@TurboTaxBillMc And what about these IRS instructions for multiple distributions, that you keep ignoring?
For IRA's: "If you (or your spouse if filing jointly) received more than one distribution, figure the taxable amount of each distribution and enter the total of the taxable amounts on line 4b. Enter the total amount of those distributions on line 4a." (page 29 of IRS 1040 instructions)
For Pensions: "If you had more than one partially taxable pension or annuity, Figure the taxable part of each separately. Enter the total of the taxable parts on Form 1040, line 4b. Enter the total pension or annuity payments received in 2018 on Form 1040, line 4a." (page 31 of IRS 1040 instructions)
If you were being completely honest, you would admit that these IRS instructions are more applicable to the situations people are complaining about than the instructions you keep citing for single, fully taxable distributions. You would also admit that while the IRS might "accept" returns with 4a less than 4b (which is disputed by some filers), they would certainly also accept returns where 4a was actually the total of the gross IRA and pensions distributions, as it is labelled.
You would also admit that If TT took the 10 minutes needed to fixed this, all this complaining would go away, they would conform with other tax service providers and software, and the IRS would be perfectly happy.
You might even admit that common sense dictates that Line 4a should never be less than 4b, and that is not the IRS intent. The instruction you cite about leaving 4a blank clearly applies to single, fully taxable distributions, and in any case you are not leaving 4a blank, you are putting a nonsense number into it!
