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Level 1
posted Feb 17, 2024 10:09:22 AM

Stuck on “Preparing Your Documents “message

How long should this take?   I’ve been stuck on this screen for at least 20 minutes…

this is the step to Review Documents Just before submitting the e-file for Federal and State

1 6 1609
6 Replies
Expert Alumni
Feb 17, 2024 10:22:39 AM

Try closing TurboTax, clear your Cache and Cookies if you are using TurboTax Online, and reopen TurboTax.  You can also try a different browser.

 

Also, make sure you have ran all updates. 

 

If using TurboTax Online: Clear your cache and cookies. See this FAQ, for your particular browser.

If using TurboTax Desktop: Please see this FAQ.

 

 

Level 1
Feb 19, 2024 4:03:07 PM

Thanks.  I was using Safari and logged out and then logged back in using Chrome instead…the documents displayed immediately once I clicked “Review Files” in Chrome 

 

Thanks again 😊

New Member
Feb 22, 2025 1:55:35 PM

so is printing only supported on certain browsers???

Expert Alumni
Feb 22, 2025 2:14:33 PM

No, you should be able to print your returns using any browser; however, if a browser has built-in anti-virus protection, this may impact you.  If this applies, temporarily disable.

 

When you click on the View/Print/Save options, your return should open as a PDF document in a new window.  Though most have Adobe Reader on their computers, you could verify that you do.

 

Clearing the cache in both TurboTax and your browser is recommended, as is keeping TurboTax and your documents on your C drive.  

 

In TurboTax Desktop, it is also advised to right-click the TurboTax icon and Run as Administrator.  When the PDF file loads, you can also select Save to Computer, rather than Print.  Then you can print directly from the PDF document at any time.   If you do select print, you'll get a Print Dialog box where you can select which forms you want to Print.

 

If you're getting a specific error or behavior, let us know and we'll try to help.

 

You can also Contact TurboTax Support for more help.

 

@kmahon 

New Member
Mar 21, 2025 9:22:55 AM

I encountered the same issue, also on Safari. Like LindaL3, I was able to access the file by using Chrome instead.

 

I'm disappointed that we're not able to use the default Safari browser -- that should be fixed or at least made clear somewhere before trying to go through the process.

New Member
Mar 30, 2025 10:50:47 AM

Same. It was not fixed by clearing cookies/cache, logging out and in, or even using a different computer. You must use Chrome.