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?
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.
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.
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.
I, too, have often been unable to save my working return file. I am using a disk copy of Deluxe with Mac OS Catalina. I have performed many TurboTax updates, most times that I use the software over the past month or so. A pop-up says that the autosave could not be done because I do not have write permission on the file. The pop-up says to check the Finder Get Info for the file, which always says that I have read and write permissions. I select "Save Anyway" on the pop-up and still get the indication that my file has not been updated. I save my latest working file under a new file name to preserve my latest work at the end of a session. When I check Get Info for my previous working file, sometimes it has been saved during my work session, in spite of the pop-up. I now have half-a-dozen versions of my working file saved with different names and dates, however I am done with my taxes for this year. Maybe it will work better next year! Hope, Hope!
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.
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.
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.
Any luck getting resolution? I am fighting with the same issue. I am pretty sure I have set all of the permissions correctly. This is the first time having this issue with TurboTax.
If you wish to speak to TurboTax Support about this issue, here's how to reach them.
Support hours are 5AM-9PM Pacific (8AM-12 Midnight Eastern), 7 days/week
You can use this contact form to get a phone number or possibly schedule a call back.
https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact
I stand by my earlier comments about following suggestions and checking all the permissions, and the difficulty I had saving the file in one place or another. However, in a manner I cannot explain, for some reason unknown, I actually was able to save the file to my desktop. I just kept clicking on the save button. I can't give guidance because I can't explain what happened to make it work.
Once I did get it to the desktop I experienced the beach ball of death and had to force quit Turbo Tax, losing data in the process.
Thank you. I did the same and it finally saved to the icloud.
Good luck!
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
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.
I'm trying to use Turbotax 2020 and get this error message "The document could not be saved. The file is locked" and I tried to click on the unlock option but it was already unlocked. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thank you!
What OS X version is on your Mac?
I don't use a Mac, but I'll see if Champ @macuser_22 has anything to add in this thread to assist you later today.
1) Restart the Mac.
If the error persists then:
2) Use top menu bar File -> (hold Option key down) and Save As and save it to your User desktop.
You can check the lock status for files or Folders with the Finder -> Get Info).
You should review the the permissions on the default Documents Folder if that is where it was trying to save to. (There are many Mac or Apple discussion groups or articles for help with this. It is beyond the scope of a tax forum to troubleshoot a local Mac issue.)
This is not a "local Mac issue." This is a known TurboTax defect.
If you are having issues with Premier for Mac receiving an error message, you may want to use the link provided below for some troubleshooting tips for Mac updating issues:
If you are having issues with Premier for Mac receiving an error message, you may want to use the link provided below for some troubleshooting tips for Mac updating issues:
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.
I was having the same problem with my Turbo Tax version download or iMac. My issue was related to the Full Disk Access permission.
Go to the apple icon at the tool bar, system preferences, security and privacy, go to the privacy tab, select the folder "full disk access" (unlock lock at the bottom with your password), select turbo tax from the right hand side. Once you assign any specific user the read and write option, you will have a full disk access to Turbo Tax and would be able to save your Turbo Tax return to a directory. I hope the explanation will help someone out there.
I'm having the same problem with Turbotax 2020 and macOS Big Sur! Though they would figured out the problem by now. I'm going to try what someone else suggested for last year and save it to my desktop.
Windows 10 instructions:
Key word concept is : Windows 10, Controlled Folder Access
The Macintosh/Apple work around above is not the same as the one for Windows 10. You need to "allow" TurboTax2020 to have full access to the system using the Allow an App Through a Controlled Folder option.
Here is the fix to the problem of not finding the file its trying to save to with TurboTax 2020 and Windows 10.
I wish I had screenshots of these steps but you have to figure out exactly how to do it on your own. Here are the rough Steps:
-- > Windows Security
--> "Virus and Threat Protection"
--> "Controlled Folder Access"
Click --> "Allow an App Through a Controlled Folder option"
Choose the Recently Blocked Apps, and check all that apply, (ie . TurboTax )
Additionally if it stalled out doing its updates when you first started TurboTax, you might want to run it in Windows 2008 compatibility more. It seems to get through its updates better that way. You can start it with or without compatibility mode by using a right-click on the desktop icon.
PS Hope this helps - I am just another User/Victim of Turbo Tax and Windows. (dont blame me!!!)