For every return processed last year, there are 2 files listed for transferring, the first one is a TT file and the second sub-entry is the PDF copy. This can be verified by the date stamps on the files.
TurboTax Desktop can and does generate temporary PDF files. This is not unexpected and is how the program is designed to function. You can hide these files by following the instructions in rertiree's answer (just uncheck the box).
The PDF file is necessary if you want to "look" at your return in the future, when the TT program for that year is no longer available. The .tax file is what's transferred from the previous year's TT program, into the current year's TT program. You can only open a .tax file with the appropriate year's version of the TT program that tax file is for. You can open and view a PDF with the adobe reader on any computer platform.
I assume this new change is documented up front. Kind of concerned when first screen in TT has changed.
This is not a new change - as it's been around for at least 3 years I'm aware of and probably longer. When looking at your prior year's tax returns online, there's always a PDF for each year, along with a corresponding .taxnnnn file where "nnnn" is the tax year that .tax file is for. This is assuming you used the online version to file that tax return with. If you used the desktop version and then switched to online, then to import you had to upload the prior year's .taxnnnn file. In that case, there would be no corresponding PDF file.
I always used the downloaded version and it NEVER showed the PDF copies. That is why I was concerned when it showed both versions which corresponded to the date stamps in the TT doc folder. That is how I verified the second entry was the copy.
When you start a new return the only files that should show up in the Transfer Box are the data files ending in .tax2015 and not the pdf files. But now there are actually 2 data files showing up for each return. The second file starts with a Tilde symbol ~ and is only a temp file in case your real file gets corrupted. Ignore the files starting with the ~ .
Where are you seeing the pdf files? Your tax return data files and pdf files should be in your Documents then in a Turbo Tax folder. The Transfer box does not show the end of the file like the pdf or .tax2015 so I think you are seeing the extra ~ files. What I did was click the file name heading in the Transfer box to sort the files so all the ~ files get sorted to the bottom of the list then I don't see them.
See on my screen when I scroll down, the files starting with the ~
What is happening is that this version of TT which supports formats of PDF for the other products from H&R and TaxAct has no way of differentiating my TT backup PDF files so they too are listed. All TT files are saved in the TT document folder under the Documents folder as it always has done. Probably should be noted to TT support about this slight 'glitch' which can obviously confuse folks and me.
I didnt know you could sort these names so I will try that to avoid picking a TT PDF copy.
What I forgot to mention was that yes these 'sub entries' have the tilde.
I'm still not clear on where you are seeing the pdf in the listing unless you are clicking on the Browse button and looking at the actual directory listing on your computer. I don't get any pdf files in my transfer box. And the Transfer box doesn't even show the file extension like .tax2015. Are you trying to transfer from a H&R pdf file, etc.?
The tilde files are not pdf files. They would be files ending in .tax2015
This is the end of my comments. After selecting BEGIN it lists everyones files that were saved by TT in order as they are listed in the TT directory, with the TT file first and the tilde PDF file second. The saved PDF file has additional name qualifiers which always places the TT files ahead of the PDF 'records' file in the directory. So when transferring I have to make sure I select the tax file which can be confirmed with the date stamp. This is new. This was not done with TT2014 Premier downloaded software.
Right, the 2014 program did not do that. But last year for 2015 it did.
If you want to see what is shown send me an email to (Removed) I meant last years TT program.
This is a public user to user forum and it is not safe to post any personal info here or you might get spammed, scammed or worse. As I said the extra duplicate ~ tilde files ARE .tax files and not pdf files. You could even use it to transfer from.
The tilde files are temporary files which use to be deleted or at least hidden each year. But starting last year for 2015 return the programmers left them showing so in case your actual .tax file crashed you could get your info back.
I am sorry to say the tilde PDF files displayed in my TT are in fact PDF backup copies made for record keeping. I use the downloaded TT and until this year, no other files were displayed except Tax files. These PDF files can and are to be used with Adobe Acrobat. End of story.
