How can I print and mail in an already prepared 2016 return if the CD isn't working?

[Anonymous]

I prepared my 2016 tax return back in 2017 on Turbo Tax 2016 CD software I got at a local store. I got the Deluxe CD for Windows and Mac (I have a Mac with the most updated software as of 11/12/19)  

I am due a refund. I was going through a hard time in my life and never was able to send it in to the IRS. I want to still file for this refund, but now the CD won't install on my iMac.

I have a similar situation for 2017 and 2018 in terms of having them prepared but not filing yet with the IRS, and due a refund on both. However on the 2017 and 2018 the software seems to open those respective files fine. I was afraid to proceed and file those until 2016 was printed and mailed in, and have been having trouble with the 2016 for a couple years and never had time to figure this out. I think I am approaching a deadline where I can't file for a refund much longer on the 2016 one. Think my refund is forfeited if I don't file by December 31st 2019. So needless to say I need to get all three to print URGENTLY, and can't get 2016 to print. 

Is there a way to print 2016 online? I have the file prepared, just need to review it, print it and send the thing in.

Also, is there any reason why I can't file the 2017 and 2018 for my refunds while I am sorting out the 2016 issue? I was really worried I shouldn't do them out of order, but at this point, I don't want to lose any of my refunds and want to get them turned in. I have always done my taxes on time and this is making me so upset. I am a struggling single mom who works all the time and this has been a 3 year nightmare. I desperately need this money and I am almost ready to take all my documents to a tax preparation company and tell them MERCY.

Hoping someone can help...thank you so much.

[Anonymous]

if you want to pay TT fees, you can prepare your 2016 return online but because of the changeover from 2018 to 2019 you may have to wait until some time in December. contact support about the 2016 issue.  there can be many reasons for this.    have you tried a complete unistallation of 2016, reboot, and try to reinstall from cd?  some ops may post other suggestions.  you can file 2017 and 2018 without filing 2016.  e-filing any of these years is closed. mail each year separately following TT mailing instructions.  use a method  where either you can track them or get proof of delivery.  be sure to attach any withholding documents.  

as for 2016 since the earliest due date was 4/15/2017 you have until  4/15/2020 to claim refund.   if the IRS received an extension for that year, you have until 10/15/2020, but don't bet your refund on this. 

[mesquitebean]

@Anonymous 

A 2016 return cannot be prepared online, so you'll need to disregard some of the info in the helper's comment above.  And you should not have to pay any fees again.  And obviously you can't uninstall/reinstall, since you said can't install the 2016 CD software at all.

In regards to opening your existing 2016 tax file, you said "now the CD won't install on my iMac" and that you "have a Mac with the most updated software."

That may be the problem.  The 2016 TurboTax program was not designed for current Mac OS X.  What happens when you try to install it?    Are you getting an error message when you try to install the 2016 CD?      Please state explicitly what Mac OS X version you are using.

I don't use a Mac, so I'm going to ask someone who does to comment in this thread later today to see what options you have.  Do you only have the *.tax2016 data file and not a 2016 PDF?

@macuser_22  Can you please assist here today?   Thanks!

[macuser_22]

In order to open the 2016 .tax2016 data file you must first have the 2016 software installed AND any state software if there was a state return in the data file.   After installing the TurboTax 2016 software open it from the Applications Folder and then use the top menu bar File -> Open File and locate the .tax2016 data file to open.  (You must first start a new blank tax return and install state software if the .tax2018 data file has a state.)   If TurboTax itself will not open then  see below:

if you get the message "TurboTax cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software" then that is caused by the Apple "Gatekeeper" introduced with OS X 10.15 (Catalina).

That has nothing to do with TurboTax and will happen for any application not purchased from the Apple Store.

See this Apple article on this: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491

And this TurboTax help article: https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/troubleshooting/help/turbotax-for-mac-won-t-open-when-installed/00...

For older Mac systems when TurboTax will not open.
See:

Be sure that System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> General -> Allow apps downloaded from App Store and identified developers is checked.

