TaxCut 2008 crashes.

Hi Allen,

Try this...

Safe Boot, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.

HI Allen,

When an application unexpectedly quits: There are several reasons an application might quit suddenly. If an application does so repeatedly, try to correct the problem by:
• Reopening the application. Click Reopen in the dialog that appears when the application quits unexpectedly.
• Clicking Try Again in the dialog that appears if the application crashes after using the Reopen button. If there is a problem with the application's preferences file, clicking Try Again sets the application to temporarily use new settings based on the application's default settings.
• Restarting your computer by choosing Apple > Restart.
• Uninstalling any third-party plug-ins or enhancements for the application that's quitting unexpectedly. When you update an application or Mac OS X, a plug-in or enhancement you previously installed may not be compatible any longer.
• Reading the application's documentation (including Read Me notes) to check if it's compatible with your version of Mac OS X.
• Opening another document in the application. There may be a problem with the document you were opening before.
• Using Disk Utility (in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder or on your Mac OS X installation disc) to repair the disk.
• Updating your software by choosing Apple > Update Software. Updates often correct issues found in previous versions. For applications not produced by Apple, look for updates on the manufacturer's website.
• Disconnecting any peripheral device you just connected (for example, a printer). It may not be compatible with your version of Mac OS X. If disconnecting the device solves your problem, contact its manufacturer.

Considering this is 3rd party software, I'm not sure sending Apple a bug report will produce any results even though the software is written for 10.4 or greater.

You might try using the software with the Firefox browser instead as the it's listed on the H&R site:
Go here for minimum requirements for the H&RTaxcut software:
Mac OS X 10.4.11
AOL for Mac OS X
Mozilla Firefox 3.0
Safari 3.0, 4 Beta

If you don't have Firefox, go here to download and install it:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/internet_utilities/mozillafirefox.html

If you do this, run Disk Utilities (Applications/Utilities) and Repair Disk Permissions before and after you install Firefox.


Carolyn 🙂

Message was edited by: Carolyn Samit

I just installed the premium edition of Taxcut and I am having the same problem as Allen. I followed the advice of the two posts to no avail. I used the 2007 edition last year without a problem.
Any additional advice?

Time to call H&R Block.

I had the same problem. Go to Library and trash all references to TaxCut. There's one in Applications Support and one in Preferences. Then relaunch Taxcut and it should work at least for a while.

I know this is not the most helpful of responses, but I gave up on Tax Cut a few years ago after several years of spotty performance and various patches required for the Mac edition. (one week it worked; the next it didn't). It did not seem that they had the software well-written. I've used the TurboTax the last few years without a hitch.

Has anyone solved this issue? I have tried the online help at HR Block with no success. I have tried all the recommendations above with no success. Can anyone help?

Interesting about TurboTax. Will TurboTax import last year's data file from TaxCut?

I've been on the phone many times with support at TaxCut.com and am still not happy. I did a test install on my daughter's computer (iMac 24", 10.5.6, 3GB) and the program ran. I don't understand the difference between my daughter's computer and my computer (MBP, 10.5.6, 4GB) with respect to this application.

At this point I'm almost ready to use the online form of TaxAct.

I've booted to safe mode and run the disk repair utility twice (suggestion earlier in the thread) with no success for running the TaxCut application.

When I run TaxCut I get question marks instead of graphic buttons and when I click the question mark for 'import the data file' I get the error 'failure reading the compress xml format....'

Any ideas for what to try next?

Hi Ken,

You said you've been using Turbotax without problems. Does that include this year, for the 2008 return?

And does anyone else, perhaps, have any feedback on this year's Turbotax, re. its operation on Mac? I'm thinking of the Deluxe Federal and State.

This thread has me wary now about buying Taxcut.

Thanks.

I was not able to solve the issue after many calls to TaxCut tech support. I received my money back and am (regrettably) using the TaxCut online version.

Mike

Add my voice to the 'me too' chorus. I had been using TaxCut successfully for quite some time--six weeks or so. But I like to let this "settle" before I actually go back to file my return, so when I went back this time, it kept crashing. Judging from the stack trace on the crash, it looks like the problem is with WebKit.

Out of curiosity, how many of you having problems with TaxCut have installed Safari 4 Public Beta?

Unfortunately, I've verified that the Safari 4 public beta doesn't cause the problem. I uninstalled it and it still happens. The problem, the best I can tell, though, is most definitely somewhere in the whole WebCore/WebKit framework.

I wish I could trade off the purchased package for the equal-level online version free of charge, without having to go through major hoops of customer service, but I suppose I'll just pay the cost twice instead.

Further to RLiddell's comment...

The problem appears to be in the tc08.cfg file that's created by TaxCut 2008 when it is originally opened for the first time. My experience is that a workaround of "trashing the tc08.cfg file" in user/Library/Application Support/TaxCut08/tc08.cfg, then re-opening TaxCut 2008 will allow the application to re-open an existing tax return or get started on a new tax return. You will need to get thru the intro screens again to get to the Opening Existing/New/etc. menu. After this, you can use the TaxCut application OK (including their latest version 6801) AS LONG as you don't close the app.

Unfortunately, a new tc08.cfg file is auto-created upon every opening of the TaxCut 2009 application. This new config file will crash TaxCut the very NEXT time you re-open it (obviously after closing it when you finish using it).

I had this same problem back in 2006 (I think) but didn't figure out what was wrong then. I'm pretty sure 2007 worked OK.

The tc08.cfg file can be read using TextEdit, but I'm not a SW guy so don't have any idea what's wrong.

Seems to me like some of us are doing Alpha or at best Beta testing for some SW programmers that really don't know much about Mac programming.

This is the last year I'm going to put up with this crap.

Regards....... Kirk

I HAVE A FIX.

Thanks to the previous comment, I knew where to look, and what to try. Without Kirk's post, I wouldn't have found the problem.

You *do not have to trash* the tc08.cfg file. However, before you load TaxCut 08, do the following:

1. In the Finder, go to the directory containing the file: +/Users/<your name>/Library/Application Support/TaxCut08/+

2. Open the tc08.cfg file in Vim, TextMate, or any other plain text editor of your choice. (Don't use Word or Pages, and if you use TextEdit, be sure that when you save it in step 4, you _save it as PLAIN TEXT_.)

3. Go to the very bottom of the file. There is an extra carriage return/line feed at the very end of the file, which adds a blank line at the end of the file. Hit Delete to remove this blank line. Your cursor should be at the very end of the last line containing text--it's line 22 in my file, and it says int:uiprop_userregistered=1. If you hit the right arrow or down arrow, you can't go to a new blank line. This is the bug, so it is +very important+ that you do not have a blank line at the end of the file.

4. Save the file. If you opened it in TextEdit, Bean, or any other RTF or styled text editor, make sure that you save it as PLAIN TEXT ONLY.

5. Fire up TaxCut 08. You will notice now that things run just as smoothly as they did before it stopped working.

As Kirk mentioned, each time you quit TaxCut, the tc08.cfg file reverts to a "bug state," so you'll have to repeat this process each time you want to load TaxCut. I thought that ticking the 'Locked' checkbox in the Info box for the file would keep TaxCut from overwriting the file--per OS X/Darwin standards, not even root can 'rm -f' a Locked file, for example--but somehow, TaxCut is getting around that and overwriting it anyway. So yes, you will have to fix it each time you load TaxCut.

If this doesn't work for you, my apologies. It's the best I can come up with, and it appears to work for me. I may find, myself, that I get back in there and it stops working halfway in. Good luck, folks.

Time to take back ownership of the software we've already bought!