CAN NOT UPDATE Social Security - 2024 TurboTax

[roninshawneeKS]

I am trying to do some LTCG harvesting & trying to duplicate the amounts used last year's 1040 form

in my 2024 TurboTax -

BUT TurboTax is not letting me get to the Soc Sec screen when I click on UPDATE,

it just returns to the "Your 2024 Income Summary" screen - what's going on.

ron in shawnee

[rjs]

Are you using the web-based TurboTax Online or the downloaded desktop TurboTax software installed on your computer?

If you are using the desktop software, make sure you have installed the latest updates. Are you using it in Windows or on a Mac?

[roninshawneeKS]

Using Desktop TurboTax Deluxe on Windows 11 PC purchased, downloaded from Intuit about a month ago - for this purpose.

I see they have made a lot of changes, but yes, Turbotax updates itself whenever loaded.

Other sections update OK (like Int & Div) - just can't update Soc Sec to see how much will be taxed.

And alternatively, if I begin with the "Visit All" button, TT asks a couple of questions about Retirement and Pensions - and with a No answer, it just returns to the Your 2024 Income Summary" screen.

I sure hope TurboTax is not ignoring the UPDATE because Soc Sec not being taxed - because of no other appreciable income - WITHOUT TELLING ME THAT.

ron in shawnee

[DoninGA]

@roninshawneeKS Since you are using one of the 2024 TurboTax desktop editions for Windows, try this

Save your tax return and close the TurboTax program

Right click on the TurboTax icon

Click on Run as administrator

Start the TurboTax program again and see if the problem persists.

[roninshawneeKS]

NOPE - Close & reopen and run as administrator doesn't help - BUT, another anomaly.

I was working on my sister's tax return - a person with practically NO INCOME other than Soc Sec - 

but she does have some DIVs, but mainly LTCG which I was trying to take advantage of for the 0% bracket.

Anyway, I switched to my tax return which has considerably more income,

- AND the UPDATE Soc Sec section works on that return, even though I haven't even added my Income yet.

So, something else is going on - and clearly a TurboTax problem, at least it seems to me.

ron in shawnee

[rjs]

I tried to recreate the problem, but I can't. Updating Social Security works every time, with low income or no income other than Social Security.

Try starting your sister's tax return over again from scratch, as a new tax return, and see if you still have the same problem.

[roninshawneeKS]

OK CHAMP-   TRIED THAT - DOESN'T WORK

Champ, thanks for your interest, but it is just not working.  Deleted my sister's new 2024 TT file (actually just renamed with an xxxx in front of the 2024) and Started from the beginning again (picking up her 2023 TT file)

AND the results are the same - clicking on the UPDATE Soc Sec, all that happens is that I am returned to the 2024 Income Summary.

Maybe, or must be, something wrong with the 2023 return I filed last year, but nothing I do works.  I even did the "Walk-thru" option - same result - UPDATE will not work.

Of interest to note is that the 2024 column on the Income Summary is already set to "$0" on my sister's return and not so on my return.

SO, do I have a next step - which I guess is getting the TT guys . . . . .

WHOOPS - HOLD EVERYTHING - MADE ON MORE TRY AND IT HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF TT BUG.

I went to the "Forms" view and clicked on the Social Sec form - and found the $0 filled in on Box A and nothing in Box B-H.  And clicking on Box A, there is an "+" beside it indicating "Supporting Details" - and if I enter something in the Supporting Details, it will show up Box A and in turn will show up on the Income Summary screen.

                      [Yes, I had been keeping track of my sister's Soc Sec when I did her Returns.] 

HOWEVER, the UPDATE still does not work from the Income Summary screen.

SORRY, I am running out of time - have New Year's Eve things to attend to and this may take some time to iron out, even if it is possible.  Even if/when I get the figures fixed manually, I don't know if TT will tell me how much of it is taxable.

But I am now sure the Supporting Details has something to do with the TT PROBLEM.

Champ, you seem to be one of the TT insiders, so if you can, please pass this along to whoever.

I will spend more time on it later, but now out of time until after the 1st.

I do appreciate your interest and support.

ron in shawnee

[roninshawneeKS]

FOLLOW UP OF PREVIOUS POST

OK, one last note.  I took the time to DELETE THE SUPPORTING DETAILS - and Everything Works Now.

