Retirement tax questions

It depends, the reason box 2a is unknown on your 1099-R form is because based on the type of withdrawal you made and the type of retirement income, it can't yet be determined what amount is taxable. For Civil Service Retirement benefits, If the taxable amount isn’t calculated in Box 2, the Simplified Method to determine the amount taxable must be used. 

To enter your CSA 1099-R:

1. Sign in to your account and open or continue your return
2. Search for 1099-R and select the Jump to link in the search results
3. On the Your 1099-R screen, select Yes and then Continue
   • If you land on the Your 1099-R Entries screen instead, select Add Another 1099-R
4. At the import screen, select Type it in myself and then Continue
5. Select the CSA-1099-R option (verify the right spouse is selected, if applicable) and Continue to enter the information from your CSA 1099-R

After step 5, the program will begin the questions to determine the taxability.

Rest assured, TurboTax will guide you through a series of questions to help fill out the worksheet used to calculate if any amount is taxable. 

Use this link to learn more Simplified Method

@stevemusacco