Turbotax deleted my return - I hate it!

[bk9001]

I had my nearly 10 years tax returns in the same directory.

Now I see all versions of Turbotax (2020, 2019, ..) are gone and so are all tax files including PDF files. No entry of app in the start menu any more. No trace of directories!!

This is insane.

How is  it even possible?   Weirdest thing ever noticed in my life that files and  turbo tax apps for all years are all gone by themselves.  Is it a bad update of hacked Turbotax? Every other app  or files other than turbotax  files works fine - no issues at all with any other app or data file on the system. How come ??

I searched Internet and it seems this has been reported by many other users and there are several threads like this on this forum. So , it looks like I am not alone. Intuit cannot ignore this as an isolated problem.

Here are other threads with similar problems:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/turbotax-data-is-mis[product key removed]e/00/215...

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

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

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/turbotax-data-is-mis[product key removed]e/00/215...

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

I need immediate help!!

PS:  This is a serious issue since I lost all my files before I could even back up!!. Need to go to its root cause and need to widely advertise it or it could affect others too.  I am quite tech savvy  - so basic file search and looking for hidden files etc. has already been tried.  Some thing is very  nefarious with Turbo-Tax 2020 forced updates..

[VolvoGirl]

Are you on Windows?  Did you make any backups?  

See this post.  This user found his files in the Administrator account

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

[SteamTrain]

Windows 10 ?

They (Microsoft) issued a new Rev this week rev: 21H1.

1) If that Rev has started on your computer, but is only partially installed on your computer, you may need to do a full Computer re-boot.

2)  Windows 10 updates don't normally lose the TTX programs, but I have been putting off the 21H1 update, so I don't know what it does this time....maybe I'll try it on my laptop this afternoon to see what happens to my TTX files there,  since my Desktop is the one that has all my critical files.

3)  Windows 10 PRO versions have historically "seemed" to have more issues with W10 updates and problems with TTX , than when the  W10 Home and Student versions get updated (but that's just my impression from previous problems posted here in the public forum)

[SteamTrain]

Just Installed W10 Rev. 21H1 on my MS Surface Pro laptop with no issues. 

1) Existing 2016 to 2020 TTX Premier versions all operational and files all intact.

2)  2020 TTX (Premier) already had the latest version installed, so it wasn't an issue for that software update

3)  the only other thing I can think of  as long as the main TTX software starts up,  but just for missing files ), is that some people have reported that issue in the past too....BUT  either..3a) they were storing their files on MS's cloud drive (OneDrive) and they had to log back into their MS cloud account first to reconnect with the files. or 3b)  their files were in an external usb-connected drive whose system address had changed.

[fanfare]

Look for subdirectories under your  My Documents   folder.

Also check the Recycle Bin.

[Linda1533]

Well, today is March 28, 2022. I have spent hours with Turbo tax, and Nothing has helped. My 2020 tax data is gone. I used it on a Mac Pro.  I spoke with four agents they all knew something I didn't know. It's not coming back. All years are gone. I don't use it online. Mine is desk top. It happens With the updates, I think. Not sure if they are Hacked or don't know how to fix what's broken. 

[CarissaM]

If you do not have physical copies of the return , you can use one of these two options below to get a copy of your prior submitted return: 

• Order a free tax return transcript online or by mail from the IRS that has a lot (but not all) of the information from the return. Some people may not be able to do this.
• Pay the IRS $50 for an exact copy of your return.

@Linda1533

[bk9001]

I started this thread  last year - so would like to update it. Thank you to those that helped.

It seems that  somehow tax files folder became hidden due to some inadvertent name change.  Since I didn't have a memory of the folder name, I had no idea where to look for a year later.  I don't know what caused that  folder name change  as PC is a shared between multiple users. But, I did manage to get old tax files back after spending a lot of time searching for them one folder at a time with some file explorer tools. That was a big relief.

However, the lesson learnt is that one should always print your taxes. I now keep a printed copy too. Secondly,  I also started backing up my  tax files and a pdf version to online cloud drive (Google/Microsoft).

[MoniqueLO_]

We are glad that you were able to retrieve your old tax files. Thank you for the update!

@bk9001

[Ies]

It's still happening. 

Turbo tax hasn't fixed the problem yet.

I think my data is in a scd file which can see but not use.

[Ies]

Why are the few of us the only ones affected by this.  Why aren't hundreds if not thousands of people complaining?   Are they all trying the support number and not posting?

[Ies]

I just spoke to a live person at the TurboTax help line.  I was told this is not a reported problem and the tech person said she had never heard of this happening before.  Since I and others have called before there is obviously a disconnect.  

So all of our posts about this problem over the past year haven't been reported?  Are we just talking to each other?  

[CarissaM]

Are you using the online or desktop program? 

Also at what point was your return deleted, before or after filing? @IES  

[Ies]

I am using a disk on my windows 10 PC.  

My return...all 8 years of returns... disappeared after a TurboTax update last year.  I was hoping that the problem would be resolved by now because of all of the complaints, before I start on 2022 taxes.  I am afraid your updates are going to erase my new work. 

I filed my 2021 return via snail mail.  I never converted the return to pdf because I needed to amend it.  

I can see my data in a large scd folder (*.scd) which I did not create.  There is also a large tax thp folder that I didn’t create and can't open.  

Therefore I don't think TurboTax erased my 8 years of data..

I think the update moved all of the files to locations that I can't access and that my installed TurboTax programs don't recognize. 

There must be a solution.

[ChondelLO]

Please see the response from ErnieS0 for help with this experience. @les

Lost data 2023 (intuit.com)