TT's federal carryover wksheet is pulling an incorrect number for my 2017 state tax refund. I know I can edit it manually, but where is TT getting the wrong number from?

[DJG]

TT 2018 is pulling an incorrect number (~$1K off) in as my NY state tax refund from 2017. The number for total state withholding/payments from last year is also slightly off. I know I can edit the values manually, but it's very hard to have confidence in TT's accuracy when it's making this flagrant error on a simple data pull from last year's tax return.  What's more, if my recollection serves, there was a similar error last year when I was completing my 2017 tax return (i.e., it pulled an incorrect state tax refund amount from my 2016 file).    

I can't even imagine where the incorrect number is coming from. I only have one 2017 TurboTax file on my computer and I've double-checked that file to confirm that the state tax refund amount there correct.  

Can you help me diagnose what is causing this error? 

[rjs · Accepted solution]

Did you get the Form 1099-G from New York State for your 2017 refund? The amount you report on your 2018 federal tax return should be the amount shown in box 2 of your 1099-G. That might be different from the refund that you actually received. Go to the following link on the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance web site for a list of reasons that the amounts might differ.

https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/file/1099moreinfo.htm

New York does not mail Form 1099-G. You can get it at the following link on the Department of Taxation and Finance web site.

https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/file/1099g.htm

[DJG]

Thank you, very helpful!  The amount on my 1099-G matches what TurboTax is pulling through, not my actual refund amount. It's weird, because none of the listed reasons they might differ apply to me, but at least now I know where TurboTax got the new number from.  Now I just have to call NYS Dept of Taxation to figure why they adjusted the amount on my 1099-G.  So thx for the help!  (By the way, I spent 30 mins on the phone with TurboTax support and they were unable to help me, so you're officially smarter than Turbotax, rjs!)

[DJG · Accepted solution]

Following up on this, in case anyone else has the same issue.  Turns out that your NYS 1099-G amount isn't actually supposed to exactly match the NYS refund amount you received.  1099-G amount is calculated (from Form IT-201) as follows:
[line 77, amount overpaid] minus [lines 63-71, various payments and refundable credits] plus [lines 59, 60, and 81, sales/use tax, voluntary contributions, and tax penalty]

When TurboTax shows your refund summary, they (correctly) pull in the 1099-G amount, not your actual refund amount.  Would be helpful if they included some language to clarify that.