Turbotax makes error on amended return

[john202020]

I need to amend my 2020 filing which has been e-filed and accepted by the IRS and my state, but Turbotax (desktop) seems to be making serious errors.  I'm sorry that the following explanation is rather long, but I've tried to be very careful to exactly describe things.  Can anyone give me any idea what's going on or how to fix it, please?  Or have you had a similar problem?

I followed the instructions to copy the tax file which was saved after the original filing.  When opening it, I chose the amend option.  I have not yet entered any of the changed information.  But the program shows a refund amount which is bogus.  It's not the original, just a seemingly random number.  The instructions say it should show $0 at this point, which makes sense.  If I go to forms mode and look at the 1040 form its an exact match to what I filed (I'm comparing it to my printed copy I made when filing.  If I look at the 1040X form, it shows wrong numbers in column A (original amount) on most of lines 1 thru 11, including the starting point, adjusted gross income.  Then column B shows a correction and finally column C shows the correct (original) values.  None of these values allow you to view their source, so I have no way of seeing where the strange numbers are coming from.  The differences are substantial, not just little round-off errors.  By the way, if I open the original tax file without initiating an amendment, the values are all still exactly what I filed.    I have also tried opening the copy of the original in normal mode and then going to forms mode and opening form 1040X.  That is immediately filled with the same erroneous data.  

I should mention that I also tried continuing and actually changing a value.  When I do this, the refund amount changes in an reasonable way, but still based on the erroneous starting point.

Thanks in advance for helping.

--John

[SweetieJean]

Have you been regularly updating your software?  There may have been program updates between your original filing and now (such as for the new $10,200 unemployment comp exemption).

[john202020]

Yes, I did update the software just before attempting the amend process.  And I checked that opening the file without attempting an amendment resulted in Turbotax calculating things exactly the same as it did when I filed, 3 weeks ago.    Thanks for your quick response.

[ldp · Accepted solution]

The same thing happened to me when I tried to amend my 2019 return.  I imported my information and Poof! the Feds owed me $512 without my having made any changes.  The imported document showed the wrong Adjusted  gross income. It was also wrong about my Tax Liability and anything else that derived from those two numbers.  The only way I got the program to work was to switch to forms and fill out the 1040x column A amounts myself.  Then  I made the adjustments to my income that were necessary for the amended return.  It probably would have been easier for me to do it all on paper. I reported my problems with the program in October but heard nothing.  Good luck.

[john202020]

Thanks, ldp.  I had pretty much resigned myself to doing what you describe.  So I now will try to do it that way.  Too bad Quicken, Inc. doesn't seem to take much interest in fixing, or even acknowledging, program bugs. 

[Anonymous]

I am having the same issue now. And even worse, I cannot find 1040x in the form mode so I cannot manually adjust the first column (the original amounts). 

And why need to amend? Because TurboTax incorrectly calculated my mortgage amount!

[ldp]

In order to have the 1040 x show you have to have started an amended return.  To do that you do not open your regular return, but you have to go a little lower on the page that opens Turbo Tax and click on the Need to Amend a Filed Return?  Then chose your original return and follow the instructions. Once you have started your amended return, then the 1040x is way down the list of forms, before the Estimated Tax forms.

     If you haven't filed your return, then you don't have to amend it at all.  You just have to change some of your entries on your original return. 

      But... I imagine your problem is that beginning last year, most filers will not receive the complete amount of their mortgage interest paid on their primary residence as a deduction on Schedule A.  That is because the amount in Schedule A for Taxes You Paid (State income and state and local property tax)  and the amount for Interest You Paid are entered in the form, but the total allowed is $5000 if you are filing single and $10000 if you are filing joint.  The amounts are probably treated differently for your state taxes, so you should enter them, but amounts on entered above that $5000 or $10000 threshold have no impact on your Federal bottom line.

[Joggeli]

This is a message to turbotax management and not asking for the customers to reply!!!!!!! You made an error on line 16 of my tax return 2020 of $38,863. The IRS charged my credit card for this amount. I want you to correct it or take me through the entire tax preparation, so that I can find it. Have tried in vain to speak or chat with a knowledgeable person of your organization.

[VolvoGirl]

I'll try.  Line 16 is the tax on your income.  Is it the same as the tax due on line 37?  Don't you have any withholding on lines 25 and 26?  Is your income right on line 11?  

Better print out a full copy of your return so we can check all the lines.

How to get a copy after filing

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/prior-year-return/help/how-do-i-get-a-copy-of-a-return-i-filed-thi...

Here's an alternate way to print by opening the filed return back up to print at the Print Center, where you can also get the worksheets.

Log in and at the Tax Home or in the section Your Tax Returns & Documents for 2020, look for a link Add a State.  Click on Add a State.  (you don't really add one.  That's just to open your return back up.)

After the return is open, click in the left menu column on TAX TOOLS, then PRINT CENTER.

Then choose Print, save, view this year's return.

The next screen should offer some options:  Just my tax returns or include government worksheets (optional), or include government and TurboTax worksheets (optional.)

[wajake41]

I have the same issue with  my 2021 amended return. Refund amountreceived does not match refund amount shown in the amended return.

[MichelleLO]

Please see my comment on your other post.

@wajake41

[HelenZh]

same here. IRS rejected my 1040x prepared by turbotax because on my 1040x form all the numbers in the Column A are exactly same as the numbers in the Column C. Cannot figure out where is the problem. Very frustrated!!!

[Critter-3]

@HelenZh 

If column A & C are exactly the same and column B is empty then you did something wrong  ... is column A the same figures as you originally filed  or as the IRS changed the return?  What correction were you trying to make ?  

[SonomaTom]

I have the same 1040X problem in amending my 2021 tax return.

The "original amount" column (A) come from I don't know where.  Then there "net changes " (B) and the "corrected amount" (C).  Column (C) IS the return previously filed.

Whatever is wrong, TurboTax has not fixed it.

I also had to file an amended 2018 to attach a statement, with no change in any data previously entered in 2018 return.  HOWEVER, TurboTax now shows an additional refund for 2018.  The program was obviously changed by TurboTax AFTER electronically filing my return.  We were never advised of any program changes.  When I called, the agent started a long explanation of how TurboTax sends out notices of changes, that tax laws change, yada yada.  I finally stopped the person and told her the  numerical change I tracked down was based upon data in the original return and that there had been no tax law changes in the area since "the beginning of time".  (The change in the amendment appears correct:  the data was missed by TurboTax in filing our original return).

She said she was taking notes and would "pass it on".

[wajake41]

My experience: both tax year 2019 and 2021 after my return was accepted by the IRS, I later opened these 2 tax returns. In both cases the tax amount calculated by TT differed from that on my accepted return. In both cases TT updated the program when I opened both of these returns. In both cases this was done after the April due date. It appears that the updates caused this to happen. This tells me that to get an accurate tax calculation I had better file a 6 month extension for my returns in the future. Is TT that buggy? The answer is YES!