How to Recover Deleted/Lost TurboTax Files on Mac

TurboTax is an application used to prepare and file tax returns for the United States Federal and state governments. As you work through the step-by-step instructions in the program, any questions you have will be answered. The data files that TurboTax creates are called TurboTax files. These files contain detailed information about your tax situation, such as income, deductions, and other financial information.

By default, TurboTax files have the .tax format. However, they can easily be exported to formats like .pdf or .csv. But what if you accidentally delete an important TurboTax file? We'll discuss how to recover deleted TurboTax files on Mac. Keep reading to learn more!

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By default, TurboTax saves its files in the “Documents” folder of the user who prepared the taxes with the software. Deleted TurboTax files go to the Trash, from where you can recover the file. On the other hand, if you empty the Trash, it removes the file permanently.

Solution 1: Recover Deleted TurboTax Files from Mac Trash

If the file is in your Mac's Trash, you may be able to restore it to your desktop by following these steps. If you haven't emptied your Trash, you should be able to convert and recover your accidentally deleted TurboTax file from there.

Step 1: Click the Trash icon with your left mouse button to open the Recycling Bin on your Mac.

Step 2: Drag the recovered or deleted file(s) from the Recycle Bin to your desktop or any other desired location. Alternatively, you can right-click on the target file or folder and select "Restore."

Drag it to the Mac desktop

Step 3. On a Mac, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Command+Z to undo the most recent move to the Trash.

If you emptied the Trash, it can be much harder to recover a lost tax document, since you can no longer find the missing file by searching for its name on your Mac's hard drive. However, it is still possible to recover a file after you've emptied the Trash on a Mac.

This is because when a file is deleted, only the directory entry is changed, not the actual file. The system has marked the space that the file occupied as available for new data, but the file actually remains on the drive until new data overwrite it, at which point it is lost permanently.

Moreover, if a file with the same name exists and you save it, the old file will be overwritten and lost forever. Hence, you can utilize professional data recovery tools to retrieve the deleted file.

Solution 2: Recover Tax Invoice Files with Data Recovery Software

If you're looking to recover deleted TurboTax files on your Mac, the Tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is your best bet. This data recovery software stands out for its professionalism, safety, and user-friendliness. Most advanced recovery tools offer a free version, usually limiting the size of recovered files to between 500MB and 2GB. Tool provides the most generous free offer, up to 2GB. You can give it a try with the Tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac Free Version.

- It enables you to recover tax files on macOS that are lost due to deletion, disk formatting, virus attacks, system crashes, and any other possible reasons. - You can perform data recovery tasks like retrieving files from a formatted USB drive or restoring deleted Mac files from the Trash, even after emptying it. - With its wizard-like user interface, you can easily go through the entire Mac tax file recovery process.

Here's a video that shows you how to use a data recovery tool to find a missing TurboTax file.

Download the software right away and follow the steps below to recover deleted files from Mac in a few minutes:

Note: You can first click on "Disk Backup" on the left to create a backup. The software will then recover your documents from the backup image, which prevents further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1: Scan for lost files

Select the location where your important Word/Excel/PPT/Numbers/Pages document was lost, and then click “Search Lost Files”.

Step 2: Find Your Lost Document on Mac

Once you launch the Mac Data Recovery Wizard, it will immediately start scanning the disk volume you have selected. The scan results will be displayed in the left panel. Choose "Documents" to quickly filter out your lost DOC/PDF/PPT/XLS files.

Step 3: Recover Lost/Deleted Documents

Double click to select and preview the desired file. Then, click “Recover” to retrieve your lost document immediately.

Solution 3: Search for deleted TurboTax files in the default folders

By default, TurboTax saves its files in the “Documents” folder of the user account that was used to prepare the taxes with the software. Also, if you remember the login credentials you used last year, TurboTax should be able to find the files as long as they haven't been deleted. You can search for them in the Mac's Finder and Spotlight.

1. Search for the deleted TurboTax file through Finder

Step 1: The Finder is always open by default on a Mac. If you don't see a Finder window, click the Finder icon in the Dock at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2: Enter your search terms in the search box. Remember that the tax file extensions are .tax2018, .tax2017, or .tax2016.

Step 3: As you begin to type, a menu called "Name Matches" will appear. If the tax form you need is the one that appears, select it. If not, ignore it and press "Enter" to begin your search.

Step 4: When you begin a search in Finder, it starts by looking in the currently open folder. If no folders are open, the search begins with "This Mac," which searches your entire device.

Step 5. This should locate your TurboTax files. Double-click the file to open it, or right-click it and select "Show in Folder" to jump directly to the file's location.

2. Use Spotlight to search for deleted TurboTax files

Step 1: Click the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner of your Mac's screen to launch Spotlight.

