Why can't I find my TurboTax Online return?

This is, by far, the number one reason why our customers are unable to find the Online return they are sure they filed through TurboTax.

For example, after you sign in as My3Yorkies, you are shocked to discover that your return is blank, your refund meter displays $0, and all the information you so meticulously entered and triple-checked is gone.

That's because you actually filed your return under YorkieMom3, a different User ID you completely forgot about. In this fictitious example, all you'd need to do is sign in as YorkieMom3 to reunite with your "lost" return.

Want to find out how many User IDs you have? Click here, select I forgot my user ID, and follow the on-screen instructions.

Unlike fuller-featured versions of TurboTax Online, our Federal Free Edition product does not include ongoing access or PDF copy retrieval of completed TurboTax Online returns. This is true even if you paid an extra fee in Federal Free Edition, for example if you chose to file a state return.

If you need a copy of your prior-year return prepared through TurboTax Online Free Edition, select and complete your 2012 return with TurboTax Online Basic, Deluxe, Premier or Home & Business to immediately enable access to all TurboTax Online returns on file.

What do we mean by "complete"? Complete means that you paid the TurboTax Online fee by credit/debit card, refund processing services, or pre-paid code. Finished but unpaid returns are not complete.

If you used a free version, "complete" means that you entered your registration information before e-filing or printing.

Here are some ways to tell if you completed your Online return:

• You received one or more confirmation emails after e-filing.
• Your e-filing status is accepted, rejected, or pending.
• You received an email with your TurboTax Online confirmation number.
• You can locate the order that proves you paid or registered with TurboTax Online.

Unlike TurboTax Online, we are unable to store tax returns that were prepared in TurboTax CD/download software because the data is stored locally on your hard drive. E-filing does not create archive copies on our servers.

Here's how to obtain your prior-year tax return if it was prepared in the CD/download software:

1. Search your computer for your tax return file. Follow the steps for Windows or Macintosh.
   • Can't find your return? Here are two ways you can get a copy of your return from the IRS:
     • Request a free transcript of your federal return from the IRS. A transcript is used to verify income and some financial institutions accept it as a substitute for your original tax return. Click here for instructions or see IRS Tax Tip 2011-13 for more details.
     • Order an exact copy of your tax return, including all attachments, from the IRS for $57.00. See IRS Tax Topic 156 for complete instructions.
2. After locating your file on your computer, open your tax return using the same tax-year version of TurboTax (e.g., open your 2010 return in the TurboTax 2010 program, not TurboTax 2011 or 2012). Otherwise, you'll get Error 539.
   • Lost or misplaced your prior-year CD or download? Click here for replacement options.

With all the different do-it-yourself solutions out there, it's easy to get confused. This is especially true of customers that shop around and use different tax-preparation products year over year.

In addition to TurboTax (our personal favorite), other programs and software providers include H&R Block, TaxACT, TaxSlayer, Jackson Hewitt, Taxbrain, Liberty, plus government-sponsored programs such as Free File from the IRS. And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

We don't store returns that were filed outside of TurboTax, just as other commercial tax software companies don't have access to returns prepared with TurboTax.

Your best bet is to contact the provider you used to file your return, or get a copy of your filed return directly from the IRS:

• Request a free transcript of your federal return from the IRS. A transcript is used to verify income and some financial institutions accept it as a substitute for your original tax return. Click here for instructions or see IRS Tax Tip 2011-13 for more details.
• Order an exact copy of your tax return, including all attachments, from the IRS for $57.00. See IRS Tax Topic 156 for complete instructions.

This is relatively uncommon, but we see it every year. After filing your own return, you go back to the beginning and create an additional return (usually for a family member) using the same login.

Doing this overwrites (replaces) your tax return data with theirs and cannot be undone. In this case, you'll need to get a copy of your return from the IRS.

• Request a free transcript of your federal return from the IRS. A transcript is used to verify income and some financial institutions accept it as a substitute for your original tax return. Click here for instructions or see IRS Tax Tip 2011-13 for more details.
• Order an exact copy of your tax return, including all attachments, from the IRS for $57.00. See IRS Tax Topic 156 for complete instructions.

To prevent this from happening next year, remember to create a unique login for every return you want to file in TurboTax Online. Click here for the proper way to file additional returns in TurboTax Online.