Is anyone else having a problem with excess social security being reported on the 2017 return?

[VolvoGirl]

Did your 2017 return have excess SS reported on line 71?

For 2017, If you had more than one employer and  the total of box 4 (only box 4 not box 6) on all your 2017 W2s  for Social Security is more than $7,886.40 you get the excess back on your tax return.  And it is for each spouse separately, not combined. 

Are you married and filed Joint?  And you both had W2s?  The IRS is probably right.  They usually are in this case.  You assigned both spouse's W2 to the same person so it looked like that person went over the max.

Then better check your 2018 return and see if the W2s transferred over wrong and you have excess ss on 2018 also.  

Then for next year either do not transfer from 2018 or delete all the W2s and enter them new, paying attention which spouse.

[davidhdix]

Yes - our 2017 return has excess SS reported on line 71.  We don't recall entering that information.  We don't have more than one employer.  We are married filing joint.  Both had w-2's.    Wondering if there is a glitch in the turbo tax program?  Now we are on the hook for a lot of money.

[VolvoGirl]

There is no glitch in Turbo Tax for this.  You probably assigned both W2s to the same person.  Add up box 4 and subtract the max of $7,886.40.  Is that the difference on line 71?  The max is per person not combined.  

[Critter]

Sadly  this is a 100% user error that the program warns you about ... it was your responsibility to read the screen carefully  to  fix the error before filing ... Review your PDF with the worksheets to see if this is indeed your error ... if so pay the IRS as they are correct.