Go to the Applications folder and select the TurboTax application in the Finder and right click with the mouse (or control click) ans select the top "open". That should force the first open. After that it should open normally.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899267-administrator-rights-mac

[Anonymous]

I can't even begin to thank you all enough for taking time to try and help me. I will give you all the answers below to your questions, as nothing has worked so far:

1. I have OS Catalina version 10.15.1. My Mac is a late 2013 model. I have 1TB of storage and am only using 900 GB so far. So plenty of storage etc.

2. I actually didn't mean to say I couldn't install the 2016 software. I actually can get it to install. I just cannot get it to open. So what I have tried is to uninstall it and reinstall it. But I did notice that when I reinstalled it, it kept the same installation date in the Applications folder where it is located. So I don't think it fully uninstalled. I did just drag and drop the icon into the trash, restarted and then fully installed it again from CD. 

3. What it is currently doing is that when I click on the 2016 TT icon in the applications folder or my dock, it will bounce as if it is opening and then it will stop. I see briefly on the menu toolbar at the top of my screen the Turbo Tax menu, like it is starting to open, but it seems like something is blocking it from opening and it shuts down before it opens fully.

4. I don't get any error messages at all, of any kind during installation or when trying to open. 

5. I have cleared my safari history, I have restarted my machine several times and those don't help.

6. I tried to go to the Applications folder, right click and open from there to force open the first time as you suggested Mauser_22, but that results in the same attempted opening, where it bounces a few times and shuts down.

Any other ideas? I think maybe if someone can tell me how to fully uninstall this and then install it clean, that may be something that I need to try. I don't think it did a clean uninstall last time, due to retaining the "Modified" date in my applications folder as the original date of installation, even though I uninstalled it last night.

Any help is so much appreciated. I am also going to call Turbo Tax now.

[Anonymous]

Oh forgot to mention, I have two files saved that I can see, there is one called "Tax Return 2016" (which is the same name as my other year's files) and then another one called "Tax Return 16.tax2016". I think they may be the same file, maybe I just saved it twice. but yes, I think I do have the full Federal and State return saved and completed within one of those files.

[macuser_22]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I can't even begin to thank you all enough for taking time to try and help me. I will give you all the answers below to your questions, as nothing has worked so far:

1. I have OS Catalina version 10.15.1. My Mac is a late 2013 model. I have 1TB of storage and am only using 900 GB so far. So plenty of storage etc.

2. I actually didn't mean to say I couldn't install the 2016 software. I actually can get it to install. I just cannot get it to open. So what I have tried is to uninstall it and reinstall it. But I did notice that when I reinstalled it, it kept the same installation date in the Applications folder where it is located. So I don't think it fully uninstalled. I did just drag and drop the icon into the trash, restarted and then fully installed it again from CD. 

3. What it is currently doing is that when I click on the 2016 TT icon in the applications folder or my dock, it will bounce as if it is opening and then it will stop. I see briefly on the menu toolbar at the top of my screen the Turbo Tax menu, like it is starting to open, but it seems like something is blocking it from opening and it shuts down before it opens fully.

4. I don't get any error messages at all, of any kind during installation or when trying to open. 

5. I have cleared my safari history, I have restarted my machine several times and those don't help.

6. I tried to go to the Applications folder, right click and open from there to force open the first time as you suggested Mauser_22, but that results in the same attempted opening, where it bounces a few times and shuts down.

Any other ideas? I think maybe if someone can tell me how to fully uninstall this and then install it clean, that may be something that I need to try. I don't think it did a clean uninstall last time, due to retaining the "Modified" date in my applications folder as the original date of installation, even though I uninstalled it last night.

Any help is so much appreciated. I am also going to call Turbo Tax now.

---

Follow the links in my answer in the box if it will not open - that is probably do to the OS X 10.15 "Gatekeeper".

If you need to do a total uninstall and reinstall then do this:

Here is a FAQ for how to uninstall Mac
https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901210-remove-uninstall-turbotax-for-mac

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901209-reinstall-turbotax-mac

[Anonymous]

I have GOOOOD FREAKING NEWS!!!!!!! I GOT IT TO PRINT!!! I wanna cry and kiss someone at the same time. I spent about 2 hours on the phone today with TurboTax and got a fresh downloaded copy for 2016. I followed those directions you posted Mauser_22 and was able to fully delete my cd software and reinstall the download. I never fully uninstalled the CD last night, so that may have worked w/o the download, but once I called them I was committed to trying what they gave me as the solution so I went with the download, it worked! I was able to PRINT MY TAX RETURN!!!!! ALLLLL 18 glorious pages. I am so freaking happy. I still have to review it and figure out how to get it to the IRS, but now at least I have a physical copy I can send in. 

