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Level 2
February 26, 2022
Question

Federal Amendment Rejected - Dependent Issue

  • February 26, 2022
  • 5 replies
  • 35 views

I have two children. I claim child A as a dependent, and I allow my ex to claim child B as a dependent. As the custodial parent, I still get the EIC for both child A and child B.

 

This year I unintentionally left child B off my EIC. I tried filing an amendment adding child B as "nondependent - for EIC/dependent care only". The IRS keeps rejecting my amendment because child B is showing on my 1040X in the dependent section, but is not in the dependent section on the amended 1040. It seems they are flagging the mismatch.

  • 1040X-016 - For each dependent in 'DependentDetail' on Form 1040-X, there must be a corresponding entry in the same position in 'DependentDetail' on the amended Form 1040 with the same 'DependentFirstNm' and 'DependentLastNm' and 'DependentNameControlTxt' and 'IdentityProtectionPIN' and ( 'DependentSSN' or 'DiedLiteralCd') and 'DependentRelationshipCd' and ( 'EligibleForChildTaxCreditInd' or 'EligibleForODCInd' ).

Using last year's return as a reference, I think that child B should not be showing in the dependent section of the 1040X, only on the EIC worksheets. How do I get child B added to my EIC but not to the dependent section of my 1040X?

 

My TurboTax Personal Summary page does correctly show child B as "nondependent - for EIC/dependent care only".

    5 replies

    Level 15
    February 28, 2022

    You can claim your child as a nondependent and claim the earned income credit if you are the custodial parent.

     

    You must identify yourself as the custodial parent in TurboTax. You do so, by indicating that your child lived with you for more than half of the year and that you are allowing the noncustodial parent to claim the child.

     

    Please follow the directions below to claim your child as a nondependent:

    1. At MyInfo, input your child's personal information.
    2. On the screen titled Tell us more about the child's living situation last year, you must answer more than six months.
    3. At the screen Let's get more info about who will be claiming the child, answer Yes to the question
    4. Do you have a written or verbal agreement with the other parent about who can claim the child?
    5. Answer Yes to the question Is the child's other parent claiming the child per the legal agreement?
    6. You will see the screen It turns out the child does not qualify as your dependent.
    7. At the screen Your children and others you support, you see the child's name and the description EIC or Dependent Care Credit Only.
    8. At Federal / Deductions & Credits / Your tax breaks / You and Your Family / Earned Income Credit (EIC) click Start / Revisit to the right.
    9. If you meet the other requirements of the credit, you will qualify for the Earned Income Credit for the nondependent child.
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    cardi18Author
    Level 2
    February 28, 2022

    @JamesG1 

     

    Thank you for the instructions. I have done that and the child is being correctly added to the EIC. 

    The issue is that the amended 1040 dependent section is showing only my dependent child, while the 1040X dependent section is showing my dependent child and my non dependent child.


    The IRS is flagging the mismatch between the two forms.

    Level 15
    March 1, 2022

    @cardi18

     

    Go back through the questions regarding your non-dependent child and make certain that everything that you answered is related to the child not being your dependent.  Based on what you're seeing it seems as though the system thinks that you have added them as a dependent.

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    Level 2
    March 1, 2022

    I am having a similar issue.  The 1040 worksheet lists both of my children, one of which I can claim and one I cannot.  The 1040 I submitted only lists the one I can claim.  However when I filed an amendment both showed up on the 1040X.  I did not modify any dependant info in my amendment.  It seem to be an error in the Amendment.  It seems I cannot manually delete the other dependant on the 1040X. 

    Turbo tax tells me that this error is blocking the return, but when I open the return there is no info on how to fix it only that it has been rejected.

    I am not sure if I need to go back into the initial question and delete them? or if that will mess something else up on the amendment.

    cardi18Author
    Level 2
    March 2, 2022

    @Marty68 

     

    Yes, my issue is very similar! I can't get my nondependent child off the 1040X dependents section, but I do want to keep her on my EIC, so I can't delete her altogether. I have tried deleting both of them and re-adding, but it just did the same thing again.

     

    It definitely seems to be an error in Turbo Tax and I'm not sure what to do. My amendment has been rejected more than once by the IRS for this. Turbo Tax support (after 3+ hours on the phone with them) said to print it and mail it in, but I don't know if I need to modify it by hand before mailing if that's even allowed. I've only ever e-filed.

    Level 2
    March 4, 2022

    Yes, I am having the same problem trying to submit my 1040x.  I made no change to my dependents but the software is filling out the 1040x differently than the original 1040 by adding a name in the dependent section.  The IRS E-File Rejects the return because the system thinks you've added a dependent.

    Level 2
    March 4, 2022

    Turbotax needs to not add a name to the dependent information in the 1040x if it's not adding it in the 1040 the way I'm reading the error.

    KrisD15
    Level 15
    March 4, 2022

    Yes, perfect. 

     

    That indicates that you are the custodial parent, but the child is released to the non-custodial parent for this year. 

     

    The IRS will not accept E-FILED returns changing anything regarding dependents, which is why you need to mail the amended return.  

