How to reset amended state taxes back to zero after making mistake?

[eablokker]

I amended my taxes to add some investment capital gains from a 1099 DIV and 1099 B that I forgot. Then when I got to state I think I clicked the wrong thing and messed up, so I decided to start over and remove the 1099 DIV and 1099 B. The federal number reset to zero, but the state number did not. It's stuck at $665. I think this is a mistake. How do I remove it? How do I reset it back to where it was? How do I find where this $665 is coming from?

[DoninGA]

You should be able to cancel the amended return and start the amend over.

Click on Cancel Amend on the left side of the online program screen.

[eablokker]

When I click Cancel Amend it says "If you cancel your amended return, any changes you've made to your original return won't be deleted. You'll have to go back and manually delete your changes." So I think that's what I did originally and then I had to go back and delete my changes manually. That's where I'm stuck, I can't figure out what I need to manually delete from my state return to get it back to zero. I deleted the 1099 DIV and 1099 B from my federal. Is there an equivalent section in my state return that I also need to delete?

[DoninGA]

You will need to check your actual amended state tax return to make sure that the amounts have been deleted.  The indicator at the top of the screen for the state may be incorrect.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen.  Then click on Print Center.  Then click on Print, save or preview this year's return.  Choose the option Include government and TurboTax worksheets

[eablokker]

Thanks, I couldn't figure out where to download my state return. I should be able to compare this to the one I filed to see what has changed. I should be able to figure it out from here. Thanks!

[eablokker]

I figured out where the problem is coming from. When I try to cancel and reset my amend, state gets reset back to $665, which it turns out was how much I originally owed and already paid. It seems turbotax is just reading the value from form 8453-OL box 3 -- amount you owe.

My amended amount I owe is now $1064. So I should only have to pay the difference between the two. It seems there isn't a specific form for California for doing an amendment so it can't distinguish between amount already paid and amount I owe now.

How do I deal with this? When I do completecheck at the end, before I pay, it says I owe $1064 state. This is wrong. It should be the difference. How do I get around this?

[Critter-3 · Accepted solution]

Amazing that you have not said WHICH state you are dealing with yet but  all of them will have a line for the amount paid with the original return on the amended form (which the program may or may not put in for you automatically).  Since you will have to mail in the amended state return you can manually enter that amount on the amended form and recalculate the rest of the return before you sign and mail it in  OR  just send the true balance due with the paper return and the state will correct the return for you as they know what you have already paid. 

[eablokker]

Sorry, I mentioned it was California in the last message.

My CA form 540 doesn't seem to have a line for amount already paid. If I search the amended return for "665", the amount I already paid, nothing comes up.

Apparently turbotax doesn't add the needed form or enter the amount already paid automatically.

Oh I see, apparently CA requires amended returns to be physically mailed in. And I just write a check for the true amount due and mail it in with the amended return. Got it. Thanks!