I can't thank you each enough for your quick replies. I happened to be home with my child who is sick yesterday and today and I was DETERMINED to figure this out once and for all, and I managed with your help to do that in the short time I had. I don't know what you get from helping on this forum, if you do it out of kindness, the education you gain, or if you are ever compensated in any way, but you should be, because truly when you are alone and need help, people like you can make the difference that you don't even understand. You made that with me.

Thank you so much. I still have to print 2017 and 2018, but now that I got that trouble one fixed, I can do the others. So one question for you...Do you think it is best to send them all three years in one FedEx/UPS envelope pack, or should I send in 2016 first and then a few days later 2017 and then a few days later 2018, so they can process them in order?

I am writing this almost feeling like another person with all that stress moving away now. It's not done, but the road block is gone. God is good and so is this board...thank you again!

[VolvoGirl]

Mail each year separately or the IRS will miss one.  And mail federal and state separate.

Where to mail federal paper returns

https://www.irs.gov/uac/where-to-file-paper-tax-returns-with-or-without-a-payment

[Anonymous]

Thank you, I just noticed the mailing address for the Federal return is different than what printed on my return, only because of the zip code difference. Should I send to the one on the 2016 return or the current one on the website? I am inclined to send to the updated one, but maybe it relates to the tax year? The CA state one is the same on both the return and the FTB website, only the Fed/IRS differs.

2016 Return says send to:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Fresno, CA 93888-0015

Website says to send to:

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Fresno, CA  93888-0002

[Anonymous]

how funny it thought the zip codes were social security numbers lol. 

2016 return says

zip [social security number removed]

website says

zip [social security number removed]

[Anonymous]

ok gonna try again, still thinks numbers are ss numbers lol.

2016 return says last two digits of the zip plus 4 is "15"

and website last two digits of the zip plus four is "02"

[mesquitebean]

@Anonymous 

The forum has a filter that removes numbers it thinks are SSNs, phone numbers, etc. to protect user privacy.

You asked about which IRS address to mail to: 
"Should I send to the one on the 2016 return or the current one on the website? I am inclined to send to the updated one, but maybe it relates to the tax year? The CA state one is the same on both the return and the FTB website, only the Fed/IRS differs."

Use the current address shown at the IRS website.  It says at the top of the page that those are the addresses to use for all returns filed "during Calendar Year 2019."  In other words, that page has the current address for any returns mailed this year in 2019.

Since you mentioned California, here is a direct link to the California address page at the IRS:
https://www.irs.gov/filing/california-where-to-file-addresses-for-taxpayers-and-tax-professionals

Choose the correct column there for your situation; i.e., refund or payment due.

[mesquitebean]

@Anonymous 

IMPORTANT:

Also be sure you mail each packet by a method that has tracking such as certified mail with return receipt, etc. so you'll know if and when the IRS receives the packets. 

NOTE:  The address at the IRS page mentioned in comments above is for a postal mailed return.   In one of your comments above you mentioned "FedEx/UPS."    If you plan to use a private delivery service, such as FedEx, UPS, etc., the address is different.   A special street address is required.  See the following page:

https://www.irs.gov/filing/submission-processing-center-street-addresses-for-private-delivery-service-pds

Also see this page about which private delivery services are acceptable:

https://www.irs.gov/filing/private-delivery-services-pds

If you plan to use one of those, ask the delivery service to give you written proof of the date of mailing.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for pointing out the FedEx and PO box issue, I forgot about the fact they don't deliver to a PO Box until you mentioned that.

Do you all have any recommendation on sending in these when they are late and for a refund, in terms of where you think is best to send them? I see you recommend sending them all separately, and I am not opposed to paying for FedEx if that is the best option to do three of them to IRS and three to FTB. I am just not sure which will get them there in the best way to be processed the quickest for me to receive the returns in the least time posssible?