How to enter German pension income? Canadian & German pensions have special treatment. TT allows Canadian, but not German. Filing 1099-R is not correct.

[gd28]

Pub 915, page 6 says Canadian and German pensions have special treatment, and are treated like American SS income, entered on pub 915 worksheet 1, line 1.  TT allows entry of Canadian retirement income in the SS income section, but not German.  This is NOT solved by a 1099-R.

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

You enter the German Social Security benefits received just like if you received a US Social Security Form SSA-1099.  The amount received for the German SS is entered in box 5 of the TurboTax SSA-1099 program.

To enter Social Security benefits reported on form SSA-1099

• Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
• Click on Wages and Income (Personal Income using Home and Business)
• Click on I'll choose what I work on (if shown)
• Scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security
• On Social Security (SSA-1099, RRB-1099), click the start or update button

Or enter ssa-1099 in the Search box located in the upper right of the program screen.  Click on Jump to ssa-1099

[Xian2]

hi I have the same situation, receiving German Social security and US social security

since there are not multiple entries on the SSA form, it seems that I just have to add both manually together

Just wondering if that does not cause any confusion with IRS, as they know the amount on the SSA US form, which will not match if I add in the German amount?

Is there a way to enter both for SSA as separate lineitems and/or a way to add a note to explain the additional amount as German social security?

[DoninGA]

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@Xian2 wrote:

hi I have the same situation, receiving German Social security and US social security

since there are not multiple entries on the SSA form, it seems that I just have to add both manually together

Just wondering if that does not cause any confusion with IRS, as they know the amount on the SSA US form, which will not match if I add in the German amount?

Is there a way to enter both for SSA as separate lineitems and/or a way to add a note to explain the additional amount as German social security?

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No, this will not cause an issue with the IRS if you add the US Social Security benefit from box 5 of the SSA-1099 and the amount of the German SS benefit together.

If you are ever questioned by the IRS (very uncommon) it will be easy to explain, just keep your German documentation with your tax records.