When Federal Return uses the Standard Deduction. How I print my Schedule A form?

[davekro]

I am working on TurboTax 2020 H & Bus. desktop for Mac. Being late, I am required to paper file, so I already saved my federal 2020 TT Return to PDF, printed it, and mailed it. I just finished doing my CA State forms manually. Since I am using the ‘Itemized deduction’ for my CA STATE Return (manually), they want me to send a copy of my Federal Schedule A.

Since my Federal return is using the Standard Deduction, I need to go into  Forms > Open Forms > search Schedule A > select Schedule A:Itemized Deductions >

When I open the Sched A form in the app -or- from selecting 'Open in a separate window' I cannot print the Schedule A form. The only option that I can find to print is, File > Print.  -or-  File > Save to PDF (then print). Both of these options only allows you to print the entire Federal return (17, 30, or 89 page versions). But those versions do NOT include the Schedule A form, because those options are tied to the fact that your return is being filed using the Standard Deduction, which hides the Sched. A because it is not being ‘filed’.

I can and did do a sloppy work around by doing three screen shots to get the complete Sched. A form. But I hate to send that patch work, if there is a way to print forms only available in Forms > Open Forms > search for the form that is not listed in the TT side menu.

Thanks for any help.

Dave

[SteamTrain · Accepted solution]

Seems like one of the MAC people should have an answer.

But in Windows, when you get the form to show up in "Forms Mode".

When you search the forms and get the Schedule A to display in the rt-side screen, there is a "Print" selection at the bottom of the window itself.

....and when I select that, the Print selection screen that shows up has the Schedule A as the bottom most choice...pre-selected...and I can save just that Sched A itself to a PDF.   But that's on the Windows software.

[davekro]

@SteamTrainthank you for the reply. Like you said, I'll need to wait for a TurboTax Desktop for Mac user. I know from Quicken and Quickbooks use, that Mac is a poor stepchild to Intuit that gets stripped down versions of their robust Windows software. I hope this inability to print a form that was NOT included in any of the 'pages included' versions for the Return being submitted, was not one of the features left out of the Mac S'ware versions (but I fear it may well be).

On my Mac: I click Forms icon > then Open Form > the TT window is greyed out, and a search window pops up in the middle of the greyed TT area. In it, on top left is a selection field (but Form 1040: Individual is the default and sole option). The top right has the search field, then below is the 'Form' List Box. At the bottom, below the form list box, on the left a box to check 'Open in separate window', on the bottom right are 'Cancel' and 'Open' buttons, that's all.

I enter Schedule A in search. Below in the 'Form' list there are two options: Schedule A: Itemized Deductions  and  QBI Schedule A SSTB. When I highlight the Sched. A, the 'Open' button is available. Clicking the 'Open' button opens the form in Forms section of the TT app. The bottom of the TT Forms window has no buttons or icons at all. At the top, is the normal interview icons toolbar. Below that is the header fields 'Tax Return' on left over the list of forms, left < , right > arrows to go forward or back, Name of Form displayed (Sched. A in this case.

I just noticed that NOW Schedule A shows up on the left side list of forms. But no difference in lack of Print ability. I guess I could try to find the interview page that allows you to manually choose to file using your (smaller) Itemized Deductions. I'll try that work around if I don't hear from a Mac Desktop TT user here.

[davekro]

@VolvoGirlAre you by chance a Mac user? You are a star to me, having figured out answers that otherwise went unsolved. Any insights on this Mac specific print question?

Oh, and Happy New Year! 💥 🎉

Dave

[VolvoGirl]

No but I help my friend do Turbo Tax on her Mac so I don’t know how it works unless I’m there.

[davekro]

@VolvoGirlLOL. I get that. I am my wife's IT for her Windows machine sometimes. It is difficult to discover "How do you do or find 'this' on your PC machine...?" SO I do a lot of poking around in the dark. I don't deal with her PC often enough to remember for the next time. My senior-ness does help with that. ;o)

I was able to make a much better copy via screen shot > pdf, so problem solved.

Dave

[davekro]

@SteamTrain    I marked yours as Best Answer because you described well where the print option 'Would' be, if Intuit had not de-tuned their TT Mac versions! ;o)

Dave

[SteamTrain]

Yep...the MAC always seems to be the poor stepchild.

Someone at Intuit needs to get on the ball and let the MAC customers have all the same options.   Maybe it's really a matter of money for more MAC programmers as I suspect that 80% of sales go to Windows users.  Would be interesting to see the MAC vs Windows percentages for Desktop.

In a quick search, Wikipedia indicates that for all desktops and laptops. sold/used..73% Windows, 15% MAC and the rest Linux, Chrome, and "unknown".

[davekro]

Well, from the looking glass of deploying resources to the part of your business that serves 85% of your revenue... I guess it makes sense. Living in the Mac ecosystem, I always think of it as a more significant part of the market... But the numbers don't lie. Thanks for pointing out what should be obvious. LOL 

I was in the vending business for 30 years. 10 years ago I was able to let go of Vending and continue forward with just the much more profitable office coffee business, which I still operate as a sole proprietor.

Along the lines of Windows vs Mac scenario, back in the early 90's A friend who had been in vending many years once told me that Pepsi was not much more than a pimple on Coca-Cola's butt. I don't know if it was THAT big a difference, but sure was a funny metaphor at the time. 🤣

I just looked and AI said worldwide Coke has ≈ 40% of the market and Pepsi 30%