I apologize for my ignorance regarding the new process started in last years TT with the saving of backup TILDE files. With these files being sorted to the top of the TT directory and having the same date stamp as the PDF backups, one could easily at first glance when starting TT2016 think that it was not distinquishing between the other product supported PDF files and TT PDF files. When you do a BROWSE, TT also looks for PDF files as shown in the file search popup screen(*.pdf, etc). I also apologize for trying your patience. If you work for TT maybe it should be easier for me to open an issue and call someone to clarify this easily, rather than bouncing around in the forum. I certainly have paid enough over the years to get one on one support easily and quickly. If you do not work for TT then that comment was unnecessary. Having used TT for over 10 years, seeing this new start screen can obviously confuse us common folk. Taxes are hard enough. More doc on the TILDE files would have helped.
As VolvoGirl has stated the tilde itself DOES NOT designate a .pdf file.
Perhaps a little explanation regarding the file naming structure used by Windows (& MAC) systems.
Each file and program have unique names and are presented as "filename.exten " Where:
filename is a unique name assigned to a file; and can typically be just about anything
exten is a specific extension that are used by various programs to attached 'ownership' to that type file
Specifically in this case .tax15 identifies a file as being a data file created by TTax for the tax year 2015. A file extension of .pdf identifies files intended to be readable by a PDF (Portable Document File) viewer program (eg Adobe Reader). That is basically the only way .pdf files are identified --a prefix of ~ (tilde) has no special meaning with regard to .pdf file.
When a filename if prefixed with a tilde the sorting sequence of a list of files will be altered. Depending on sorting preferences at any given time (based on user selection) the files prefixed with a tilde will be listed before a similarly named file without the tilde (or, based on user selection, the tilde prefixed files could be listed after similarly named files without the tilde).
It may be that a setting on your PC prevents the system from displaying the filename extensions. To change your PC's setting to show full filenames (with extensions) you need to navigate to "Folder Options" by clicking the start menu and entering "folder options" in the search box.
1. Then click on "Folder Options" in the list displayed.
2. Click on the "View" tab; and
3. scroll down the list to: "Hidden files and folders".
4. Then click/select the option to "Show hidden files, folders, and drives".
5. Finally click 'Apply" and then click "OK".
Thanks for the info. The root problem was after using TT for over 10 years all of a sudden I see 2 entries for everyone I did taxes for. My first check was to look at the date stamps. The tilde version matched all my PDF backup copies and because TT doesnt display the entire name(unless you expand the field), I had no thought about them being tilde tax files because I had not seen any info on this new process of creating tilde files last year or this year. When I viewed my TT directory my focus was always on scrolling to the bottom for last years files. The thought to look all the way at the top, not understanding what the tilde prefix represented, didnt happen. Then after noticing the info that TT supports H&R and TaxAct PDF files I also assumed TT didnt differentiate their PDF files from TT PDF files. I wonder how many users who dont live on PCs and worked elsewhere in IT over their career, are also wondering what is going on all of a sudden. With all that I have paid over the years for TT, it would have been nice to know - '...hey we are going to start creating an additional copy of your tax data, and instead of modifying a portion of the standardized name, we are going to prefix the new files with a tilde representation....' So IMHO, the ball was and is in TT's court. Let folks know about these files. Lastly, during the final phases of completing a return, things get busy and at times lose some structure by veering off to collect more money for additional filings, and presenting multiple times and ways to save and/or print copies for record keeping. And thats apparently the time when TT is generating this new tilde version. It could easily get lost in the mad race to the end so one can start to relax again. This is how best laid plans can go awry.
It is only recently that TTax began *retaining* the tilde prefixed files. Last year 2015 we raised the issue with TTax when it was first noticed; and again this year 2016 we have again raised the issue because ow even the TTax program appears to be confused by the tilde and offers those files for transfer.
It would indeed be nice if TTax recognized the error and deleted the duplicate files identified by the tilde --or at least did not offer to transfer those files.