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New Member
posted Jun 4, 2019 9:01:30 PM

Entering 1099 R for a Trust

Purchased Turbo Tax Business to do Trust filing.  It is not providing a place to enter the 1099 R forms received.  The Help features only provide information as if I was doing a standard 1040.  In "Business" Federal Taxes/Income I am finding no where to enter the information on the 1099 R.  Where is this information entered? 

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1 Best answer
Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 9:01:33 PM

TurboTax Business does not contain a screen dedicated to the entry of information from a 1099-R. 

In most instances, following the procedures outlined below will give you the correct result.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow the steps below to enter the amount   on Form 1099-R (Box 2a) that is treated as ordinary income   :

1) Click the Federal Taxes tab and then click "Income".

2) Click the Start (or Update) button to the right of "Other income or loss".

3) On the Other Income page, enter "1099-R Box 2a" as the description (see first screenshot).

4) Enter the amount treated as ordinary income in Box 2a under "Amount" and click the Continue button.

5) Go into Forms mode (upper right side of screen). 

6) Under "Forms in My Return" (upper left side of screen), look for "Form 1041" and click that form.

7) Ensure that the Box 2a amount appears on Form 1041, Line 8, Other income. (see second screenshot).

24 Replies
New Member
Jun 4, 2019 9:01:32 PM

Thank you.  The instructions were great.  Why weren't they available through the help in the package I purchased.

Level 15
Jun 4, 2019 9:01:33 PM

TurboTax Business does not contain a screen dedicated to the entry of information from a 1099-R. 

In most instances, following the procedures outlined below will give you the correct result.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow the steps below to enter the amount   on Form 1099-R (Box 2a) that is treated as ordinary income   :

1) Click the Federal Taxes tab and then click "Income".

2) Click the Start (or Update) button to the right of "Other income or loss".

3) On the Other Income page, enter "1099-R Box 2a" as the description (see first screenshot).

4) Enter the amount treated as ordinary income in Box 2a under "Amount" and click the Continue button.

5) Go into Forms mode (upper right side of screen). 

6) Under "Forms in My Return" (upper left side of screen), look for "Form 1041" and click that form.

7) Ensure that the Box 2a amount appears on Form 1041, Line 8, Other income. (see second screenshot).

Level 3
Jan 30, 2020 4:48:02 PM

Are these instructions correct for the 2019 version and when is this going to be added into the program?  I tried using the help inside the program and got the instructions for entering the information in a 1040 which is wrong.  The business program is expensive for something that we have to search for instructions on how to enter a standard IRS form, 1099-R, information to file trust taxes. 

Level 15
Jan 30, 2020 6:27:07 PM

Retirement account distributions paid to a trust do not have the complexity of those paid to individuals because these distributions paid to a trust are never subject to an early-distribution penalty, never eligible for rollover, can never be a Qualified Charitable Distribution, an HSA Funding Distribution, be used to pay for health insurance of a Public Safety Office or have any of the other complexities of distributions made to individuals, so there is no need for any special section in TurboTax Business for the entry of Forms 1099-R.  The taxable amount is simply entered as Other Income, essentially one-line entry.

 

The Instructions for Form 1041, which should be your reference for preparing any trust income tax return, clearly state that these distributions are to be reported as Other Income.  The instructions for Form 1041 also indicate where on Schedules K-1 this Distributable Net Income is to be reported.

 

Form 1040 is the form for an individual tax return and has nothing to do with preparing a trust income tax return.  Instructions for preparing Form 1040 are generally not relevant to preparing Form 1041.

Level 1
Feb 16, 2020 12:45:56 PM

This is a common enough occurrence that Turbotax should anticipate it, rather than have the user input it as "Other Income."  The trust for which I am filing includes the IRA from which the distribution comes, so this doesn't seem like "income" to the trust since those funds are already there!  Wouldn't it be easy to have TurboTax ask, "Do you have a 1099-R?"

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 12:53:16 PM

Yes, in the trust account, 1099R income must be listed under "other income." I personally have filed Trust Tax returns this way and I never had any issue with the IRS.in the ten years i have been preparing Trust returns.

