My files were lost in a laptop crash. is there anyway to get them from tt in the cloud? If not, how can i prevent this in the future?

[VolvoGirl]

How to Access prior year online returns
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-return/00/270...

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 2023 for the side menu to open up. Just continue a little ways into 2023. I had to go though about 12 screens.

If you used the Desktop CD/Download program then the only copy is on your computer and not saved or stored online. So you need to make and keep your own backups.

Or request a transcript from the IRS
https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

Or get a copy of your return using form 4506
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

[xmasbaby0]

If you used desktop software downloaded/installed from a CD to your own computer, then the tax files are stored locally on your own hard drive or any backup device you used like a flash drive.  They are not stored online.  If you cannot recover them due to a hard drive failure, etc. you can get a free transcript from the IRS or for a fee of $43, an actual copy of your tax return.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

[rjs]

If you use the CD/download desktop TurboTax software installed on your own computer, you are responsible for backing up your files. TurboTax does not have copies of your files. In the future you can avoid losing files by backing them up to external media such as a flash drive, a portable hard drive, or cloud storage in an account of your own.

[Mike9241]

You're posting from online whereby Turbitax stores a copy on its servers. However, if you used desktop software to prepare that return, Turbotax does not have a copy. The only copy of the .tax 20xx file was on your laptop unless you made a copy and stored it offline.  you can get a transcript from the IRS for free using its online site. you'll probably need to set up an ID.ME account trough that or for $43 you can file form 4506 to get a full copy which takes about 75 days.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf  

to save yourself in case of computer crashes you first should save a PDF copy on your computer and then a copy of the .tax2xxx and pdf offline like on a thumb drive or even the cloud if you trust the security of the cloud account.