Missing 2019 tax data file after turbotax software updates were applied

[mesquitebean]

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@ bacabe43 wrote:

need AGI 2019

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First see this FAQ:

FAQ:  How do I find last year's AGI?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/agi/help/how-do-i-find-last-year-s-agi/01/25947

Was your 2019 return prepared in Online TurboTax?  If so, here's how to find the 2019 online return and/or 2019 AGI.  If you're using Online TurboTax for 2020, and the online 2019 return is not in that account, then you likely have multiple accounts.   NOTE:  If you prepared your 2019 return in desktop software (CD/download), it will NOT be in an Online account.

Log into Online TurboTax account, and click on the Documents tab in the left menu and then a dropdown list of years should appear.  Choose the year, and then way off to the right of the screen, you should see a link to download the PDF.    If that didn't work, here's another method:

Go to the Tax Home.  Scroll down the Tax Home page to the section "Your Tax Returns & Documents."  Expand that section and choose the tax year you want.   Then you can choose to "Download/print the PDF", or if you just need the 2019 AGI, then once you choose 2019 there should be a link to "View adjusted gross income (AGI.)"

If you do all that, but there's no evidence of the 2019 return in that section "Your Tax Returns & Documents", then you likely have multiple accounts and signed into the wrong one.    Many people end up with multiple accounts.

You can have up to 5 accounts that use the same email address for notification purposes.  A User ID may be an email address, but it doesn't have to be.  It might be only part of an email address, or it can be anything at all.

To get a list of your User IDs, reset password, and recover account access, etc., you can use the tool at the link below.  When using the Account Recovery tool, try using your phone number first if you can still access it.   After that, if necessary, then run the tool on your email address(es) you can access.

NOTE: Before running the account recovery tool below, log out of all Intuit accounts including this user forum, or you might end up in a loop.  Then clear your browser Internet cache, close your browser, then reopen it, and go to the link below.  You may wish to copy this link so you can paste it into the new browser session.

https://myturbotax.intuit.com/account-recovery

If still no luck after running that on your phone number you can still access and email address(es) that you can access,  here's another method:

Go back to the tool again, but this time leave the data field blank, scroll down a bit, then choose the small blue link that says "Try something else", and it will look you up by SSN and other parameters.

[doug4law]

All I know is that I worked over 100 hours on my 2020 tax return, exiting and starting the TT program several times.   Every time you exit, or do about anything, it saves your file, asks you to save the file, etc.   Every time I opened the program, my 2020 return was there at the spot I left off.   Today, when I went to open TT, it did a software update and then opened the program.  The program asked if I wanted to start a return.  It looked for previous tax returns and found 2019 on my computer.   2020 was not found.  I did a global search for *.tax*, *.tax2020,  ~*.tax*, and all my previous years showed up.  No 2020.    I call the customer service line and was told they could not and would not do anything to help.   They seem surprised and gave a response like above ("their is no connection between the software update and the file missing").  I had also saved a PDF preview file so I tried to import that since TT says you can import a PDF.   Import wouldn't work.   So, the only way I get this info back into TT is to start from scratch.   I think a class action lawsuit is in order.    This is ridiculous.  

[ITT-User001]

Hi there,

If by searching the whole hard drive for *tax* , you cannot find the file. You can access the IRS website on this link: 
Here’s how people can request a copy of their previous tax return | Internal Revenue Service (irs.go...

Click on the link Get Transcripts Online and follow the registration instructions to create an account (if you are not registered already) or login if you are.

I did not have my 2019 Tax returns for the same reasons that you all are having (all posted) and I got it in 15 minutes.

I hope it helps.

Best regards.

[Critter-3]

Others have reported these things have fixed the issue : 

They were not in the same administrator account so the program could not see the file. 

They had the program on the wrong drive ... it must be on the C drive. 

They had uninstalled OS updates ... install them and reboot the computer at least 3 times.   The run a program update ... you may need to force the update : 

 

 

How do I update TurboTax CD/Download?

Although you can update over a wireless or dial-up connection, it's best to use a wired, high-speed connection to speed things up and minimize the possibility of data corruption.

Select Check for Updates from the Online menu in TurboTax (Windows) or quit and reopen the program (Mac). If new updates are available, you'll get a message to download them.

If you get disconnected while updating, try again and our update will pick up where it left off.

Windows users: Download a manual update if you're having trouble updating from the Online menu.