Level 1
Feb 16, 2020 1:12:22 PM

Don't get me wrong.  I totally trust, no pun intended, that the 1099-R income be entered as Other Income.  However, I use Turbotax so I don't have to search the internet and these forums to find out where to enter stuff.  I expect that it anticipates these relatively common situations and leads me through it.  

 

If I had not had a previous year's tax return prepared by an accountant that had a non-zero entry for trust income, I would have totally missed this and went on my merry way, not entering the 1099-R Box 2a amount as other income.

Expert Alumni
Feb 16, 2020 1:59:59 PM

Agreed. This is something that can easily be missed.

Level 3
Feb 17, 2020 3:42:24 PM

As my initial entry stated, when looking for the instructions for entering a 1099R for a trust in the business version it gave me the instructions for a 1040 and not the 1041 it should have. If TurboTax asked if a 1099R was received and collected the information just like it does for other forms received it would be much easier on the individuals working on the taxes.  Your comment only talks about the income listed on the 1099R, but what happens if there are other entries, like tax withholdings? Adding the 1099R form into the program should not be a difficult request and would make filing trust tax returns easier for all of us. We all paid good money for the program to make it easier on us, it took me over 30 minutes of research to find out where to enter the income and taxes withheld into the program, and when I found the information it was for a past tax year, not the current year. It should have taken less than a minute. 

Level 3
Feb 17, 2020 3:55:07 PM

We do not see it as a problem with the IRS but a problem with

TurboTax

.  A simple question, do you have an 1099R, if so a form to enter the income and taxes withheld which feeds the information to the correct locations is all we are asking.  Also the IRS 1041 instructions tell you to enter the income on the 1099R in Other Income but does not tell you it should be line 2A instead of line1.  There could be a big difference in the 2 lines depending on if it is qualified or nonqualified money. 

Level 4
Feb 11, 2022 4:54:14 PM

As of TurboTax Business 2021, the 1099-R form is still not included.  You have to enter it as "Other income" per the instructions in other answers.  Intuit appears to be letting this product die and wither on the vine.

Level 3
Feb 12, 2022 11:42:31 AM

So we pay +$100 for software to help us file our deceased relative's Trust taxes, and we need to use the answers from others users who might or might not be giving us the correct answer. 

Intuit Alumni
Feb 13, 2022 7:14:22 AM

If you have a specific question you need help with, you can ask it here and we will do our best to assist you. This is a public forum and experts do answer questions here as well.

 

@Luppoe

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 7:54:30 AM


@Luppoe wrote:

So we pay +$100 for software to help us file our deceased relative's Trust taxes, and we need to use the answers from others users who might or might not be giving us the correct answer. 


The answers are generally correct and if you actually read the Guidance in TurboTax, you will see essentially the same direction for entering information from a 1099-R.

 

 

 

Level 3
Feb 13, 2022 11:07:21 AM

That is the only info in the program on what to do with a 1099R for a trust return. There is missing information like:

 

Most people would enter block 1 info in the other income field, but the blog says block 2A goes there.  That difference could be $10K+, big difference in income being reported.  What is correct and how do we know that?  Also, if the income in block 1 or 2a (whatever one is correct) is the only income and it is under $600, do we have to file a return? Do we need to send K1s out?

 

If there is info in box 4 (tax withheld) where does that go? 

 

What about info in any of the other boxes?

 

We pay over $100 for this software and the blog has entries about this for over 4 yrs.  If TurboTax states the software is for Trust Returns it needs to be completely for Trust Returns.

 

There needs to be an entry form for the 1099R and complete instructions on what to do.

 

Hoping the person who answers a BLOG question is correct is not the answer and not good customer service.

Level 3
Feb 13, 2022 11:22:52 AM

When will TurboTax Business truly be for TRUST returns? For over 4 yrs this blog has been the only place to find out how to enter 1099R info into a TRUST return. We pay over $100 for the software just to be told to get the answer in a BLOG. The software does have a small note about the 1099R to enter the info in other income, but it does not tell where we get that info from. The BLOG says block 2A but most would probably enter the info from block 1 which can be a difference of over $10k in income. The 1099R has 19 different blocks, are any of the other blocks required to be entered, like Federal Income Tax withheld? 

