Box 14 is not usually required because it has been an 1099-R industrial standard for many years that if there is only one state in box 12 & 13 then the box 1 amount does not need to be allocated between two states - the entire box 1 amount is understood to be the state distribution so box 14 is just left blank.
But recently, there are at least two states that will reject 1099-R's with a state tax and a blank box 14 so it is okay to enter the box 1 amount into box 14 to satisfy the states requirement.
However, if box 12 is blank (or zero) then there is not state tax withheld so ALL boxes 12-14 must be blank (empty) - not zero.
**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**