Related Information:

• Troubleshoot TurboTax for Windows Updating Issues
• Troubleshoot TurboTax for Mac Updating Issues
• What is a manual update?

[swood30]

Or use a different software that doesn't delete your personal files from your computer.  Think that may be a better option.

[mbell80]

I, too, was just hyperventilating. Only one tax return was showing. Spoke to a rep.  Go to open file in the Turbo Tax program and locate the tax return on your hard drive (not the pdf).  Mine was stored in one drive/desktop/taxes.  All the info and supporting information and other returns were there!  Used turbo tax for years and never encountered this before.   

[Critter-3]

One Drive is something on your computer that you choose to save your files and is not the default file storage the program uses.  TT   defaults to the C drive on your computer and it doesn't  delete files when the program is updated.   The user needs to pay attention to where the program and the tax files are saved so they can find them again.  

[doug4law]

I did a search of the C: drive, external drives, cloud storage, etc. looking for every format of the tax files and they could not be found.  Found lots of previous years, but not the current year that I had finished.    The only thing that changed was the update and it was then gone.   

[doug4law]

I had a PDF review copy of my return and tried to import that as TT says you can import a PDF return.  The import wouldn’t work.  I asked Turbo Tax if they a way to import the PDF return, but they said no and apparently a review draft won’t import.    

[VolvoGirl]

If you used the Windows Desktop program you need the file ending in .taxyyyy to open in it.  The tax files (and PDF files) should be in your Documents then in a Turbo Tax subfolder.  If you can't find them do a search for all files ending in .tax or .tax2020 or .tax2019, etc.  And check the Recycle Bin.  For Windows 10 check the One Drive.  Did you make any backups?  Like DropBox.

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.

Find your Tax file in Windows

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-data-file/help/find-your-tax-data-file-tax-file-in-windows/00/...

Did you save your return?  In Windows you have to manually save, although it will ask if you want to save when you exit the program or switch to another return.

Try this......start the 2020 program.  Then go up to File-Open and see if it finds your file.

See this post (scroll down) he found his files in the Administrator account

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/all-my-turbo-tax-information-is-missing-where-did...

Don't know if this will help any Turbo Tax users but one Quicken user found them......

What I found was that my Quicken Data files ended up in the One-drive Recycle bin. Not sure how, but I found them there.  I placed the files back onto the laptop and brought the files into Quicken and now have all my data back.

[swood30]

Thanks for the info, but that only works if you use OneDrive.  OneDrive is cloud storage and I do like placing financial information in the cloud so I do not use.  I did a search on my entire drive(s) for *.tax2020 (Turbotaxe's file format and it returned only the files that were not deleted.  Unfortunate for me.  Turbotax should refund me my purchase price for their catastrophic mistake.

[VolvoGirl]

Regarding pdf files.  You can only Transfer (not import) a pdf file from the prior year to start a new 2020 return.  And then the pdf only transfers limited info like your personal info and AGI.

Transfer to Windows Desktop

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/entering-importing/help/transfer-last-year-s-return-to-turbotax-fo...

[Be26Carr]

I need to make a correction on my 2020 tax data that has not 

yet been filed But I cant find the data.  The printed copy of the return is in Preview but I can't get to the data to make the 

correction.

[VolvoGirl]

To change a return If you haven't mailed or efiled yet, see

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-topics/help/i-want-to-change-a-return-i-ve-printed-but-haven-t...

If you haven't efiled or mailed your return or it rejected you can go back in and change anything you want.  Do not click on Amend!

Click on Add a State to let you back into your return.

From Tax Home (the first screen you see after you sign in), scroll down to Your tax returns & documents. You may have to select Show to open the drop down.

Select 2020, and then select Add a State (you're not actually adding a state, this is just the workaround).

[mahimahimom]

I have the same exact problem.

I spent hours this year 2021 on my TY return for 2020 (I know I am late-but should not be a prob nothing owed) ... wanted to return today to finish up after collecting additional info .... ALL is gone?????

I used to get the message .... Let's pick up where you left off ..... etc

Now nothing .... only option is to start the 2021 Return.  

What to do???  Were all my entered data erased?  I am freaking out slightly here ..... It is Sunday so of course it is closed.  But this is not right!!!!!   I spent days .... working tediously on data entry for the 2020 TY return and now it is gone?  It was one of those sign-ons where you pay at the end when you are ready to file.  That is how it is set up.   

This is wrong.