 

Another question that the program doesn't seem to answer is if Block 2A is correct and the info is under $600 and is the only income for the TRUST, does a return have to be filed?

 

Please provide complete written instructions on how to enter all info from a 1099R into a TRUST return and any other items we need to know that is not in the software. 

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 11:53:59 AM

For a trust, you need to file a 1041 if the trust has any taxable income (or gross income of $600 or more).

 

See https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1041#en_US_2021_publink1000285943

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 11:55:14 AM


@Luppoe wrote:

If there is info in box 4 (tax withheld) where does that go? 


Schedule G (of the 1041), Part II, Line 14.

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 11:58:33 AM


@Luppoe wrote:

We pay over $100 for this software and the blog has entries about this for over 4 yrs. 


You do understand that having a tax (or legal) professional prepare the 1041 (along with K-1s and associated forms and schedules) would cost $600 at the very least and could easily run $1,500 and even more, do you not?

 

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 12:00:56 PM


@Luppoe wrote:

Please provide complete written instructions on how to enter all info from a 1099R into a TRUST return and any other items we need to know that is not in the software. 


I apologize for the serial posting (issue with editing on my end, I think), but you need to be made aware that many of us who answer questions on this board (known as "Champs") are completely unpaid volunteers

 

As a result, making demands that we supply every single bit of information (that you demand) to make your life easier is simply unwarranted and unfair.

Level 3
Feb 13, 2022 12:13:39 PM

I paid good money for the program and am looking for the correct information on how to file my deceased mother's trust return.  The program should have that information and we should not have to rely on your help. I understand you are a volunteer and want to thank you for that.  But as someone who paid for the software to complete the tax return, TurboTax should not have us rely on you for assistance.  They need to put all that info into the program.  It takes about a half hour to find these answers when it should be a simple data entry with the program.  By my searches this has been going on for over 4 yrs and they still have not correct it.  Now I have asked these questions in chat and they have provided me with completely wrong answers. So how should I be? 

 

TurboTax Please add this info into the program. 

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 12:15:40 PM

I understand your position.

 

Where did you get wrong answers? Who gave them to you?

Level 3
Feb 13, 2022 4:44:18 PM

When someone is asking how to enter a 1099r, your answer is great except there should be an additional instruction(s) that if the 1099R has tax withheld follow these instructions to enter it. 

 

 On the 1041 Schedule G, line 14, check the box and enter the tax withheld from the 1099R box 4.  (some users also asked how to get this info to the K1s, I just left as a refund since it was easier for me. Not sure what is best or correct)

 

If there are any other boxes that might need to be entered they should be included in the instructions or a note that they are not used for the 1041.  Also I saw a note that TurboTax Business doesn't have much if any support for state returns, if you have more info that would be great.

 

So just adding one simple step and maybe a few notes to instructions found on the BLOG would clear up many questions. 

 

Also if you try using the help from the program and enter 1099R you get 1040 instructions, would think Intuit would have separate help files, just like an input screen for this info. If you ask for IRS instructions in the application it send you to an Intuit page with links to it but none of them pertain to a TRUST return.

 

TurboTax Business does not have any audit for this from the IRS 1041 instructions. So the no matter what the total income is it has you file a return: 

Who Must File
Decedent's Estate
The fiduciary (or one of the joint fiduciaries) must file Form 1041 for a domestic estate that has:
1. Gross income for the tax year of
$600 or more

 

Bottom line is we believe TurboTax should have all this in the Business version so we can get our taxes done in a few minutes instead of requiring a few hours of research. I looked back at the Blog and the oldest request was in 2018. 

Level 15
Feb 13, 2022 5:14:39 PM

There have been a number of posts, complete with screenshots (such as the one below), but many of them did not transfer over from the old TurboTax board (Blog or whatever you want to call it).