Is .tax2020 not a valid file for transferring of my 2020 TurboTax return to my 2021 TurboTax return?

[klmyers72]

When I select that file, as listed under "Choose a return below and select Continue to transfer", it gives me an error message: This tax return does not contain any transferrable information.

[Mike9241]

could you be in the wrong a/c?  many have multiple a/c's

a/c recovery procedure

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/account-recovery/help/account-recovery-request-for-your-turbotax-a... 

[VolvoGirl]

Are you on Windows or Mac?  It should transfer.  Are there any other files listed?  Did you try all the .tax2020 files?  

Here's an idea. Do you still have 2020 installed? Try opening 2020 program and see if you can get your 2020 return to show up in it. Go to FILE - OPEN. And see if that is the right one.

Then in the 2020 program do a File-Save AS and give it a easy name you can find or search for. And note where it saves it or select where to save it so you can find it again. The file will end in .tax2020. Then close the 2020 program. Then start a new 2021 return and transfer from the 2020 file.

If you don't have the main .tax file you might have one that starts with a Tilde sign ~ like "~your name.tax2020". That file is if your computer crashes or your real file gets lost or deleted or corrupt so you can restore it.

[Klmyers721]

Yes, i had used a different user ID. Consolidated accounts, but still no success. Even afraid that setting up a new user ID for this communication will interfere. Talked with a rep about account recovery, but photo feature did not work given their link provided. I was told that if i start a new return my information will be transferred...it does not transfer. My intuit account shows that i have not filed my 2020 return...but i did. I go to TurboTax site and they have my account under Canada now.

It has gone from bad to worse!

[CarissaM]

Intuit will not allow you to combine accounts. If you have multiple accounts, you can visit the account recovery link here, to assist in accessing the different accounts. 

If you need further assistance, please contact us here, so we can assist you by phone and access your account by phone which cannot be done here in this public forum. @Klmyers721

[VolvoGirl]

Your online accounts know nothing about the Desktop program or if you filed from the Desktop program.  Online and Desktop are completely separate.  You don't need to be messing around with online accounts or returns.  If you used the Desktop program your returns are only saved and stored on your computer.  

Did you try opening the 2020 program and opening your 2020 return like I said above?

[klmyers72]

VolvoGirl,

Yes. I'm able to open my TurboTax 2020 on my computer and it is up-to-date. I have saved as PDF (.tax2020) at least twice, but when clicking that file, TurboTax error tells me that no information is retrievable.

[DaraLO]

@klmyers72 There are a few reasons why you may receive an error when trying to transfer a prior year return.  For help resolving the issue you've encountered, please refer to the troubleshooting steps listed in the following Help Article:  Troubleshoot transferring from a prior year return

[klmyers72]

DaraLO,

Thank you for your response.

I did the troubleshooting: it concluded that my 2020 file is corrupted. Recommended that I copy data directly from a copy of my return. My return is 83 pages long. This is kind of like doing my tax return on my own. I'm wondering how my 2020 return through TurboTax cannot be accepted by TurboTax.

When visiting my account online, I noticed that my 2020 return is designated as incomplete/not filed. Might this have something to do with my inability to transfer?

Would I be able to use my 2019 return as a transfer?

Thank you for your help.

klm72

[MichelleLO]

Please reach out to TurboTax Customer Support for assistance with this issue. 

What is the TurboTax phone number?

[VolvoGirl]

Can I back up?  Where did you do 2020?  On the Desktop program or Online?

If you have the .tax2020 file on your computer you can try transferring it to a new online account to start 2021 for free.  Then you can download the  new .tax2021 file and open it in the Desktop program.

So go to Online,  How to transfer into the Online version, it may say .tax2018 but you actually need the .tax2020 file on your computer to transfer from........
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/how-do-i-switch-from-turbotax-cd-download-to-turbo...

Then You can download the .tax2021 data file without paying for Online and continue in the desktop version see this…….
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/choosing-a-product/help/how-do-i-switch-from-turbotax-online-to-th...

[klmyers72]

Hey, all...

As it turned out a friend of mine (who got me started with TurboTax talked me through a fix for this issue. The problem started when I was told to save as a PDF and then rename it with .tax2020. My friend helped me to find the original saved file from last year, I selected that as a transfer file and everything went smoothly after that.

Thanks for your help.