When trying to import last years tax file it states mine is too big. What is the work around other than manual entry?

[AkinaLO]

We are happy to see your issue was resolved. If you have any more questions please feel free to reach out again.

[shep3]

I'm having issue with downloading my 2020 TR (saved as PDF on my MAC).  I keep getting error message saying its too big. I've tried to compress it, change the extension to .2020tax (nothing to read), copy it and nothing works. When I go into 2020 Turbotax, the return is not there. I'm using Premier edition of Turbotax.

[macuser_22]

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@shep3 wrote:

I'm having issue with downloading my 2020 TR (saved as PDF on my MAC).  I keep getting error message saying its too big. I've tried to compress it, change the extension to .2020tax (nothing to read), copy it and nothing works. When I go into 2020 Turbotax, the return is not there. I'm using Premier edition of Turbotax.

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It you are trying to transfer it to 2021, you cannot.  You must download the 2020 .tax2020 data file, not the pdf to transfer.  

[shep3]

You told me I have to download the 2020.tax2020 data file, not the pdf to transfer.  Where do I find the 2020.tax2020 file? I went into my Turbotax for 2020 and there was no TR there.

[macuser_22]

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@shep3 wrote:

You told me I have to download the 2020.tax2020 data file, not the pdf to transfer.  Where do I find the 2020.tax2020 file? I went into my Turbotax for 2020 and there was no TR there.

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It should be in the same online account that you filed from.  Many people have more then one account.

[VolvoGirl]

@shep3  How did you do 2020?  Did you use the Desktop program on your Mac or use the Online web version?  And what are you using for 2021?

[shep3]

For 2020 I used the CD and I'm doing the same thing for 2021, but before I started 2021, I wanted to transfer 2020 TR and it won't take it because its too big.  (The one I have saved on my MAC w/ a PDF extension.) I've tried compressing, changing the extension, etc.  The issue is that I can't find my 2020 TR with a ".2020tax" extension.  When I go into my applications and open my old Turbotax 2020, it says, "Hi, welcome to Turbotax" instead of "Welcome back".  My TR is not there.  I only have one Turbotax account.

[VolvoGirl]

It actually ends in .tax2020.  You need to have the file ending in .tax2020 to transfer in to 2021.

Could you have transferred from the wrong file?  See if you have another .tax2020 file on your computer, probably in Documents.

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.  Then save it again with a name and place you can find.  Go to File - Save As or Duplicate.

[shep3]

Thanks for correcting the file extension.  That helped a bit.  As soon as I corrected the extension from .2020tax to .tax2020, the file on my computer showed up with a big red checkmark (the Turbotax logo).  I clicked on it to see what the content was and got an error message saying "This document 2020TR.tax2020 has the wrong tax year or some other issue that prevents us from opening it.  Please make sure you have the right file and try again." I went into Turbotax 2020 (downloaded from a CD last year) and again it says "Hi, Welcome to TT" instead of "welcome back".  I  tried FILE OPEN TAX RETURN but the one that comes up is my saved Turbotax 2021 TR (haven't started it yet, but somehow saved it along the way), but it is grayed out. I went into Turbotax 2021 (downloaded recently with a CD) and it says "welcome back".  I tried to "use a TR that's on my computer" (it showed up in the box to choose from this time!) and when I tried to transfer it, I got an error msg saying "This TR does not contain any transferrable information".

[VolvoGirl]

I didn't follow all of that but if you opened the 2020 program and the 2021 file came up then either it's the 2021 program or really a 2020 file.  Maybe you started 2021 in the 2020 program?

[shep3]

I went into the files on my computer and saved a copy of my pdf formatted 2020 TR as "2020 TR Copy.tax2020". The big red Turbotax checkmark shows up on the icon.  When I click on it, it says, "The document "2020 TR Copy.tax2020" has the wrong tax year or some other issue that prevents us from opening it." I've checked the file (when it had the pdf extension) and it was for sure 2020 info.

Does this have anything to do with using a CD vs getting TurboTax online? Not sure why when I go into the Turbotax for 2020, there isn't a copy of my return there and it acts as if I'm new to the program.  (Doesn't say "Welcome back" like the 2021 Turbotax does.)

[VolvoGirl]

Huh?  You can't change a pdf file to be a .tax file.  And not the other way around either.  You need the actual .tax2020 file from the program.   

You need to use finder and find the 2020 tax file.   I don't know Mac very well but My friend has a Mac and I had to hunt for her 2020 file to transfer.  It doesn't matter if you installed from the CD or from the download.  It's the same program.   

How to find tax files on Mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901659-find-your-tax-data-file-in-mac

[shep3]

Didn't know you couldn't change the extension from pdf to .tax--that may explain whey there wasn't any "transferrable info". I searched Finder and the doc is not there.  Great idea, though.  So, I'll be doing my 2021 without the benefit of having last year's return in Turbotax.  Any suggestions for when I finish up 2021's TR for saving it so I can find it next year? Does Turbotax give me the option to save it to my computer with a .tax extension? 

[shep3]

Didn't know you couldn't change the extension from pdf to .tax--that may explain whey there wasn't any "transferrable info". I searched Finder and the doc is not there.  Great idea, though.  So, I'll be doing my 2021 without the benefit of having last year's return in Turbotax.  Any suggestions for when I finish up 2021's TR for saving it so I can find it next year? Does Turbotax give me the option to save it to my computer with a .tax extension? 

[MarilynG1]

Yes, here's how to save your Tax Data File (.tax) to your computer:

1. Sign in and open or continue your return.
2. Select Tax Tools and then Tools from the left menu.
3. In the Tools Center pop-up, select Save your 2021 return to your computer.
4. The file will download with the name taxReturn.tax2021.
5. (Optional) Locate the downloaded file and change the default filename to something more recognizable, for example JohnDoeTaxReturn.tax2021 (just make sure you don't change the filename extension to the right of the dot).

Your online return is now saved in a format can be opened in the TurboTax software.

If you're using TurboTax Desktop (doesn't matter if CD or download), your .tax file saves automatically.  When you close TurboTax, it asks 'do you want to save this file?'