MAC : Form 540, California Residential Income Tax return shows it is Available but still getting watermark "Do not file. Form not Final"

[Bsch4477 · Accepted solution]

I had the same problem and solved it by downloading and installing the CA program again.  Let us know if doing that helped you.

[cchavez222]

That did not work.  Did not allow me to install as it indicated it was already installed when clicking on CA.  If I try to choose another State so I can back out and go back, wants to charge me $39.

[Bsch4477]

If you are using the online Turbotax I would think all the forms should be OK..  I was using the desktop program.  I would think you could e-file okay.

[Bsch4477]

I have reached out to other superusers to see if they have other thoughts.

[mesquitebean]

I have an idea of something to try.

@cchavez222
You haven't ever really said why you are printing.   
What stage of return preparation and filing are you in?  Please answer all the questions below:

Have you already filed a  Federal return?   If so, was it accepted?
Have you efiled a CA return?   If so, was it accepted?   Or does it show as "incomplete"?
Why are you wanting to print the CA return--to review prior to filing, to print to file by mail, or printing for your records?

[cchavez222]

Thanks for getting back.  Turbotax is completely perplexed by this. I end up on LONG holds while they check it out, they disconnect and don't call back even when they promise to do so.

 Yes, I have e-filed Federal return and it went through.  Trying to print and mail CA return to avoid e-filing charges on that.  Everything checks out as complete to the very end (Rep confirmed while looking at my screen that all was well) UNTIL I get to point where I print and big CAP Watermarks come up. Felicia-Colorado confirmed. Expect these Watermarks will still show up if I try to e-file but don't want to pay the high fee to do that, anyway.  HELP please, if you can.  This endless loop with TurboTax customer support is very frustrating.  THANK YOU FOR BEING THE ONE CONSTANT HERE!!  :-}

[cchavez222]

Should also mention that I have MAC OSX 10.9.5 Mavericks, but CD packaging assures this version will work. Cannot update this year because my MAC is so old, among other reasons-fyi.  Thanks again!

[mesquitebean]

Oh, gosh.  I'm sorry to report that I thought you were using the Online version.   The workaround I was going to suggest for the Online product is completely different from the desktop product.   Sorry for the confusion.

There's another big update for TurboTax forms coming 2/10.  You may want to just wait.

[mesquitebean]

Did you install from a CD or a download?    If it's a download, you might consider downloading a new installation file, which is R15 or so.   Then uninstalling all of your Mac product and then reinstalling it with that latest release; that will let you reinstall the latest release of the State program, too.  You may want to first save a copy of your data file in a safe location someplace, just in case.

I'm not a Mac user, but I'll see if I can attract any to this thread.  So you may want to wait and see what they say.

I know some Windows users just got clear CA forms without the watermark yesterday, so maybe the Mac forms are just straggling.

If you do decide to uninstall, here are the special steps for MAC, but hold off a bit to see what some Mac users say.
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901210-remove-uninstall-turbotax-for-mac">https://ttlc.intuit.com...>

[mesquitebean]

Addendum:
You said above that
"Did not allow me to install (the state)  as it indicated it was already installed when clicking on CA."  

I believe there is a way in Mac to uninstall just the state module (perhaps in a Mac library) and then re-download the State.  But as I said, I'm not a Mac user, so it's best to wait until one of them responds in this thread with more authority.

[macuser_22]

@cchavez222 - Have you updated TurboTax ?  The latest CA form set is dated 2/2/17.  Menu bar -> TurboTax -> About TurboTax -> More info

[cchavez222]

I did actually solve this with a helpful Rep over the phone last night after a great deal of discussion and explaining the issue again.  Wish I had your response first and this would have been solved quickly.  No, my Turbotax was not updated because I had kept it docked and just kept accessing from there.  The CA State portion had critical updates that you are referring to so once I  quit Turbo and went back in, updates were done and watermarks were no longer there. Done & done...  Thanks so much!!

[mesquitebean]

That is great news!    And a ^5 to @ macuser_22 for the same suggestion as the helpful phone agent.

[Opus 17]

Keeping an icon of Turbotax in the dock should have nothing to do with it's ability to update.  The dock is just an alias of the program.  (You do need to have the CD ejected, or if you used a downloaded installer, you have to eject the virtual disk image window. The CD and disk image are read-only and can't be updated.)

I did have the same problem where state forms were not being updated.  There is an easy way on the Mac to delete the state formset, then when the program starts up it force-downloads the updated forms.  

Go to ~/Library/Application Support/TurboTax Deluxe 2016/Forms and delete the folder for the state formset that needs to be updated.