Why can I no longer print to a PDF with a password?

[cj5]

I'm using turboTax 2025 on macOS 15.7.4. I choose "Print" and then click on "PDF". That brings up the dialog to save to a PDF file. I click on Security Options and add a password. I then click OK and then Save. The PDF is created but has no password. This has worked in the past with TurboTax and currently works with other macOS applications. For some reason with TurboTax the PDF never ends up with a password. Last year I was able to print encrypted PDFs with turbotax 2024, but I just tried again and no longer can with turboTax 2024. I'm guessing a macOS upgrade I did over the past year has triggered this problem, breaking both new and old versions of TurboTax.

[Vanessa A]

Try using your keychain password or your log in password. 

[cj5]

I'm not sure when you want me to use this password. At what point should I be entering my keychain or login password? The issue is that when using TurboTax to "print" to a PDF file with password protection, the PDF file ends up with no password protection. If I go through the exact same process with other apps (using the Print dialog to print to a PDF with a password) it works fine, but with TurboTax the PDF ends up with no password protection.

[DaveF1006]

If TurboTax isn’t letting you print, the best way to save your return is to have TurboTax create the PDF first. Then, use macOS to secure it.

1. Save as a "Clean" PDF: In TurboTax, save your return as a standard PDF to your desktop (without trying to add the password in the print menu). 
2. Open in Preview: Double-click that PDF to open it in the built-in macOS Preview app.
3. Export with Encryption:
4. Go to File > Export... (not Export as PDF).
5. At the bottom of the window, check the Encrypt box
6. Enter your desired password twice.
7. Click Save. 

If you want to try to force the Print dialog to work within TurboTax, try this sequence:

1. In the TurboTax print window, click the PDF button at the bottom left.
2. Select Save as PDF...
3. Click Security Options.
4. Check "Require password to open document," enter your password, and click OK.

When the "Save As" box appears, change the file name slightly. Sometimes overwriting an existing file prevents the new security settings from applying correctly.

[cj5]

Yes, I'm aware of how to use Preview to get a password on the PDF. However, this bug should be addressed in TurboTax. I've actually been using the 4 steps you give. I assign a password to be used. TurboTax saves the PDF (to a new file, not an overwrite) with no complaints, but it has no password on it. This is a severe security bug, because now I have a PDF that I think has a password when in fact it does not.

[MonikaK1]

Please see this recently updated TurboTax help article and the steps below:

Adding password protection to my tax file

1. Open the tax return you want to password-protect.
2. From the File menu at the upper left of the screen, select Password... (on Mac, select Encrypt).
3. Fill out the information in the pop-up window and then select Add Password.
4. Because your password information is stored locally on your system, we're unable to help with forgotten passwords. Make sure you store your password in a safe place, such as a password manager program.

Password-protecting a PDF on a Mac is best done using the built-in Preview app. Open your PDF, select File > Export, click the Permissions button, check Require Password To Open Document, enter your password, then save the file. You can also restrict printing or copying in this menu.

If TurboTax for Mac fails to save a PDF with a password, it may also be due to macOS security settings or Keychain issues. To address this, give TurboTax Full Disk Access in System Settings, try a different file name to avoid overwriting, or use the "Print to PDF" option instead of "Save to PDF"

If you go to  System Preferences > Security & Privacy> Privacy, scroll down on the left window to the folder that says Full Disk Access. You should then see a window where the 2025 Turbo Tax icon should be checked. If it is not checked, unlock the lock and go in and check it.

[Edited 03/24/26| 10:00am PST] 

@cj5 

[cj5]

I'm not trying to add a password to the tax file, so the first steps are not relevant to the situation. I am trying to add a password to the PDF. Yes, I can do that with the Preview app. However, TurboTax misleads you into thinking it has added one when it has not. I've now given TurboTax full disk access, but that made no difference, and other apps that can successfully save a PDF with a password work without giving them full disk access.

I should also clarify that I have been using the Print to PDF support. Save to PDF does not give you the option of adding a password and also doesn't let you choose what to include in the PDF.

[carriskoul]

I am having this issue as well for the first time when using TT 2025.

I tried encrypting the tax file after giving full disk access, but it does not work.

I reopen the file, and there is no prompt for the security password.

I do not recall exactly, but when I downloaded TT 2025 for the first time, I thought it asked for Keychain access, which I probably granted.

Is there something else we need to do within the Keychain App?

Regarding the PDF file, similar issue, but from the "Save for Your Records tab.

I hit Print Returns > PDF > Save as PDF...> Security Options.

Then I proceed to fill in my password and verify after selecting "Require password to open document" and hit OK.

I go and open the file, and again no prompt for a security password.

Any other suggestions besides the Preview App method?

We just find it odd that this version of TT is not saving as the prior year downloads.

[cj5]

> We just find it odd that this version of TT is not saving as the prior year downloads.

I'm not so sure it is just the 2025 version that has this problem. I now see the same issue with the 2024 version, even though I have password protected PDF returns for 2024 that I know TT created directly last year. The breakage could be due to 2024 TT upgrades, or maybe it is due to a macOS upgrade I've done over the past year. I'm on Sequoia 15.7.4 now. Last year at this time I was on Sonoma 14.7.4.

[DawnC]

If you try to open it in Adobe or another 3rd party app, do you get prompted for a password?