How to Uninstall TurboTax on a Mac (and Keep Your Tax Files)

To uninstall TurboTax on a Mac, quit TurboTax, open the Applications folder in Finder, and drag TurboTax 20XX (the year of your version) to the Trash. Then empty the Trash. That removes the program. If you want a completely clean removal, for example before reinstalling, Intuit also lists a set of leftover support files in your Library folder that you can delete.

Uninstalling the app does not delete the tax returns you saved. Apple notes that removing an app doesn’t remove the files you created with it. Still, back up your tax files first, because you may need the matching year of TurboTax to open them again.

Quick Answer

1. Back up your tax data file (in TurboTax, choose File > Save and save a copy with a new name).
2. Quit TurboTax: right-click its icon in the Dock and choose Quit.
3. Open Finder and click Applications.
4. Drag TurboTax 20XX to the Trash. Enter your administrator name and password if asked.
5. Optional: in Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder, type ~/Library, and delete the TurboTax leftovers for that tax year.
6. Empty the Trash.

In This Guide

• Before You Start
• Back Up Your Tax Files First
• Uninstall TurboTax with Finder
• Remove Leftover TurboTax Files (Clean Uninstall)
• Can You Delete TurboTax from Launchpad or Apps?
• Reinstall TurboTax on a Mac
• Which Removal Method Should You Use?
• Troubleshooting
• Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

This guide covers TurboTax Desktop for Mac, the downloaded or CD version you install on your computer. It is current as of September 2026 and is based on Intuit’s and Apple’s support documentation. If you use TurboTax Online in a web browser, there is nothing to uninstall: your return lives in your Intuit account, not on your Mac.

What you need:

• An administrator account on the Mac. Intuit says administrative rights are needed for the removal process, and Apple notes you may be asked for an administrator name and password to delete an app.
• The tax year of your TurboTax version. Each year installs as its own app, such as TurboTax 2025. You can have several years installed at once, so make sure you remove the right one.
• A few minutes to back up your returns. This is optional but strongly recommended.

Common reasons to uninstall include freeing up space, removing an old tax year you no longer need, or fixing a copy that crashes or won’t update. If your goal is to fix a problem, Intuit’s recommended approach is to remove TurboTax completely (including the leftover files) and then reinstall it, which this guide also covers.

Back Up Your Tax Files First

Your tax data file is the file that holds your return, separate from the TurboTax program itself. Deleting the program should leave it in place, but a backup protects you if you accidentally delete the wrong thing while cleaning up.

Intuit’s steps for backing up a tax file in TurboTax Desktop on a Mac:

1. Open TurboTax and open your return.
2. Choose File > Save.
3. Pick a folder for the backup, such as a folder in Documents, an external drive, or a cloud storage folder.
4. Rename the file so you can tell it apart from the original, for example by adding “Backup” to the name.
5. Click Save, then close TurboTax.
6. Reopen TurboTax and open the backup to confirm it loads correctly. Expected result: the backup opens and shows your return. If it doesn’t open, delete it and make a new one.

Also save or print a PDF copy of any return you filed. A PDF can be opened on any computer without TurboTax, which is useful years later when you no longer have that version installed.

Intuit’s article doesn’t state a single default folder for tax files, so check wherever you chose to save them. If you have trouble telling file types apart in Finder, turning on file extensions can help; see how to show filename extensions in Finder on a Mac.

Uninstall TurboTax with Finder

This is the standard method from both Intuit and Apple. It removes the TurboTax program.

1. Quit TurboTax. Right-click (or Control-click) the TurboTax icon in the Dock and choose Quit, if it’s available. Expected result: the dot under the TurboTax icon in the Dock disappears.
2. Open the Applications folder. Click the Finder icon in the Dock, then click Applications in the sidebar.
3. Find your TurboTax version. Look for TurboTax followed by the year, for example TurboTax 2025. Intuit notes it can sometimes be inside a folder, so check any unnamed or TurboTax folders if you don’t see it right away.
4. Check for an uninstaller. Apple recommends checking whether an app’s folder includes an app named Uninstall or Uninstaller. If one is there, double-click it and follow the prompts instead of dragging.
5. Drag TurboTax to the Trash. Drag TurboTax 20XX onto the Trash icon in the Dock. You can also select it and choose File > Move to Trash. Expected result: TurboTax disappears from Applications. If macOS asks for a password, enter your administrator name and password.
6. Empty the Trash. Click and hold the Trash icon in the Dock and choose Empty Trash. Apple notes the app is permanently removed the next time the Trash is emptied, so check that nothing else in the Trash needs to be kept first.

If you only wanted to remove the program, you’re done. If you’re uninstalling to fix a problem or want to remove every trace of that tax year, continue with the leftover files below.

Remove Leftover TurboTax Files (Clean Uninstall)

Dragging an app to the Trash leaves behind small support files such as caches (temporary data), preferences (your settings), and saved window states. They sit in your user Library folder, which is hidden by default. Intuit publishes a list of these files as part of its remove-and-reinstall steps.

Warning: Only delete items that match TurboTax and the tax year you are removing. Don’t delete other files or folders in Library, and don’t delete your tax data files.

1. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder.
2. Type ~/Library and press Return. Expected result: your user Library folder opens. The tilde (~) means your home folder.
3. Find and move to the Trash any of the following items that exist. Replace 20XX with your tax year, for example 2025:
   • Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/com.apple.LSSharedFileList.ApplicationRecentDocuments/com.intuit.turbotax.20XX.sfl
   • Application Support/TurboTax 20XX
   • Caches/com.intuit.TurboTax.20XX
   • Caches/KSCrash/TurboTax
   • Caches/TurboTax 20XX
   • Containers/com.intuit.turbotax.mac20XX
   • Cookies/com.intuit.turbotax.20XX.binarycookies
   • Preferences/com.intuit.TurboTax.20XX.plist
   • Preferences/com.intuit.TurboTax.20XX.LSSharedFileList.plist
   • Saved Application State/com.intuit.TurboTax.20XX.savedstate
   • WebKit/com.intuit.turbotax.20XX
4. Empty the Trash.