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    Level 2
    March 18, 2022

    I'm having the same problem. I added a 1099-B and suddenly I can't send the amended return because of this dependent error. 

     

    I literally did not touch any part of the dependent section (only added in stock sales). This is definition a software bug that hits people that are amending with an a EIC / Dependent care only

    Level 2
    March 18, 2022

    Has anyone found a workaround? I'm thinking that I may have to mail it in but I'm worried about CP2000 mails now flowing in since I omitted the 1099-B on my original return. I'm hoping they process the amended return before those CP2000 batches go out, since there'll definitely be a mismatch. 

     

     

    Level 2
    March 18, 2022

    I tried everything I could think of.  I don't think there's a solution other than TurboTax fixing it.  I gave up and saved to PDF and spent a bunch of extra time editing out the difference in Adobe, printed then mailed it out.

    Level 2
    March 24, 2022

    Most people are not fully reading and comprehending the issue here, so the advice is formulaic and ineffective as it relates to the actual problem. Let me take a moment to ensure I have the issue correct.

    1. User files 1040 Tax return. In this original return, user lists an individual as non-dependent entry, say for claiming EIC, or some other non-dependent bearing clause. Return is accepted - no issue with dependents vs. non-dependents here. 
    2. For reason "x", user has to file an amended return - examples include adding a 1099, etc. Bottom line, the reason and action for the amendment has NO bearing on the dependent/non-dependent portion of the return.  However, upon Amending the return and thus on the 1040X, TurboTax has moves the non-dependent individual into dependent status. Why? No reason---just because. 
    3. Unbeknownst to the user, they do their thing, add their form or whatnot, and go to re-efile the return and Ka-Bam - now, the return is rejected with Reject code 1040X-016 because "they" have changed the dependent information, and that's an IRS no-no for 1040X's. 
    4. Newly rejected user now re-opens the return and attempts to move the newly-dependent individual back to non-dependent, as it was in the original, and finds that this is very difficult, if not impossible to do. User is in a quandary needing to file the amended return to fix problem A, but TurboTax has independently created problem B which now rejects the return. 
    5. Newly rejected and frustrated user now turns to the community forum to seek information and procedures to fix this error, and in the forums of the program that automates and digitizes their personal taxes, is told that the only solution is to MANUALLY print the returns and PHYSICALLY change the individual from dependent back to non-dependent (as if that is an easy thing to do) and, even though they have paid for e-filing - to MAIL their amended amended return and hope that their crayons and erasers arts and crafts project that their 1040X has become will be accepted by the IRS - and they won't really know for a couple of months, because mailed amendments aren't exactly the priority right now. 
    6. New rejected, frustrated, and now angry user reads additional comments which fail to truly understand this issue and is offered platitudes and basic advice like:
      1. "You can't e-file amended returns with changes in dependents" - right, you're missing the point. There shouldn't be a change in dependent status. I didn't do that. I never asked for that. The IRS didn't ask for that. NO ONE asked for that. And, I can't change it back!
      2. "You have to print and mail the return" - Why? Ignore that I paid to e-file. Ignore that I didn't create the problem. And, ignore that I paid for the TT product. WHY would I print and mail the return? I think I've done enough to be able to just e-file the amended return like every other individual would be able to do if they simply got a late form, or whatever. 
    7. You contact product support...if you're lucky enough, you get someone like me who truly understands the problem. That individual attempts to seek help from product investigators above him, but is unable to do so because they also fail to understand the problem, and deny investigations because some obscure protocol wasn't followed. That same individual attempts to speak to other leaders and managers about the problem, but because there isn't one customer on the line, attached to the issue at this point (now, it's just a crusade) no one wants to deal with the issue. 

    I say all of this because I may or may not have experienced and/or been a part of some part of this. On my behalf, and to the degree that I have attempted to remedy this, I apologize to all those who are hitting these blockades. The product and the people are better than this. But, weird things happen in the 11th hour and the nature of customer service changes - not saying it should, but it does. 

     

    I don't have a solution - sorry for reading this long if you thought there was going to be one. But, maybe you can use my description to better and evenly explain the issue and find someone higher than I to understand and attempt to remedy this issue. I have hit continual brick walls. 

    Level 2
    March 24, 2022

    @bneat 
    Precisely this. To the letter. I’m happy someone actually understands, and continue to be frustrated at the lack of resolution. If there is anyone I can contact to escalate this issue, I am willing to do so, because this forum (as you’ve astutely observed) has been worthless in providing a solution or assistance. 

    I also find it ironic that TurboTax has the guarantee that everything is filled out and filed correctly, and the amendment passed all the automated checks, even though the software creates this issue that causes the IRS to reject it. It wouldn’t be so bad if they allowed you to edit the forms directly, which there are some fields that can be edited in the form view, but for some reason they lock the necessary ones for us to fix this bug. 

    Level 2
    March 24, 2022

    Thanks for the great summary. I hope this will get resolved for the next tax season (in case I have to amend at that point).

     

    After researching the issue, I decided it was unlikely this would get fixed by the tax deadline (in part because 90% of the reps seem to have some sort of formulaic response), so I mailed it in but removed the erroneous dependent with a PDF editor.