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Find Your Tax File (Windows)

Updated: 5/16/2013
Article ID: GEN12462

This article explains how to find a tax return file created in TurboTax CD/Download software for Windows. Click here, if you're looking for your TurboTax Online return. Which TurboTax version am I using?

  • To open your tax file in TurboTax, you'll need the version of TurboTax from the same year as the tax file. For example, you'll need to open your 2012 tax return in TurboTax 2012. Lost your software? 
  • To locate the tax file, you will also need to be logged into the same Windows user account you used when you created it. Each account on your PC has a separate Documents folder. If you are unsure which account you were logged into when you created your tax file, follow the steps below after signing into each one. Windows will not search for documents located in other user accounts. 

Windows 7 and Vista

  1. Click the Start menu button.
  2. In the Start Search field, type .tax2012 (replace 2012 with the appropriate year).
  3.  As you type, matching files will appear in the Search pane.
  4. Make a note of the file's location or path. By default, TurboTax saves tax files in the My Documents > TurboTax folder.
  5. From the TurboTax File menu, choose Open, and then browse to the file's location on your computer to open it. Or, you can simply double-click on the .tax file to have it open up in TurboTax.

Windows XP

  1. Click the Start menu button, choose Search, then choose For Files or Folders and then click All Files and Folders.
  2. In the All or part of the file name field, type .tax2012 (replace 2012 with the appropriate year).
  3. Click Search. Matching files will appear in the Search pane.
  4. Make a note of the file's location or path. By default, TurboTax saves tax files in the My Documents > TurboTax folder.
  5. From the TurboTax File menu, choose Open, and then browse to the file's location on your computer to open it. Or, you can simply double-click on the .tax file to open it in TurboTax.
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