How can I prevent TurboTax from pulling in last year's info?

[jsh-orders]

To provide more on this, there was incorrect information stored from last year. I'm not sure if I was testing different tax scenarios or if there was an error from TurboTax, but the data it pulled in did not match our previous year's return at all. My entire W-2 was missing, which changed the information on what deductions and credits we took.

Because of this, many of the recommendations are completely wrong, making it difficult to know what advice to follow. 

I didn't find much help searching for answers to this. The closest answer was to delete and start over but that only forced me to re-enter everything again. The incorrect previous year's information was still included.

[mesquitebean]

@jsh-orders   asked:  "How can I prevent TurboTax from pulling in last year's info?"

This answer assumes you are using Online TurboTax.

Here's how to start with a clean tax return without the prior-year information.  You have to "fool" TurboTax by "pretending" you are going to transfer a return from your computer, and then continue on without doing it.  Here are the steps:

• With your current return open, go to the left menu column.
• Click on Tax Tools, then Tools.
• In the Tools window choose "Transfer last year's TurboTax Tax Return from your computer."
• Next screen asks:  "Are you sure?"    (it will warn you everything will be cleared)  If so, choose Continue.
• On the next screen, do NOT indicate any file.  Instead, scroll way down to bottom right to a blue button and choose "Continue without transferring."
• That should restart a return with no transferred prior-year info.

[jsh-orders]

Thank you! This sounds like exactly what I was looking for.

Alas, I cannot test it because I have already "registered" and I cannot restart my return at this point. If anybody else has this issue hopefully this can help. 

[mesquitebean]

So when you tried the steps above, after you went to Tax Tools and chose to "Transfer last year's return from your computer", and then it told you that you couldn't clear it?

If that's the case, there are a couple of options:

If you want to use Online TurboTax and start with a clear return, you'd have to use a different account (User ID).  That creates a bit of an extra burden of keeping track of 2 accounts.

Or you could use desktop software (CD/download).

I assume you haven't already paid in that account.  If you have, it becomes a bit more complicated.