I reported excess deferrals in turbo tax based on the instructions here https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/4346599-how-to-report-over-contribution-in-401k-for-2017-on-2017-tax-return-without-a-1099r, however when turbo tax found out that I over contributed to my 401K last year, it asked me to "report the excess deferral on your 2018 return in the Income section for Retirement Plans and Social Security whether or not you received a Form 1099-R before you file your return".
Those two instructions are different. Which one should I follow? BTW I won't receive 1099R until 2019.
What I did with this is added the 1099 r so I would be taxed the excess in 2018. I get an e-file error as noted below on the summary w2 sheets only. Just override the numbers so you do not have the over amount. This clears the error. These sheets are just summary sheets and do not get e-filed. The w2 stays the same as originally input with the over contribution which is part of the E-file.
Hmmm...that is interesting. So the error is coming up because of a lousy worksheet? How does the W2 stay the same as originally input with the over contribution???
No. The error comes up because the W-2 box 12 amount exceeds the deferral limit's. It is correct for TurboTax to flag that as a error (which it is) to alert the taxpayer to a possible data entry error that they can correct, but it should not prevent e-fileing if there was no data input error and there really is an excess on the W-2. (The worksheet is just where TurboTax stores the W-2 data.)
(W-2's do not get physically sent to the IRS, just the encrypted data from the W-2 gets transmitted to the IRS and most of that data comes from the worksheet. The TurboTax W-2 "form" that you fill out in the interview is not a W-2 form, just a TurboTax mock up of the form as a data entry screen. Changing the worksheet will probably also change the data sent to the IRS and most likely will cause a data mismatch between what you file and what the employer filed. Worksheet themselves are not sent to the IRS, but the data that they contain can be.)
Has it been confirmed TT will be updating to allow for efiling? I am ready to file and don't want to mail in if efiling is an option.
I don't understand the logic behind this issue, TT knows its an over contribution and the corrective action, why prevent efiling?
TurboTax has released a FAQ on this issue - the answer is to print and mail the return.
Excess 401(k) Contribution Preventing e-File
https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/7327357
Wow, that's pretty big letdown. Might as well file the taxes by myself then.
What I did with this is added the 1099 r so I would be taxed the excess in 2018. I get an e-file error as noted below on the summary w2 sheets only. Just override the numbers so you do not have the over amount. This clears the error. These sheets are just summary sheets and do not get e-filed. The w2 stays the same as originally input with the over contribution which is part of the E-file.
can someone from turbotax confirm this work-around (nice, btw!) if the program does not get updated to fix this issue as planned by 4/5/2019
How do you override the numbers in the summary w2 sheets only?
I'm using premier Mac version and the override button is grey for summary w2 sheets.
I'm using premier Mac version and the override button is grey for summary w2 sheets.
Turbo tax released a new version which longer always you to do this. You have to wait until; 4/5/19 for fix
I only contributed like $5 over the 2018 401k limit, but my 401k said that it's past their deadline and they can't do anything now. Any advice? It feels stupid just for several bucks (It happened because I switched jobs in 2018).
@chenhua00 - You still must report it as an excess using method #2 in the answer and add it back into your taxable wages since the deduction is not allowed.
If beyond the date to have it returned then it stays in the 401(k) plan and will be taxed again when finally withdrawn at retirement. That "double tax" is the penalty for not timely removing.
That is described in the IRS Pub "Excess not distributed".
For information see IRS Pub 525 page 10
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p525.pdf">https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p525.pdf</a>
It is for the CD/download versions. Then they say 4/5 it means before midnight. Online is usually updated late in the evening hours.
apparently the fix was released but it does not fix the efile issue. You need to paper file. we all should get our money back because of this
Turbotax has a bug in calculation. In theory, the tax return number should remain the same when you add the over contributed part as income comparing with the case that you didn't over contribute to 401k (just try to modify the Box 12D number in w2 form so the total contribution becomes exactly the 401k cap of 2018). However, turbotax gives a much lower tax return if you add the over contributed part as income.
You can not change the W2. It will not match what the employer sent to IRS. Do you have a work around or I just can not efile and I need to mail my returns?
I understand you can't change W2. What I mean is Turbotax does not calculate the tax return correctly.