TurboTax Printing Uploads Data to Intuit

TurboTax

 

 

 

Mac users wanting to save a PDF of their TurboTax return or print to file, are forced to upload their data to Intuit via a silent connection.  The Mac TurboTax license says, “You may save your return as a PDF file and understand it may be processed on Intuit servers, not as part of the Software.”

In a February 19 Wall Street Journal article, Intuit blames Apple:  According to Julie Miller, an Intuit spokeswoman, TurboTax made the change “because the Mac product requires a special, third-party code library to support offline printing….based on Apple App Store guidelines, we could no longer distribute the third-party library with our software.”

Hopefully, Intuit will write their own printing library next year if enough people complain.  There are solutions for those who don’t trust a third party with their data and want to print offline.  TurboTax for Windows and Mac software from H&R Block haven’t been programmed with this limitation.  Alternatively, one can download and print official IRS PDF forms and hand-write the data TurboTax has calculated.

Additionally, when first saving the TurboTax data file, an option is given to “Save without a password” or “Encrypt and password protect.”  Choosing encryption requires an Internet connection to Intuit for processing the encryption and future decryption.  A better choice is to save without a password, and save the data file to an encrypted DMG created with Apple Disk Utility.

About the Author

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Brian Wiser

Brian is an A.P.P.L.E. Board member and Managing Editor of Call-A.P.P.L.E. magazine. He is a long-time consultant, enthusiast and historian of Apple. Brian designed, edited, and co-produced several books including: "Nibble Viewpoints: Business Insights From The Computing Revolution," "What's Where in the Apple: Enhanced Edition," and "The WOZPAK: Special Edition" – an important Apple II historical book with Steve Wozniak's restored original, technical handwritten notes as well as a forward from Steve Wozniak and other Apple legends. Brian also co-produced the retro iOS game Structris. Brian was an extra in Joss Whedon’s movie “Serenity,” leading him to being a producer/director for the documentary film “Done The Impossible: The Fans’ Tale of Firefly & Serenity.” He brought some of the Firefly cast aboard his Browncoat Cruise and recruited several of the Firefly cast to appear in a film for charity. Brian speaks about his adventures to large audiences at conventions around the country.
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