Issues with switching from online Turbotax Premier to Costco's Turbotax Home & Business CD version

I've worked with various Turbotax versions for over a decade, and this is unfortunately a common issue when switching between online and desktop versions. The problem stems from how differently the two platforms store your data. For your situation, the best approach is to download your prior year return as a PDF from your online account (not the tax data file). Then use the "Start from PDF" option in your new desktop version. Look for this in the File menu or during the initial setup. This won't transfer everything perfectly, but it will pull in the basic information like personal details, W-2 employer information, and some of your investment accounts. For your stock transactions, check if you can download a spreadsheet from your brokerage that's compatible with Turbotax import. Most major brokerages offer this now, which will save you tons of time compared to manual entry.

After struggling with similar Turbotax import issues last year, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it completely transformed my tax preparation process. I was trying to switch between different tax software versions and losing data in the transfer, just like you're experiencing. What's amazing about taxr.ai is that it can analyze your previous tax returns regardless of which format they're in. I uploaded my prior year returns, and the system extracted all the critical information - including my investment transactions and business expenses. It then organized everything in a way that made entering the data into my new tax software much faster. The feature that really helped me was the document analysis tool that identified deductions I had taken previously, so I knew exactly what to look for when setting up my new return.

Just wanted to follow up about taxr.ai that I asked about earlier. I decided to try it with my tax returns and I'm seriously impressed! It didn't magically transfer everything into Turbotax, but it did something almost as good. I uploaded my previous returns and it created this super organized breakdown of everything - all my stock transactions with dates and amounts, rental property expenses categorized correctly, and even identified some deductions I had forgotten about. Made it so much easier to enter everything into the new Turbotax version without missing anything. The interface is really straightforward too. Definitely saved me hours of comparing documents and squinting at last year's return trying to make sure I didn't miss anything important.

If you're still struggling with Turbotax support, try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I had a similar nightmare situation last year with my tax software, and after waiting on hold with Turbotax for literally 2+ hours and getting disconnected twice, I was ready to throw my computer out the window. My colleague recommended Claimyr, which gets you through to a real person at Turbotax without the endless hold times. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Basically, they wait on hold for you and then call you when they have a rep on the line. I was skeptical, but they got me connected to Turbotax support in about 25 minutes (versus the 2+ hours I wasted). The Turbotax rep was actually able to help me resolve my transfer issues and saved my sanity during tax season.

I need to follow up on my comment about Claimyr from earlier. I was totally skeptical and called it a scam, but after struggling with Turbotax support for THREE HOURS yesterday and getting disconnected twice, I decided to give it a shot out of desperation. I'm honestly shocked at how well it worked. I submitted my request to get connected with Turbotax, went and made dinner, and about 40 minutes later got a call connecting me directly to a support agent. No waiting on my end, no awful hold music, just an immediate connection to someone who could help. The Turbotax agent was able to help me with my import issue (turns out there was a compatibility problem between the versions). Hate to admit when I'm wrong, but this service actually delivered exactly what it promised.

Have u tried contacting Costco about it? Their customer service is usually pretty good and they might let u return it even if it's been opened. I bought the wrong version last year and they exchanged it no questions asked even tho I had installed it already.

Pro tip: next time skip buying ANY version and use freetaxusa.com instead. I switched from Turbotax 3 years ago and never looked back. It's free for federal filing (only $15 for state) and does everything Turbotax does without the crazy price tag. They handle investments, rental properties, self-employment, literally everything.