Transferabilty of Data from 1040-SR for 2020 to new 2021 Reurn

[padejo]

My 2020 return which was filed as a 1040-SR was created with Turbo Tax and saved as a PDF.  When I tried to transfer the data from the 2020 return to my new 2021 return the data could not be transferred.  A Turbo tax support person told me that she spoke with a Turbo Tax product expert and was told that Turbo Tax 2021 would be updated as of January 31, 2022 so that data from the 1040-SR would be transferrable to the 2021 return.  However I tried to make the transfer on February 4, 2022 and it still would not transfer the data.  So, does anyone know if Turbo Tax 2021 is to be updated to allow transfer of data from 2020 1040-SR returns which are saved as PDFs to new 2021 Turbo Tax returns? 

[SteamTrain]

Not certain what the issue is......it does have to be the electronically-created PDF file, and not aa scanned document you converted to PDF.

BUT  Don't bother with a PDF transfer

All that transfers (when it works) is names, SSN's and maybe the AGI.   and nothing else.  All that can be put in manually in 5 min or less.

You really need the datafile that ends in " .tax2020" if you want to transfer anything more into the 2021 tax file.

[padejo]

Thanks.  The document I have been trying to transfer is an electronically created document and not a scanned document.  The reason for my Question to the Community was that the TurboTax Customer Service Person sent me an official Turbo Tax document that answered the following question "Can I transfer last year's PDF into the 2022 Turbo Tax for Windows Download software"  and the Turbo Tax answer in that document was "You can, if your 2020 PDF is a 1040 return generated through TurboTax, H&R Block or Tax ACT software (Form 1040-SR is not supported for PDF transfer).  

My 2020 PDF is a SR-1040 Return, but the Turbo Tax Customer Service person also told me when I spoke to her over the phone that she checked with a Turbo Tax product specialist and was told that PDF's of SR-1040 returns would be tranferrable to the 2021 download effective as of 31JAN2022 (with no indication that the data that could be transferred would be limited to names and SSN's. 

So when I tried to transfer the 2020 pf to the 2021 download in early February and it didn't work, I was hoping to find that someone in the Turbo Tax community had encountered the same problem with their 2020 PDF of an SR-1040 return and made it work.

[SteamTrain]

Hard to know if they'll ever get it to work for a 1040SR.

BUT, as I already noted...don't bother since almost nothing transfers.  You could have manually entered your names, SSN's, mailing address, telephone number.....the few things that would-have transferred, in 5-10 minutes.  And the 2020 AGI you don't need until you actually file, and that's on line 11 of your 2020 form 1040SR.

[SteamTrain]

@padejo 

BUT, you initially indicated that you used TTX to prepare yoru 2020 taxes....why aren't you transferring in your data file.....the one that ends in .tax2020  ?? 

That would included far more information to reference, and a full set of history values.

[padejo]

Somehow the file in .tax2020 is not on my computer at this point - only the pdf file is there.  I don't know why the .tax2020 file  isn't there.  It must have either been inadvertently deleted or perhaps wasn't saved when I saved my 2020 return.  Anyway, thanks for your help//input.

[mssusan987]

TT only created PDF. Does anyone have update to when import might work, now or future.

[CarissaM]

@mssusan987 Import is currently working. Do you get an error when you are trying to import into Turbo Tax? If so, what is the error and which page are you at in Turbo Tax when the error occurs?

[SeniorUser]

I'm late entering this discussion, but apparently the fix was never incorporated. It's now September, and data from my 2020 1040-SR doesn't move to the 2021 return. (Both are Deluxe versions.) Why can't I use a regular 1040 form? I've been a senior for quite a few years without needing a special 1040 form, and I've never had this problem before. I AM too old, I fear, to reconstruct depreciation schedules for my rental property halfway through their life. My justification for using Turbo Tax has been to avoid paying someone else to prepare my tax returns. Can't I just opt out of the senior form . . . starting last year?

[fanfare]

This has nothing to do with Form 1040-SR.

TurboTax can't import depreciation from a PDF File.

you must

a) access the .tax2020 file from last year, or

b) always do your taxes on TurboTax Online and in the same account.

you should always print the depreciation report each year for your records for situations like this one.

You might not use TurboTax forever.

Your executor won't have access to your .tax20nn file for your final tax return unless you make it so and document its location and importance.

@SeniorUser 

[mesquitebean]

---

@ SeniorUser wrote:

I'm late entering this discussion, but apparently the fix was never incorporated. It's now September, and data from my 2020 1040-SR doesn't move to the 2021 return. (Both are Deluxe versions.) Why can't I use a regular 1040 form? I've been a senior for quite a few years without needing a special 1040 form, and I've never had this problem before. I AM too old, I fear, to reconstruct depreciation schedules for my rental property halfway through their life. My justification for using Turbo Tax has been to avoid paying someone else to prepare my tax returns. Can't I just opt out of the senior form . . . starting last year?

---

We can tell you how to transfer 2020 data into a new 2021 return using the *.tax2020 data file, but the method depends on how you prepared the 2020 return last year and how you are preparing the 2021 return this year.    How did you prepare your 2020 return--in Online TurboTax or in 2020 desktop software?   And how are you wanting to prepare the 2021 return--in Online TurboTax or in 2021 desktop software?     If you prepared the 2020 return in desktop software last year, do you still have the *.tax2020 data file?

You also asked about selecting Form 1040 vs Form 1040-SR.   Whether you can make the Form 1040 selection depends on if you are using desktop software or Online TurboTax.   If you are using desktop software (CD/download), you can choose whether to use Form 1040-SR or a regular Form 1040.   They differ only in the size of the font on that one form.   

If you are using desktop software go into Forms Mode and in the forms list look for the Information Worksheet (likely abbreviated as "Info Wks"), then scroll down to Part II which has a place to mark your selection.    If you are 65 or older, it likely has Form 1040-SR selected as the default, which can be changed.   See the image below (click to enlarge) :

.

.

[SeniorUser]

Thank you! I've now changed my 2021 form back to 1040. --And I do have the tax2020 file on my computer, having used the desktop version of the 2020 (Deluxe) program. Now what?

[mesquitebean]

---

@SeniorUser wrote:

Thank you! I've now changed my 2021 form back to 1040. --And I do have the tax2020 file on my computer, having used the desktop version of the 2020 (Deluxe) program. Now what?

---

OK, great.   In order to transfer the *.tax2020 data file, you have to start a new 2021 return in the 2021 desktop software.   You cannot transfer 2020 into a 2021 return that has already been started.   It has to be a new blank return.

The following steps are for the Windows version.  I don't use the Mac version, but it may be similar.  The point is that you have to start a new return.

First make a mental note of where your *.tax2020 data file is located.  In the Windows version, the default location for *.taxYYYY data files is the \Documents\TurboTax folder.   That's the easiest place for TurboTax to find it.

Then launch your 2021 TurboTax program.   At the main initial screen, click the blue button "Start a New Return", or an alternate way to start one is to go up to the top left corner of the TurboTax interface and click on FILE, and in the dropdown menu choose "NEW TAX RETURN."   TurboTax will start to churn, and you'll see it searching your computer looking for the *.tax2020 data file.  If it finds the *.tax2020 data file,  it will display a blue button "Transfer Return".  Click that, and the transfer process should start.  (NOTE:  If you have more than one *.tax2020 data file, be sure you transfer from the correct one.)

 If it doesn't find the *.tax2020 data file automatically, you can click on the blue "Browse" button in the lower left, and a small File Explorer window will open where you can point TurboTax to the location of the 2020 data file.