TurboTax Can't Print or Save as PDF
If TurboTax won't print or save your return as a PDF, the cause is usually an out-of-date program, a PDF reader issue, or a printer setting. Updating TurboTax, saving as PDF first, and checking your reader and printer usually fixes it.
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Symptoms
- •Print or Save as PDF does nothing or throws an error.
- •The PDF opens blank or won't generate.
- •The printer doesn't respond when you print from TurboTax.
What causes it
- ▸TurboTax is out of date.
- ▸Adobe Reader or your PDF viewer is missing, outdated, or set incorrectly.
- ▸A printer driver or default-printer problem.
- ▸A temporary glitch that a restart can clear.
How to fix it
1Update TurboTax and restart
- Open the Online menu and choose Check for Updates.
- Install any updates, then close and reopen TurboTax.
- Try printing or saving the PDF again.
2Save as PDF, then print from the PDF
- Use TurboTax's Save as PDF option to create the file first.
- Open the saved PDF in Adobe Reader or another viewer.
- Print from there, which often sidesteps printing problems inside TurboTax.
3Check Adobe Reader and printer settings
- Install or update the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Set your printer as the default in Windows or macOS settings.
- Print a test page to confirm the printer works outside of TurboTax.
Still stuck?
If you still can't print or save a PDF after updating and checking your reader and printer, there may be a deeper conflict with your PDF software or printer driver. Official TurboTax support at ttlc.intuit.com can help, and you can ask here whether saving to a different folder or using a different PDF viewer gets you unstuck.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Adobe Reader to save a PDF?＋
You don't strictly need it to create the PDF, but a current PDF reader makes it much easier to open and print the file reliably.
Where does TurboTax save the PDF?＋
It typically prompts you to choose a location, often defaulting to your Documents folder. Pick a folder you can easily find when you save.
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