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Level 2

Question

Error message that says my return cannot be saved. Using Premier for Mac

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
March 3, 2020
12 replies
84 views

I keep getting an error message that my return was not autosaved. When I try to save it manually I get another error message that says my return cannot be saved. It will not let me e-file without saving the return. I'm very frustrated. Anyone have any advice?

Anonymous

If you are using the desktop version of Turbo Tax, be sure to click on "Check for Updates" and update your software if needed. If that doesn't work you can manually update your software.

kjemsmomAuthor

Level 2

I’ve updated every time I open Turbo Tax. I’ve also tried uninstalling and reinstalling. Neither thing solves my issue. The problem still exists. I continue to get the message “your return has not been saved” and therefore it won’t let me file electronically.

dontwannabu

Level 2

Do your files save to a virtual server such as onedrive, is it up to date? try 'save as' instead of 'save', then try saving to your desktop. I had the same problem and that was my workaround. Good luck.

ddubs

Level 2

After having the same failure while trying to save a duplicate, I saved onto the desktop rather than in a folder. It's bad enough to have to do taxes without a hinky program.

Keithab

Level 2

Thank you! This is only thing that allowed me to file.

EbonyA

Level 13

Glad to hear that you were able to successfully file - thanks for the update @Keithab.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post. **Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"

cashmoney643

Level 2

This is the kind of c.s. stuff that makes me want to switch to another provider, Lord knows there are lots of options. I have had the same experience: no autosave, no manual save, no save anyway, no move to desktop, no save as a new name. I have looked at everything recommended, such as permissions, get info, etc., and they are all in the correct position.

Go ahead and blame the Mac. But Turbotax has given me more recent updates than Mac. That is, Turbotax has been updating it program since Mac came out with Catalina. Seems to me the last clear chance to correct the problem lies with Intuit and Turbo Tax, not Mac. And, from the dates of the complaints online in the Intuit community it has been a known issue for months which Intuit has not fixed.

And the suggestion is to shut down the computer and restart? Why should I believe that after I have spent about 9 hours entering and checking info, just today

I have used Turbotax exclusively for more than 10 years. Not anymore.

mesquitebean

Level 15

@cashmoney643

I don't use a Mac, but I'll see if Community Champ @ macuser_22 has anything to add to the thread tomorrow that might assist you.

Whatever you decide, if your product issues are not resolved, you may be able to ask for a refund under the 60-day satisfaction guarantee using the online refund request form.

FAQ: TurboTax satisfaction guaranteed refund policy.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/charges-and-fees/help/our-turbotax-satisfaction-guaranteed-refund-policy/01/25544

Stokestack

Level 3

Apparently a major defect in TurboTax. I'm getting it right now, on tax day, so no E-filing and I have to waste reams of paper and ride it over to the post office. That is pathetic.

When your program can't even save a file to the local disk (a file that it created minutes before), it's time to get out of the business.

A sampling of the many reports on this defect:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/can-t-save-document/00/1068534
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/error-message-that-says-my-return-cannot-be-s[product key removed]er-for-mac/00/1260025
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/how-do-i-save-turbotax-2019-on-mac-keeping-getting-message-saying-file-is-locked-unable-to-unlock/00/1279226
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/re-having-problem-saving-document-says-that-i-don-t-haver-permission-i-look-in-file-info-and/01/1297396
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4712960

brad15

Level 2

This has been a multi year issue for me as well, including last year where I spent 4 hours on the phone with a tech support who in the end, just gave up and send me a new program. That did not solve the issue. Same thing this year. Can't understand why Apple and Intuit can't get along, but after using TurboTax since 1994, this is the last year I deal with this program unless I am soured they fix it.

macuser_22

Alumni - Champ

Full disk access is a rather new Apple feature. TurboTax is not doing anything different than prior years but the Mac OS is.

I believe that when first installing the software, the installer asks if you will allow TurboTax to access the calendar. I think that answering no will deny full disk access that will affect file saving.

See this MacWorld article that explains it more.

https://www.macworld.com/article/231975/the-difference-between-accessibility-and-full-disk-access.html

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**

Stokestack

Level 3

It appears that TurboTax fails to request "full disk access." You have to go into System Preferences / Security & Privacy and give TurboTax full disk access. I don't know why it's allowed to initially create the file but then never update it, but that's probably an Apple issue.

jesse333

Level 2

God bless you!! I’ve been using TT for 20 years and never had this issue. This year, for the first time, this extremely frustrating problem came up, causing a ridiculous amount of wasted effort (and unprintable language on my part). Then I found this solution . . . and it worked! I’m very disappointed in TT—it’s clear the problem has been around for a while, and they haven’t solved it or offered an easy to find solution. I wish I could bill them for the hours I wasted.

macuser_22

Alumni - Champ

@jesse333 wrote:

God bless you!! I’ve been using TT for 20 years and never had this issue. This year, for the first time, this extremely frustrating problem came up, causing a ridiculous amount of wasted effort (and unprintable language on my part). Then I found this solution . . . and it worked! I’m very disappointed in TT—it’s clear the problem has been around for a while, and they haven’t solved it or offered an easy to find solution. I wish I could bill them for the hours I wasted.

