Weird disappearing tax return files

[zumadog49]

My 2024 TurboTax desktop finished tax return files have disappeared.  The original folder for 2024 is there but it is empty.  Even weirder - I booted up an older computer I had migrated from (Mac) and found the 2024 tax folder with the completed files - tt file backups and pdf of the finished return, but when I clicked on the pdf file, it poof! disappeared without a trace along with all of the other files in the folder.  I checked the recycle bin, hidden files in Finder, iCloud files, Dropbox - no luck. 

All I can figure is that the files I clicked on were automatically sent to a cloud destination which I have yet to find having looked at all the destinations.

Anyone who can shed some light - please step forward.  I've had to request a hard copy of the 2024 1040 form directly from the IRS, but after 3 months I am still waiting.  My tax preparer needs the info for the 2025 return coming up so I would love to find even just one copy of the finished return.

Again, this is on the TT Desktop not the Online version.

[SteamTrain]

@zumadog49 

If you are on a Windows computer now...check to see if you have a OneDrive cloud account.

Depending on how you have it set, a file might be removed from your computer, but kept in the cloud storage, after 30 days not being used.

I've set mine up to "Always Keep On This Device", though they still get backed up in the cloud

[zumadog49]

Not on Windows, this is all on Mac.  Checked OneDrive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, etc for exports - nothing there. I'm beginning to think it's either a unique Mac OS virus or the aliens have arrived after all because none of this makes sense. 

I did find a 2023.tax2023 file on a backup drive, but I don't still have the 2023 TT app installed and the 2024 version won't load it except to transfer data - not terribly helpful but something anyway.

Ready to give up, thanks for the advice.

[baldietax]

try logging into iCloud.com on browser and scroll down to the 'data recovery' and see if you get lucky there

re .tax files you should be able to download old turbotax versions from your Intuit account (2022 onwards are still supported)

soooo... no time machine backups?

[baldietax]

the other thing you can check is the local sync directory for the cloud which is very-hidden by default, I suspect it won't help but worth checking, I don't think this folder is easily accessible from Finder but you can get there from command prompt.

~/Library/Mobile Documents/com~apple~CloudDocs

it may depend how you had the cloud setup - if you were using it for all your documents and it was optimizing for space locally then the files may have only been on the cloud but not locally on your machine.

you could also try posting for advice in the Apple support community regarding the files disappearing when you click on them on the old machine if there are other tricks or places to look.