Why do I have to pay to download my 2016 W2

[DoninGA]

TurboTax does not have a copy of a W-2, it will have a W-2 worksheet with the information from the W-2 that was entered on a TAX RETURN.

See this TurboTax support FAQ for when access to prior year online tax returns expire - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/when-does-access-to-my-prior-year-turbotax-...

To access your current or prior year online tax returns sign onto the TurboTax website with the userID you used to create the account - https://myturbotax.intuit.com/

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and on the section Your tax returns & documents click on Show.  Click on the Year and Click on Download/print return (PDF)

You can also get free transcripts of your federal return from the IRS - http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Get-Transcript

For a fee of $50 you can get a complete federal tax return from the IRS by completing Form 4506 - http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf

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To access a prior year online tax return and you did not use TurboTax for the 2017 tax return or you did not pay for one of the 2017 online editions of either Plus, Deluxe, Premier or Self-Employed, you will need to start a 2018 Free online tax return and then Upgrade and pay for the Plus edition ($19.99).  You do not have to file the 2018 tax return only pay for the upgrade.

Go to this TurboTax website for the 2018 online editions - https://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/online/

You have to sign onto the 2018 account using the exact same User ID you used to create the prior year online tax return.  Enter your personal information in the 2018 Free edition. On the left side of the screen click on Upgrade.  Scroll down and select PLUS More Help & Tools.  Click on Upgrade Now (if Plus is grayed out then you are already using Plus and only need to pay for the upgrade)

To pay the TurboTax online account fees by credit card so you can access your prior year online tax returns, click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen.  Then click on Print Center.  Then click on Print, save or preview this year's return.  On the next page, to pay by credit card, click Pay Now.  On the next screen just click on the Continue button.  The next screen will show a review of your Fees, click on Continue.  Complete the next screen to pay by credit card and click Continue.

[xmasbaby0]

Your W-2?  Or your tax return?  They are not the same thing.  TurboTax does not have your W-2--the Wage and Tax Statement your employer issued to you for 2016.  You should have saved that for your own records.

You could ask the employer(s) for copies or you can get a copy from Social Security (for a fee of $86).

If you saved a pdf of your completed tax return, the worksheets will show the W-2 information you entered, but not the actual W-2.

To get a copy of a W-2 from Social Security https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-02501

https://www.irs.gov/help-resources/tools-faqs/faqs-for-individuals/frequently-asked-tax-questions-an...

You can get a wage and income transcript from the IRS:  It will not show the actual W-2, 1099’s, etc, but will show the income information the IRS received.  It will not, however, show your state information. It will only show the federal information.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2561916-how-can-i-get-a-copy-of-my-w-2

If you actually mean you want a copy of your 2016 tax return, TurboTax does not store it online forever for free.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3355524-when-does-access-to-my-prior-year-turbotax-online-returns-...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3404575-how-do-i-access-my-prior-year-2017-return

You can get a free transcript from the IRS:   

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript

How do I get a copy of a return I filed using online TurboTax?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900748

How do I get a copy of a return I prepared using desktop TurboTax?

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900639

Note:  Every year, before mid-October, print a copy of your current year tax return and save it as a tax file and pdf, too.  That way you will have it when you need it for school, a loan, next year’s tax return, etc. without going through a lot of aggravation (and expense)  to get it.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899645-how-do-i-save-my-2018-turbotax-online-return-as-a-tax-data...

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1912544-how-do-i-save-my-2018-turbotax-online-return-as-a-pdf