First time user of Turbotax. Was 1.5 hours in and the software suggested I upgrade from Deluxe to Premier for additional itemization. I hit yes and the upgrade happened. When the software relaunched all my work was lost. I found the only .tax file on my Mac and it was empty. Any suggestions on how to get my work back? From what I have read, I should have been saving my work, I guess I figured that in 2020 software would be autosaving. Any ideas or is this just a really annoying learning experience? It stings that as part of my $30 upgrade I lost all that work... Thanks for any suggestions.
@Canaveral wrote:First time user of Turbotax. Was 1.5 hours in and the software suggested I upgrade from Deluxe to Premier for additional itemization. I hit yes and the upgrade happened. When the software relaunched all my work was lost. I found the only .tax file on my Mac and it was empty. Any suggestions on how to get my work back? From what I have read, I should have been saving my work, I guess I figured that in 2020 software would be autosaving. Any ideas or is this just a really annoying learning experience? It stings that as part of my $30 upgrade I lost all that work... Thanks for any suggestions.
I'm not sure what you meant by "additional itemization." If you are using desktop software (CD/download), the Deluxe and Premier editions both prepare the same forms. They differ only in the amount of help and guidance. Premier has more help/guidance with investments (stocks, bonds, mutual funds) and rental/royalty property.
"I found the only .tax file on my Mac and it was empty."
I'm not sure what that means. Is that a file ending in *.tax2019? Had you never saved a copy of the *.tax2019 file you had been working on? i.e., was that 1.5 hours the first and only session you've had?
I don't use a Mac, so I can't comment much on your issue. You may get some comments in this thread, but in the meantime, I'm going to ask someone using a Mac to assist you when they are next around.
@macuser_22 Are you please able to assist here when you are next in the forum? Thanks.
When I'm working on my return, I occasionally save during the session. And after every session I copy the *.tax2019 data file to a flash drive--just in case--since I've seen some horror stories over the years of using this forum. Luckily, since I've been doing that, I've never lost the data file, but it feels good to know I have a back up. Hopefully, macuser_22 or another Mac user may be able to suggest something for your situation.
If you are using the desktop version then TurboTax will always ask if you want to save the tax return before quitting. If you say yes then it will ask for a password if you want to protect the file. If you say no then it will quit and all data will be lost.
Is the desktop version. Did not ask if I wanted to save. Live and learn. Thanks for info. I guess doing an upgrade in the midst of first time use is a situation where info can be lost if one has not done a save previously. Still seems antiquated that it would not be autosaving...
Thanks. Yes, I was prompted to upgrade for additional info on rental property. Could have been worse, I might have been close to finished as opposed to 1.5 hours in. But, as I mentioned elsewhere, it seems ridiculous to me that something as laborious and time-consuming as tax preparation software is not autosaving from the moment you hit the first key. I mean, Intuit, just autosave it and call it "draft" until the user clicks to mark it "final."
Onward...
Thanks again.
TurboTax does not need to autosave because autosave is a Apple Mac built in feature unless you have disabled in in system preferences.
If the indicated box is not checked then any document that changed (including the .tax2019 data file) will be saved before closing unless the close was abnormal (a crash, force quit, etc).
Checking the box disables that.
In that case, I guess there was a glitch during the upgrade. I should have known better. My eyes were already glassed over from looking through tax documents...
Thanks for the help.
Completed my taxes in February but held off on electronic filing with the COVID filing extension to July 2020 since we owe.
Using Turbo Tax Premier 2019 and trying to import a PDF of my completed 2019 taxes and the file (disk purchased from Costco 2019), will not import. I have completed the online updates and it seems to have wiped the memory of completing my taxes previously. I would like to file the taxes electronically instead of printing out and mailing the PDF with documents to the IRS. I am not going to re-enter my info and start my taxes over. HELP!!!
What do you mean import a pdf? You need the .tax2019 file to open in the program. Are you on Windows or Mac? Does your program start ok? Then what happens when you go to File-Open? You can't find your return?
The 2019 TurboTax Premier program won't allow me to import the .tax2019 or PDF file of my 2019 taxes that I completed in the program I purchased via hard disk in February. When I did the online update when opening the program today, it seems to have wiped all my previous data and it wants me to start fresh.
I completed the taxes, have the files, just can't import them to e-file. I'm on a Windows PC. When I try to import the PDF it says it can't use the file. When I browse for the .tax2019 file and find it, it does nothing and doesn't import it.
Thanks for your response.
I don't know what you are trying to do but you do not import it. You just OPEN the file. Importing or transferring means to transfer a 2018 return in to start a new 2019 return. Go up to FILE - OPEN. Does your 2019 return show up in the box?
Yes, I figured it out doing the Open File instead of Import File. Thanks for your advice.
Yes.
You will need to open the tax date file saved on your local computer.
I don't know if my taxes have been filed or not. Didn't get a copy need one . I know you got paid. It that is all I have found. Please help
@ Clara4
wrote:I don't know if my taxes have been filed or not. Didn't get a copy need one . I know you got paid. It that is all I have found. Please help
Not enough information. How did you prepare the 2019 return? Did you prepare it Online (web version), or did you use desktop software (CD/download) installed on your computer? If desktop software, for Windows or Mac?
And what is your issue now? Are you unable to find a 2019 online return you prepared so you can download/print it for your records? Or are you unable to find a return you prepared in the installed software? Or what??
If you prepared the return in Online TurboTax, log in and at the Tax Home, what is shown for the "return status"?
I saved my 2020 tax file and then opened it to work on it. It was up for about a week waiting for forms that the government hadn't submitted. The computer rebooted in the meantime. I updated TurboTax when the forms arrived. I lost all of my work. About 10 hours worth. I had this happen once before this year but TurboTax had auto saved after I had it up a couple of days. So, I was able to recover my work then. It didn't offer the search this time. Anyone know where I might find the file?
Are you on Windows? 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
No it does not ask you. I am using the desktop version on Mac, just upgraded and all work was lost. I hit Command S before I started the upgrade, which I just confirmed is the shortcut to save in the Turbo Tax menu.
I'm furious - have used TurboTax for years and never hit this severe of a bug until now. Our return was almost done and now have to start over from nil.
@nasa931 I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please Contact us so we can help.
OMG this exact same **bleep**ing thing just happened to me, but it was even more time!
I haven't read this whole thread yet, but I'm not optimistic...
FFS!
So now I've just read the whole thread and my suspicions seem to have been confirmed.
If anyone has any idea how to recover the hours of apparently lost work, on a Mac, please advise ASAP.
Thanks.