Step 2: Type in the name of the file you're looking for. Spotlight will open in a new window and display the most recent results related to your search, including files, folders, and even definitions for your search term.

Step 3. If you're in a hurry to find a tax site, Spotlight can be very helpful, because it also shows web pages related to your search.

Solution 4: Recover TurboTax files from Recently Deleted Folder

How long ago was your TurboTax file deleted? By default, macOS keeps files for 30 days after they've been erased. If you accidentally deleted the file, you can look in the "Recently Deleted" folder to find it.

Step 1: Click "View" - "Show Sidebar".

Step 2: Look in the “Recently Deleted” folder, browse through your notes, and move them back to the appropriate folders.

Fix 5: Restore deleted TurboTax files from Time Machine Backup

If you have Time Machine backups enabled, it backs up your Mac to a backup disk on a regular basis. So if you accidentally delete your tax files from TurboTax on your Mac, Time Machine can help you get them back.

Step 1. To access Time Machine, click on the downward-facing arrow icon next to the clock graphic. Selecting this will bring up the Time Machine options.

Step 2: Make sure the "Show Time Machine in menu bar" option is checked. You should now see the Time Machine icon in your menu bar. You're ready to go!

Click the "Enter Time Machine" button. This will display all of your available Time Machine backups. Search for the file or folder you want to restore at its original location.

4. Click the "Restore" button to undelete the item and put the file back where it was.

How to Open an Old TurboTax File on a Mac

If you filed with TurboTax, your returns are saved in your account. According to the TurboTax community, you should use the same account you used when you filed. Since a new account is usually created each tax year, it's possible that your returns are spread across multiple accounts. Check your inbox for emails about your TurboTax account setup, and reset your password if needed to log in.

After logging into the account you used to file your previous return, TurboTax suggests selecting “Documents” from the left menu. This option is directly below the heading that reads “Home.” You can select the tax year you'd like to retrieve from the drop-down menu.

However, this only shows the years you filed with TurboTax. You can also open the document as a PDF to view, download, or print directly from the screen.

Conclusion

If you accidentally delete or lose your TurboTax files, don't panic. You can still retrieve them using the methods outlined in this article. For a quick and easy file recovery, we recommend using the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool. Its user-friendly interface and powerful data recovery capabilities will give you peace of mind, ensuring the safe and reliable restoration of your lost information. So, act now and use Data Recovery Wizard for Mac – don't wait!

Frequently Asked Questions on Recovering Deleted TurboTax Files

Here are 4 additional questions about recovering deleted TurboTax files. Click here to view the answers.

**How to recover deleted TurboTax files on Windows and Mac?** To recover deleted TurboTax files on Windows and Mac, try the following methods: For Windows users: 1. Check the Recycle Bin: First, ensure you haven't emptied it. Look for the deleted TurboTax file in the Recycle Bin and right-click to restore it. 2. Use File History (if applicable): If you have enabled Windows File History, you can attempt to recover the file through File History if backups haven't been cleared since deletion. 3. Data recovery software: If the above methods fail, use data recovery tools like Recuva or tools Data Recovery Wizard. These tools scan your hard drive to locate deleted files. For Mac users: 1. Check the Trash: Similar to the Recycle Bin on Windows, examine your Mac's Trash to see if the deleted TurboTax file is there. If found, simply drag it back to its original location. 2. Time Machine backup (if applicable): If you use Time Machine for backups, connect the backup drive and restore the deleted file from the backup. 3. Third-party recovery tools: If no backup is available or Time Machine isn't an option, consider using data recovery software like Disk Drill or Stellar Data Recovery to scan and recover lost files. Please note that data recovery isn't always 100% successful, especially if the file has been overwritten or the hard drive has physical damage. Act promptly to increase the chances of recovery.

The easiest way to restore saved data from TAX2016 is through a backup. If you had this feature activated, Windows PCs have a built-in tool that lets you retrieve earlier versions of X files. Macs have a similar feature called Time Machine. Alternatively, you can use System Restore on Windows to go back in time and recover your computer, but only if you made a backup first.

2. How do I save my TurboTax files?

TurboTax saves your information automatically. You don't have to keep the file because:

• The return is automatically saved as you work on or complete your tax interview. • Your return is also saved when you log out. • To save your TurboTax return for the first time, choose File > Save.

3. Why can I recover TAX2016 from my hard drive?

Deleted TAX2016 files from a computer do not entirely vanish. As long as they haven't been overwritten by new data, these files remain on the storage device and can be retrieved with reputable data recovery software. Recovery methods involve using backup utilities such as File History, System Restore, or Timeline.

4. How to recover permanently deleted files on a Mac?

Aside from third-party data recovery tools, the only built-in utility you can rely on to restore permanently deleted files is Time Machine. On a Mac, Time Machine is a backup program that stores copies of selected files on a backup disk. You can restore individual files and your operating system when necessary.