H&R Block Software: I've been using H&R Block tax software since TurboTax had problems doing state taxes correctly. I noticed something unpleasant this year. Although I have my taxes...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I've been using H&R Block tax software since TurboTax had problems doing state taxes correctly. I noticed something unpleasant this year.

Although I have my taxes from last year on my computer - a T18 file - the program will not open them. Doing a browse for them, they don't even show up as a choice in H&R. When I tried to open the T18 file independently, nothing can read it. The H&R program said I must buy last year's program to open last year's report. I thought it would be simple enough to re-install last year's program and use that to open the file. No good. Apparently, H&R doesn't do a download when you buy their program. They must install it directly.

In the past, H&R was able to access last years program with no trouble, but not this year. I have a paper copy of my report, so I can use that, but the file I saved can be opened only by H&R. Doing my taxes this year, I see there's an option to save the tax report as a PDF, so that's what I'm doing.

Maybe this is just a glitch for me alone, but it's an unpleasant one.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Interesting..
Have been using Tax Cut for some years - both Fed and State. Have had no trouble such as you describe.
When you started your return did the program pre-fill from last year? How do you store the files?

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

jerryc41 wrote:

I've been using H&R Block tax software since T... (show quote)

Thanks, I'm going to go back and save an extra copy as a PDF, kept a paper copy too, did you uninstall last years program from the computer? or is it not working?

02Nomad Loc: Catonsville, MD

I guess that I'm old school, that being said, I usually get the H & R Block disk in the mail. After installing, I pay for it and keep the disk, save the file on my SSD and on a thumb drive. No problems so far!

vanbr

HR Block software (in my experience) is stubbornly insistent on only looking for prior years return files where it left them. If you have your .t18 file in some other folder, you need to copy it to the place HRBlock's software expects it. A brief Google search says they store it in your Documents folder in a subfolder titled "HR Block". So create that subfolder, copy your file and maybe it'll find it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

vanbr wrote:

HR Block software (in my experience) is stubbornly insistent on only looking for prior years return files where it left them. If you have your .t18 file in some other folder, you need to copy it to the place HRBlock's software expects it. A brief Google search says they store it in your Documents folder in a subfolder titled "HR Block". So create that subfolder, copy your file and maybe it'll find it.

Yeah, I tried everything. H&R puts it in a folder on C under User. Unfortunately, it didn't see it and open it. It's there, but I can't do a thing with it. With TurboTax, I could open it, print it - whatever.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

BboH wrote:

Interesting..
Have been using Tax Cut for some years - both Fed and State. Have had no trouble such as you describe.
When you started your return did the program pre-fill from last year? How do you store the files?

No, it didn't fill in the info because it couldn't find and open the old return.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

I've been using H&R Block for years with no issues except when I swapped out computers, but it really wasn't an issue even then......

joanloy Loc: St. Louis, MO

jerryc41 wrote:

I've been using H&R Block tax software since T... (show quote)

I have been using H&R Block Tax Act for years preparingf taxes at home. I never uninstall the past year(s) software. The current year version always provides a list of all the previous year tax returns that I have done. Then I can select the one I am working on.

Jack47 Loc: Ontario

Been using taxchopper for years now. ALL of my previous returns are there when I open it.
Turbotax (intuit) is a garbage company.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Like another poster I don’t uninstall the previous year’s H&R Block software. I use default locations for all files. Honestly, I’ve never used one years version to open another years return. And I never would since one can’t assume that calculations would be the same. When you tell a tax program to open the previous years return, all it’s getting personal information and lists of forms used. I have 7 years worth of full programs and returns on my computer. Each year, I uninstall the oldest version.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

[quote=jerryc41]Yeah, I tried everything. H&R puts it in a folder on C under User. Unfortunately, it didn't see it and open it. It's there, but I can't do a thing with it.

When I start the year I tell TaxCut to store where I want it. On my external HD "Data Drive" I have a directory labeled "TaxCut" and under it sub-directories for the year(s)*. When I start a new year it finds the previous years data and pre-fills.
*TaxCut"
2009
xxx
xxx
2019
(This drive is among others subject to automatic backups)

repleo Loc: Boston

Old school here. I still use paper and pen.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

repleo wrote:

Old school here. I still use paper and pen.

And a calculator? 😳

jlocke Loc: Austin, TX

I've been using H&R Block tax software for a number of years. This years program had no problem opening the file from last year and importing the data. Maybe your file got corrupted somehow? I DID learn years ago that when my return is finished, I 'print' 2 copies as .pdf files; one with the suffix "_for_filing" which is just the forms I needed to file, and one with the suffix "_for_records" which includes all the worksheets and various other forms that aren't actually needed to file. I store all this on my computer in my public documents folder in a sub-folder called "Tax Data".