So TT guys, if you read these Posts - here is something for you to work on.

Thanks again CHAMP for your attempts to duplicate the problem - this is/was a tough one.

Now TT guys should fix it - because it is an error - and because it is still unknown if the Taxable stuff will be done correctly

ron in shawnee

[VolvoGirl]

Sorry we should have remembered that error from years before.   Last year's note......

If you can't enter your Social Security in the boxes or there is a 0 in a box, try deleting the form. See this thread for things to try. See Critter-3 post for how to fix it.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/retirement/discussion/i-keep-attempting-to-enter-both-my-spouse-an...

In the box with $0 income double-click in that box and a Supporting Details window should open where you can enter the correct amount. Or highlight the box and use Ctrl + I to open the Supporting Details window

[tomfive · Accepted solution]

FINALLY, a solution to this problem.

I've been working on this problem for almost 4 weeks now, a call to TT customer service yielded no solution, got a case number and everything, been waiting for an update to fix, but nothing until now. A bit frustrated to say the least.

1. What I found out was this SS entry problem only occurred on a return that I transferred/imported last year's (2023) information into. If I just started a new return, the SS entry function in step-by-step worked fine, but what good is that?

2. I did use supporting details in 2023, and I did see that it appeared in the SS form (Social Security Benefits Worksheet), but I didn't know I should have deleted it first and go back to step-by step. Instead I made manual entries in SS form. Everything populated correctly, but step-by-step didn't work. What happened when I tried Update SS, it went to the screen asking about foreign accounts, still did not get the entry screen.

3. I also noted that the SS/Railroad benefits for 2023 box was checked.

4. Deleting the SS form then going back to step-by-step to update SS was best for me. After selecting supporting details and making some manual entries, the SS update still didn't work. 

So, if this has been happening for a while (2023 was my first year for SS) now, why hasn't it been fixed? and/or why isn't the solution available to the customer service people when you call in?

[roninshawneeKS]

YES tomfive, that is pretty much exactly what I found - except I prefer to DELETE the offending Supporting Details, which is the real culprit.

And once you do that, you can then go back - and the UPDATE Social Security stuff works now.

As for me, I prefer using the UPDATE Soc Sec approach as opposed to filling out the Soc Sec worksheet manually - who knows the side-implications of that process. 

[I didn't quite understand the implications of Deleting the Soc Sec worksheet Form at the time but see now that the Form is recreated when going through the normal UPDATE Soc Sec process - and that process does work equally well, or maybe is the best approach.]

And yes, I agree this should have been fixed since, as noted earlier, this was a known problem - but not surprised that your call to TT yielded no results.  It just continues to amplify that this Community is the only place to go with TT questions or problems - they have excellent people and support out here.

Thanks to all.

ron is shawnee

[tomfive]

Thanks for your reply Ron.

But what was really bothering me was why this issue hasn't come up more frequently, then it dawned on me just now that very few people would need/want supporting details in their SS entry. Most SS recipients only get 1 SS benefit statement (SSA-1099SM) per person per year, and therefore just type in a single number in each box. In my particular case, my wife and I both had mid-year changes, so we each received 2 benefit statements for 2023. We obviously wanted to have a record of each 1099 in case we were audited.

And YES, this community seems to know a lot, just that it was hard to find the specific search question to get a specific answer. In that I never had any problems before with TT (probably a 15+ year user), I didn't even think of coming here for answers, until a friend told me about it. Glad I did! 

I agree, thanks to all, 

Tom

[Jack4771]

The 1-11-2025 Update fails to fix the SSA-1099 input problem. When will Intuit fix the problem, since they have known about it for weeks?

[CatinaT1]

Are you still having this issue?

[roninshawneeKS]

Catina-

Well yes - the issue had never been "fixed" by the TurboTax software guys yet.

BUT the 2 workarounds (Delete Supporting Details OR Delete the bad Social Security form, in Forms, which will be replaced) work very nicely - and these proposed fixes are acceptable.

However, the Update Problem is still there as far as I know and as I said, should be fixed.

And yes, I marked one of the earlier posts as the best answer.

ron in shawnee