Now Turbotax is saying Im over my contributions limit but its actually 6k contributions for 3 diff years - and i checked i was eligible to contribute for each period. How do I handle this?
You wouldn't enter the $6,000 contribution for 2019 since it doesn't belong in 2020. You also shouldn't enter the $6,000 contribution for 2021 since it doesn't belong in 2020 either. So, just enter the $6,000 for 2020 and you should be OK.
Sorry one more question! So if I only enter the $6k for 2020 that I contributed in Jan for this year's taxes, and the other $6k I also contributed in Jan for 2021's taxes next year, what do I do about the $6k I entered last year for 2019?
I had contributed in June 2020 for the 2019 year (contribution deadline had been extended), but it was I had done my taxes. Do I get penalized for not reporting my 2019 contribution?
As long as you were eligible to make the Roth contribution for 2019 based on your income and age, it is not reported anywhere on your tax return. Therefore, there is not a penalty for not reporting it. Just be sure to keep good records on your own to show the amounts that you have contributed to the Roth IRA.
Information is entered into your tax return with regard to Roth IRAs to help you determine whether you are eligible to make the contribution based on the information reported on your return. The contribution itself does not get reported on your tax return.