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.tax2023 File Disappeared

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
March 12, 2024
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Hello.

I completed and filed my 2023 return. I opened TurboTax--desktop version--to check something and it asked to update the OK state files (which I don't need to do because I've already filed). I tried to get it to skip the update.

I realized that wouldn't work, so I told it to go ahead with the update.

When I reopened TurboTax Premier, the .tax2023 file was missing. I used Windows search for *.tax2023 and found nothing.

The file must have been there when I initially opened TurboTax because otherwise it wouldn't have asked to update the OK state files. And even when I finally said to go ahead with the update, it still knew to access the OK state update.

Is there a way to recover .tax2023? Or do I have to re-enter my information? I want that file for next year's return.

Thank you.

Gary

Best answer by lindamichelle

For some reason the update to Turbo Tax 2023 starts you back as if you have not started your 2023 taxes. If you open Turbo Tax 2023 again and browse for your file you will see in the bottom right hand part of the screen it only includes the 2022 extension. It does not give you an option to see 2023 tax files. Choose your 2022 tax return and say transfer then before saving click open return. It will ask you if you want to save the newly begun 2023 tax return, change the name on it so you don't copy over your 2023 return. After this, click open return and you can click on find a file and you will see now at the bottom right hand corner it does have the 2023 tax file option. It will take you to both you old file and renamed file. Select your original file and you will have the file you are looking for. Works for all 2023 files you have worked on but you will have to open and resave for them to pop up in the program. Hope this helps

P

PaulaM

Employee

What do you see when you first re-launch the desktop program?

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H

HaucksterAuthor

H Paula.

When opening TT, I get a generic page that starts out, "Hi, Welcome to TurboTax! ... Let's get started." Below that is a box marked, "Begin." There is no reference to a 2023 return.

If I click on that page to amend a return, the next page says, "No Files Found."

Gary

P

PaulaM

Employee

What happens when you select File, then Open Tax Return? @Hauckster

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B

beebop19

Any luck finding your file ? same problem here

D

Don C5

No. I had my main return completed as well as an iteration looking at 2024 taxes. Both of these .tax2023 files were wiped off my computer. I did a bunch of searches for these files, but they were gone. I ended up starting from scratch.

M

Meg54

I am having a similar problem.

I cannot find the TurboTax tax file (*.tax2023) on the hard drive (C:) of my PC. Where does TurboTax store the tax file?

The tax file (*.tax2022) used for 2022 taxes is no longer on the hard drive (C:) of my PC. Where has the file gone?

I can find the 2023 and 2022 tax files in the external hard drive I use for FileHistory backups.

I have been using TurboTax for many years. I store the tax files in a folder for each year. The folder name is C:\Users\garre\File System\Financial\Taxes\yyyy\ where yyyy is the tax year. For years prior to 2008 the file type is *.tax. For years 2008 to 2021 the file type is *.taxyyyy where yyyy is the tax year.

I have looked online for answer to the above questions but have been unsuccessful.

CatinaT1

This is a known issue. Sign up here for updates: Why are some TurboTax customers unable to transfer last year's return into TurboTax?

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L

lepperk

Same problem here. Had my taxes almost complete. Started TT and was prompted to update. When the update completed, my .tax2022 and .tax 2023 files were completely gone, along with the pdf from my 2022 taxes. I have .tax2021 and earlier years still present.

A search of the computer does not find either of these files.

Note to the employee responder: this is NOT about prefilling your 2023 return with your 2022 data. This is a different problem where all files from both years are completely gone.

It looks like hours of work filling in tax data for this year is now wasted, and I will have to start over on my 2023 returns. Thank goodness I printed a copy of the 2022 return, so I have the information.

If there is no better solution to this, I will be looking into a different tax product for next year's filing.

L

lindamichelleAnswer

For some reason the update to Turbo Tax 2023 starts you back as if you have not started your 2023 taxes. If you open Turbo Tax 2023 again and browse for your file you will see in the bottom right hand part of the screen it only includes the 2022 extension. It does not give you an option to see 2023 tax files. Choose your 2022 tax return and say transfer then before saving click open return. It will ask you if you want to save the newly begun 2023 tax return, change the name on it so you don't copy over your 2023 return. After this, click open return and you can click on find a file and you will see now at the bottom right hand corner it does have the 2023 tax file option. It will take you to both you old file and renamed file. Select your original file and you will have the file you are looking for. Works for all 2023 files you have worked on but you will have to open and resave for them to pop up in the program. Hope this helps

H

HaucksterAuthor

Thank you, @lindamichelle, for that outline of a solution.

I am probably using a different version than yours, because I could follow all the steps, just not exactly as you experienced them.

I now have my 2023 tax file back!

Judging by the lack of reasonable responses by TT, I think they need people like you who have a functional brain and willingness to try different paths toward a solution.

Now we will wait to see if TT apologizes for the mess they created. And wait to see if they update the software to include a solution. Guesses on that?

Thank you again.

Y

Yooper_81

After reading @lindamichelle advice I searched and found a 2022 tax file in my documents folder. I tried to transfer it into my desktop TT but got the message that the file was corrupt. Oddly a 2023 version of that file was then auto saved to my documents, but upon trying to open that in TT also brought the corrupt file message. I contacted TT service twice. The first time the supervisor implied that I simply must have not searched properly for the 2023 file on my PC. The second time I insisted on a refund for this years software, which I got. I will have to order copies of my forms from the IRS. My advice is that every time you edit your file, save it to multiple media and/or your cloud storage, which may protect it from buggy updates from TT. I did tell TT service that their community board is buzzing with the problem, so it will be interesting to see if they fess up to the problem and fix it.