Unable to print, preview or export to pdf from TT Premier 2019 using MacOS Catalina on 2 computers (different homes)

[Laurence158]

Same problem here. Running Catalina 10.15.7 on a MacBook Air early 2015 using TT Home and Biz 2020.

After a recent security update to Catalina (I think) TT will not print state returns but will print Federal return. Tried the various fixes recommended but so far no luck. Program hangs on print command and I have to force quit.

I had the same problem with 2019 last year but a long call with TT support fixed it somehow.

[macuser_22]

---

@Laurence158 wrote:

Same problem here. Running Catalina 10.15.7 on a MacBook Air early 2015 using TT Home and Biz 2020.

After a recent security update to Catalina (I think) TT will not print state returns but will print Federal return. Tried the various fixes recommended but so far no luck. Program hangs on print command and I have to force quit.

I had the same problem with 2019 last year but a long call with TT support fixed it somehow.

---

Try just waiting for the state to print - a half hour or  more.

TurboTax does not do printing, it just calls the built in Apple print function that should bring up the standard Apple print dialog box, but on some Mac's that print call message form TurboTax to the Apple OS gets blocked by some other process? that is running on the Mac.        Just waiting seems to work in many cases and after the first print, then subsequent print seem to be normal.

At least one Mac user traced it to old virus software that they had installed years ago and then removed but they located a couple of hidden files that the virus software installed that the virus uninstaller did not remove.   Once they deleted those files, print functioned normally.

Why it only seems to affect state printing, I do not know.

[macuser_22]

---

@macuser_22 wrote:

---

@Laurence158 wrote:

Same problem here. Running Catalina 10.15.7 on a MacBook Air early 2015 using TT Home and Biz 2020.

After a recent security update to Catalina (I think) TT will not print state returns but will print Federal return. Tried the various fixes recommended but so far no luck. Program hangs on print command and I have to force quit.

I had the same problem with 2019 last year but a long call with TT support fixed it somehow.

---

Try just waiting for the state to print - a half hour or  more.

TurboTax does not do printing, it just calls the built in Apple print function that should bring up the standard Apple print dialog box, but on some Mac's that print call message form TurboTax to the Apple OS gets blocked by some other process? that is running on the Mac.        Just waiting seems to work in many cases and after the first print, then subsequent print seem to be normal.

At least one Mac user traced it to old virus software that they had installed years ago and then removed but they located a couple of hidden files that the virus software installed that the virus uninstaller did not remove.   Once they deleted those files, print functioned normally.

Why it only seems to affect state printing, I do not know.

---

Why TurboTax does not fix this problem? - because you cannot fix what you cannot reproduce and analyze.   So far nobody has been able to create this problem on a Mac that does not already have the problem (I have spent hours trying to reproduce it on my Mac's and cannot do so.)

[Laurence158]

macuser_22 THANK YOU!!!

I waited longer than I had before and bingo the print dialogue came up! I tried watching the Activity Monitor while it waited but didn't see anything else much occupying CPU time.

Incidentally I had tested TT Home and Biz 2019, 2018, 2017 on this Mac with same result. And 2016 on an older Mac with older operating system - again same result. 

[macuser_22]

If you can figure just what is running on your Mac that blocks the print call, there are many who would like to know.

[Go2GR]

This year I had the same problem (TT Premier 2020 - MacOS Catalina) as last year (TT Home & Business 2019 - MacOS Mojave) - not being able to print state return, spinning beachball, having to Force Quit TT.

Last year TT support was useless. However, I finally found a solution offered by mloher on Feb 21, 2020. It worked last year this year as well.

1) I tried again to print state forms and ended up with same "stalled" spinning beach ball

2) I then opened Console (in Utilities folder). After approximately 15 seconds, beachball stopped spinning and print dialog box appeared

3) PROBLEM SOLVED - able to print my state forms and/or save as PDF

Thank you, mloher! And shame on TurboTax for another year of frustration!

[oldsos]

TT defaults in printing to any printer. This is usually the first printer listed in system preferences. If your default printer is not the first one listed you will get the spinning ball. Just make you default printer the first one on the list and your problem should be solved. It worked for me.

[Laurence158]

I tried this but no luck for me.

The solution that worked was simply waiting long enough the first time you print for the print dialogue to appear. Can be minutes - ignore the mac saying "application not responding". After that first print it works as normal.

[macuser_22]

See my answer a few posts back in this thread on 3/2/2021.

[pjd813]

The issues with waiting for print is one issue. My specific issue is a little different. Over the last several MacOS updates and two different Macs TT simply aborts and disappears when the print function is selected or create a PDF is selected. Just poof.

[JeanneLO]

Please follow the instructions in this TurboTax FAQ to contact customer support for assistance:  What is the TurboTax phone number?

@pjd813

[jmrenaud62]

I still cannot print my returns.  Update my MAC,  TT updates, I can see the printer in the print file menu.  I just get bounced out to a help menu.  This has been going on for months!

[lgiordano2001]

Over a year later, THIS IS STILL A PROBLEM!

Mac OS Monterey 12.2.1, TurboTax Home & Business 2021.r18.080

I've tried everything in this thread except burning sage.  I've logged SIX HOURS with tech support and suffered through witty suggestions like reinstalling Acrobat Reader.  They don't know the first thing about Macs, we use Preview to read PDFs.  In this version of TT, there are many different ways to Save as a PDF.  In the Mac menu bar, File >Save to PDF (pretends to save a file but nothing is saved), >Print... (unexpected Quit) and >Preview (same).  In the TurboTax menu bar, File >Save for Your Records >Print Returns brings up two dialog boxes.  First: Completing Calculations, then Printing with a progress bar that swings back and forth for an eternity.  Just for hoots, I let it run overnight to see if anything happened.  Still swinging.

I can get my money back from Costco.  I can't get my time back.  I've been. using TT since 2008 and will never use it again.

[AkinaLO]

Here's the link to contact customer support to get help with your situation and express any concerns.

What is the TurboTax phone number? 

[lgiordano2001]

Thank you for that information.  I already have an ongoing case number, which has been escalated up the chain.