you will get two e-mails. one says submitted, the second will say either accepted (you're dome) or rejected in which case we would need the complete rejection message to help you solve the issue.  issue) and when successfully submitted a second 

[ramsamtaxes]

It does not show "Save As" only "Save". What shown is: New Tax Return, Open Tax Return, Open Recent, Close Window, Close Tab, Save, Duplicate, Rename, Move To, Save as PDF, Share, Encrypt, Signed in as [our sign-in name], Prepare [state], Remove [state] Data, Import, Remove Imported Data, Page Setup, Print, Preview, and Check E-filing Status.

Oddly enough, after Saving as a PDF our tax return, I started another tax return and it did allow me to save that return as a .tax file. This particular tax return did have a .tax file on my computer which allowed me to input all the previous years data. This return was extremely simple and no problem. It is our tax return (for which no .tax file for 2022 could be found on my computer to do taxes this year) that is really important to be able to save as a data .tax file so that next year I will not have to do what I had to do this year, reentering everything. I have never in all previous years had this problem. Is there any other suggestion you might have for me to SAVE AS for our taxes this year?

[DoninGA]

@ramsamtaxes What is the exact name and tax year of the tax preparation software you are using?

Is it the Basic, Deluxe, Premier or Home & Business edition from TurboTax?  If so, are you using Windows or Mac as your operating system?

Or are you using the TurboTax Business Edition which can only be installed on a Windows based personal computer and cannot be used to complete a personal tax return, Form 1040?

[ramsamtaxes]

I am using "TurboTax Deluxe 2023" for Mac.

[DoninGA]

---

@ramsamtaxes wrote:

I am using "TurboTax Deluxe 2023" for Mac.

---

Thanks.  From my limited knowledge of the TurboTax editions for a Mac, the option to Save As... is not included.

That option is only available using the TurboTax editions for Windows.

[ramsamtaxes]

I have saved it to a Mac machine in prior years as a data file. Is there someone else who might be able to review this problem and get back to me, please.

[ramsamtaxes]

Also, as I said before, on a secondary tax return I was able to save that tax return to a data file. There is no reason it shouldn't be available for the first return.

[DoninGA]

@ramsamtaxes When you click on Save, it saves the tax return as a tax data file.  For tax year 2023 it would save the file with a file extension of .tax2023.

The File name and extension will be similar to the following with your Last Name and First Initial in the file name 

2023 Doe J Form 1040 Individual Tax Return.tax2023

As stated previously, it would store the tax data file and any saved PDF's in the TurboTax folder within the Documents directory, by default.

[ramsamtaxes]

I will have to take your word for it. I tried searching for such files and only see files that say "Tax Return 2023  Menzel" so I guess that is the data file, although it does not list .tax 2023 as a description. I do see, listed separately the .pdf file, so I will cross my fingers and hope I will not have problems next year. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused. Thank you for your help and assistance. I am grateful for TurboTax, and recommend it to any who ask how I do my taxes.