Mac System Preferences have nothing to do with TurboTax. That is part of the Apple OS.

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**

Carl

Level 11

I've seen posts about this every year, for at least the last 10 years. I'm not a MAC user myself. But from what I can recall it's a permissions issue. (my memory is rusty on this MAC stuff) You need to go into System and give the program "full access" to the hard drive. Exactly how you do that on a MAC, I haven't a clue. But until you do that, you won't be able to save to your hard drive.

792587

Level 2

Turbo tax will not let me save return or efile. This is a great problem, never had this with any others years I've used this software.

Carl

Level 11

Can’t save my return to my Windows 10 computer.

Click the start button and above that button click the settings icon, which is the little gear wheel, to open the settings applet.

Scroll to the bottom and click the Update & security applet.

On the left, select Windows Security

Under “Protection Areas” click Virus and threat protection.

Under “Virus & Threat Protection Settings” click Manage Settings.

Scroll down to “Controlled Folder Access” and select Manage Controlled Folder Access

If necessary, turn ON controlled folder access. Then under that switch select “Allow an app through controlled folder access.”

Click Add An Allowed App, then select Recently blocked apps.

Now select TurboTax 2019 and work your way out of everything back to the desktop.

That should do it.

Wglenos

Level 2

Error says “no more files”

andy83Q

Level 2

I am using Premier on an iMac with OS Catalina. I learned yesterday that my file, which I had been bringing up from the document folder, has not saved in my document folder since April 7, 2021; it had been more recently saving in my flash drive. I made some new entries while in the TT file located in the flash drive then saved the file. Today I brought up the TT program and it showed no file (current refund was "$0.00"). I then opened my flash drive and clicked on my TT tax file. It loaded into the TT program showing my most recent update!

Hope this keeps working. Using TT Premier this year has been a nightmare.

nicarawattal

Level 2

Environment: MacOS 11.2.3 (Big Sur), TurboTax Deluxe 2020

Successive TT Deluxe 2020 updates have broken, then fixed, then broken the file save function in the past few weeks.

Today TT is once again unable to save my tax return file to a network volume. This problem was present a couple of weeks ago, then went away after a TT update, then appeared again today.

Adding the TT app to the System Preferences/Security & Privacy/Full Disk Access list makes no difference.

To work around this problem, I am having to keep my TT tax return file in a location different than all of the rest of my financial and tax files, just so that this one app (TT) can save the file to that location.

That's not the only way in which this single app is different than all others: unlike essentially all other apps, it does not have "Save As ..." option in the File menu. Instead it has a "Move To ..." option, which does a save to a new location and DELETES the copy that was previously in the original location, thus discarding a valuable backup copy.

The so-called "recommended" updates to TT are not just recommended -- they are actually mandatory, since the app refuses to launch and open an existing tax return without doing the updates. Since the updates are mandatory, the erratic behavior of TT file saving will probably
continue to change.

This issue is an object lesson in how a software company can throw long-term user loyalty into the trash. I used MacInTax (Mac-based predecessor of TurboTax for Mac) for tax years 1988-2003, then TurboTax for Mac for tax years 2004-2020.

This tax year (2020) is the last time I will be using TT.

Stokestack

Level 3

If you happen to be using a thumbdrive to store these documents, you might try Disk Utility's "First Aid" function on it. Several apps exhibited baffling file-saving behavior with my thumbdrive, including being able to create a file but not save it after that; but instead you could "Save as" and write over it in the same location. The problem hasn't returned after "repairing" the drive, it it doesn't explain all of TurboTax's failings... but give it a try if this is your situation.

jts09

Level 2

I just ran into the same problem. AutoSave gave me an error saying that the file is locked. I got around the issue by moving the existing file to Trash. I was then able to save the most recent file manually. By the way, there isn't a "Save As" option on Mac.

**Update - I guess it wasn't a solution. Although I clicked "Save" and it appeared that a new file was created, I didn't see the file in Finder. I recovered the original file from Trash and it seems to have all of the updated info?

macuser_22

Alumni - Champ

@jts09 wrote:

"I just ran into the same problem. AutoSave gave me an error saying that the file is locked. I got around the issue by moving the existing file to Trash. I was then able to save the most recent file manually."

That indicates that the lock or permissions were wrong. You could have inspected that by using the "File -> Get Info" Mac feature to inspect and change that.

" By the way, there isn't a "Save As" option on Mac"

Yes there is, and it is a standard Mac OS feature, not TurboTax. The Top menu bar "File -> Duplicate" will change to "File -> Save As" when the option key is held down.

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**