Intuit notes that not every file will exist on every Mac, so skip anything you can’t find. If you have more than one TurboTax year installed and only want to remove one, delete only the items with that year in the name. The Caches/KSCrash/TurboTax folder has no year in its name, so if you’re keeping another TurboTax year installed, it’s safest to leave that folder alone.

Can You Delete TurboTax from Launchpad or Apps?

Probably not. Launchpad (and the Apps view that opens from the Dock in newer macOS versions) can delete only some apps, generally ones installed from the Mac App Store. TurboTax Desktop is normally downloaded from Intuit (Intuit’s reinstall steps point to InstallTurboTax.com), so you should expect to use Finder instead.

If you want to check:

1. Open Launchpad, or click the Apps icon in the Dock if your Mac has it.
2. Click and hold the TurboTax icon until the icons begin to jiggle.
3. If a delete or close button (an X) appears on TurboTax, click it and confirm.

Apple states that if a Delete button isn’t shown, the app can’t be removed from Launchpad. In that case, use the Finder method above. Removing an icon this way also doesn’t clear the leftover Library files.

Reinstall TurboTax on a Mac

If you uninstalled TurboTax to fix a crash, a failed update, or a program that won’t open, Intuit recommends this sequence after removing the app and the leftover files:

1. Empty the Trash, restart your Mac, and empty the Trash again.
2. Temporarily turn off any third-party antivirus, firewall, or VPN software, and disconnect external drives.
3. Download TurboTax from InstallTurboTax.com, signing in to your Intuit account if prompted.
4. Install it to the Applications folder and accept the default options.
5. Open TurboTax from Applications and let any updates finish.
6. Quit TurboTax and restart your Mac.

Remember to turn your antivirus, firewall, and VPN back on afterward.

Intuit’s full instructions are in its article on how to remove and reinstall TurboTax for Mac.

Which Removal Method Should You Use?

Your goal	What to do	Tax files kept?
Free up space or remove an old year	Drag TurboTax 20XX to the Trash and empty it	Yes
Fix crashes or a broken install	Drag to Trash, delete Library leftovers, then reinstall	Yes, if you only delete the listed items
Remove every trace of one tax year	Drag to Trash and delete that year’s Library leftovers	Yes, unless you delete the returns yourself
Stop using TurboTax completely	Back up returns and PDFs, then remove each installed year	Yes, keep the backups

Third-party uninstaller apps exist, but they aren’t required. The Finder method plus Intuit’s list of leftover files covers what Intuit documents, and it doesn’t involve giving another app access to your files.

Troubleshooting

The Mac says TurboTax is in use and can’t be moved to the Trash

TurboTax is still running. Quit it from the Dock, or choose Apple menu > Force Quit, select TurboTax, and click Force Quit. Apple also suggests restarting your Mac and trying again if an app still reports that it’s in use.

I’m asked for a password I don’t know

Deleting apps from Applications can require an administrator account. Ask the person who manages the Mac to sign in, or have them delete TurboTax for you.

I can’t find TurboTax in Applications

Check inside any folders in Applications, as Intuit notes it may be in an unnamed folder. You can also search for TurboTax with Spotlight (Command-Space) to see whether it’s installed somewhere else.

I can’t see the Library folder

The user Library folder is hidden. Use Go > Go to Folder and type ~/Library exactly, including the tilde.

My old returns won’t open after uninstalling

The files are still on your Mac, but you may need the TurboTax version for that tax year to open them. Reinstall that year’s TurboTax, or open a PDF copy of the return if you saved one.

TurboTax still crashes after reinstalling

Make sure you removed the leftover files for that year before reinstalling, restarted, and let all updates finish. If the problem continues, contact TurboTax support through Intuit’s help site.

Related: fix Grammarly Desktop can’t be moved to Trash.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will uninstalling TurboTax delete my tax returns?

No. Removing an app doesn’t delete the files you created with it, and Intuit’s list of leftover files doesn’t include your tax data files. Back them up anyway, just in case.

Do I need to delete the Library files?

Not to remove the program. They are small support files. Delete them when you want a clean reinstall to fix a problem or want no trace of that year left behind.

Can I uninstall one tax year and keep another?

Yes. Each year is a separate app, such as TurboTax 2024 and TurboTax 2025. Delete only the year you want to remove and only the leftover files with that year in the name.

Can I reinstall TurboTax later?

Yes. Intuit’s reinstall steps use InstallTurboTax.com to download the software again. If you’re asked to sign in, use the Intuit account connected to your purchase.

Does uninstalling cancel my purchase or give me a refund?

No. Removing the app only affects your Mac. Apple notes that deleting an app doesn’t cancel any subscriptions purchased through it, so contact Intuit about account or billing questions.

Do I need a cleaner app to uninstall TurboTax?

No. Finder and the leftover-file list from Intuit are enough.

Summary

1. Back up your tax data files and save PDF copies of filed returns.
2. Quit TurboTax from the Dock.
3. In Finder, open Applications and drag TurboTax 20XX to the Trash.
4. For a clean removal, delete that year’s TurboTax files in ~/Library.
5. Empty the Trash, and reinstall from InstallTurboTax.com if needed.

Next step: if you’re reinstalling to fix a problem, follow Intuit’s reinstall sequence above, and see Apple’s guide to deleting or uninstalling apps on Mac or Intuit’s steps to back up your TurboTax tax file for more detail.