New to Turbotax - Can I manually enter prior tax filings?

[kevinbaker2275]

Hi, I am new to Turbotax.  Can I manually enter prior tax filings prepared by my CPA? Thank you

[LeonardS]

Yes, you can enter your prior year tax information manually with TurboTax.

[d9dtoca]

how do you do this

[DMarkM1]

When you start your return, TurboTax will ask you about last year's return.  Use the questions and help links to get your data input.  Here is a helpful link for transfer questions as well.

[cej]

you say I can manually over ride, but it pulled in last years taxes from a file that needed updating. 
how do I manually / magically push a button to have the software ask me for the key entries in the 1040 from last year.. This is not clear, nor does you search help.. 

Thx

[DMarkM1]

There is no magic button.  As you go through the entries in your 2019 return you will enter the correct information as you encounter it in the interviews.  For example, if the import brought in an incorrect address, you will update in the "My Info" section interview.  

[Pixelrogue2]

Same question. I think the question was quite clear however the responses remained off target. 

In my left hand is a print out of last year's tax return. 
How can I go through TurboTax and manually input the numbers line item by line item?
- no magic button
- not an import
- not a transfer

- not a walkthrough answering questions because the risk of something getting missed through the question process is too high.

Want to go through the same forms in TurboTax and enter the data manually line by line. 

[DoninGA]

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@Pixelrogue2 wrote:

Same question. I think the quest was quite clear however the responses remained off target. 

In my left hand is a print out of last year's tax return. 
How can I go through TurboTax and manually input the numbers line item by line item?
- not an import
- not a transfer

- not a walkthrough answering questions because the risk of something getting missed through the question process is too high.

Want to go through the same forms in TurboTax and enter the data manually line by line. 

---

Then you do not need to use tax preparation software for your tax returns.

Go to this IRS website to complete and file your federal tax returns - https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/free-file-fillable-forms

[Pixelrogue2]

Again - like the previous responses to the other person's question - the response is off target. The question is not asking where to go to complete and file taxes, and the question is not asking for an opinion on the need for tax preparation software. 

The question is how to manually enter line item data from a printed tax return into TuboTax.

Respectfully,

-pr

[DoninGA]

---

@Pixelrogue2 wrote:

Again - like the previous responses to the other person's question - the response is off target. The question is not asking where to go to complete and file taxes, and the question is not asking for an opinion on the need for tax preparation software. 

The question is how to manually enter line item data from a printed tax return into TuboTax.

Respectfully,

-pr

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Using the TurboTax online editions there is no direct access to any forms, schedules or worksheets.

Using the TurboTax desktop CD/Download editions access to the forms, schedule or worksheets is by clicking on Forms.

All Form and Schedules line items are populated from worksheets for those line items.  A line item can be Overridden but that will cancel the TurboTax Accuracy Guarantee and prevent e-filing of the tax return.

For example to populate Line 1 of the Form 1040 for wages and Line 25a for the federal taxes withheld on the W-2 would require you to complete the W-2 worksheet to enter the tax data from the W-2 received.

All the entries on Schedules 1, 2 and 3 require worksheets

Worksheets are required for a 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, 1099-R, SSA-1099, etc.

Even more complex if you are depreciating assets, entering investments gains or losses, self-employment income and expenses, rental or royalty property income and expenses, etc.

Owed a stimulus payment?  You have to complete the Recovery Rebate Credit Worksheet for the entry on Form 1040 Line 30.

[Tquestions]

I would like to know this answer as well, to determine whether I can begin using TurboTax, after I've had an accountant file my taxes the past few years. This seems like such a basic question. Is there someone at TurboTax who can answer this?  

[Carl]

If you are using the online version of TurboTax, you can not enter a prior year tax return. Period. End of Story.

If you are using the CD/Desktop version of TurboTax that you physically installed on your MAC or Windows computer, then to enter your 2019 tax return you would have to purchase and install the TurboTax 2019 CD.  when done, you would have to select the "print and mail" option in order to make the program think you actually filed the return.

Overall, there's really no need to enter a prior year tax return. If you are just now starting your 2020 taxes you will need a full copy of your 2019 tax return in order to deal with things like carry overs and depreciation if those items are applicable to you. The 2020 program will specifically ask you for things like carry overs, NOLs, depreciation, and much more. You would get that information from your 2019 tax return.

Generally speaking, in the first year you start using the TurboTax program, it's a bear because you have to enter *everything* one keystroke at a time. But after that, the program retains the history it needs provided you don't delete it.

Overall, first a first time user of TurboTax I do not recommend the online version of the program. It's not what I would call "user friendly" at all, for a first timer. Additionally, it lacks many of the features of the CD version, such as the ability to go into forms mode. Assuming you have already filed your 2020 tax return via other means, it would not be a bad idea to purchase the 2020 version of the CD to learn with. You enter data from your printout of the 2020 return you already filed by other means. Then you learn by doing, as I've found that for us humans, learning through osmosis just flat out never works. 🙂

[Pixelrogue2]

Yep - can’t get over intuit saying there is no way to scan, or for that matter no way to even manually enter, your precious tax return. 

Let us enter the data  form-by-form, field-by-field. 

[fanfare]

the only way to enter a return into TurboTax is through the step by step process, OR, forcing the data into forms in Forms Mode.

The latter is not sufficient because TurboTax uses worksheets to do calculations and keep history.

The worksheets make it possible for each of your entries  to propagate to all the relevant forms and schedules.

That's what you're paying for.

That is just the nature of tax software.

For records of all years, see Adobe Reader, and your printer.

Keep  a PDF file and a paper copy in your file cabinet, along with relevant notes to remind you of what you did in the past.

[Pixelrogue2]

Yes, understand that the fields/subfields/subforms are used for calculations - all of that makes sense when entering taxes for the current year. 

When you want to start with last hears taxes that were NOT part of TurboTax (as one valid common use case,) it is reasonable to expect the ability to scan the previous years’s return (or if need be manually enter each form) with data from each field, field by field.)

This way you are starting with the EXACT  same as the previous return. It is next to impossible to actually ‘recreate’ the tax return in TurboTax (using prior year software - even with simpler tax requirements) and get the results to match the submitted tax return on record. 

So when those from Intuit have explained “how it works,” the explanations never address the actual and most basic use case of a customer needing to start from a spot where the data was not prelivioisly part of the TurboTax ecosystem. That would like Apple music software refusing to play nice with songs that were purchase outside Apple’s music ecosystem.