Question on Massachusetts tax form regarding inherited IRA

[ARPMassachusetts]

I have an IRA inherited from my mother, who did not live in MA.

i must take distributions every year, which I know are taxable.

The worksheet in TurboTax asks for “ Other Contributions Previously Taxed by Massachusetts”

Do distributions I received in previous years count as contributions previously taxed, in which case this would mean I would enter the same amount in both boxes?

[DavidD66]

No, it is no referring to any contributions you made to retirement plans. If you mother was never a Massachusetts (MA) resident, it is a moot point.  You would answer $0.00.  

The question is referring to contributions that were made to your inherited IRA.  Massachusetts does not allow an income tax deduction or exclusion for IRA contributions.  If a Mass resident makes a contribution to an IRA that is tax deductible for federal tax, there is no deduction on Mass state tax.  Therefore, when distributions are made from the IRA, they are considered first a non-taxable return of basis (the amount that was already taxed) and then the taxable earnings.