Why does TurboTax request only my total IRA value and not my wife's?

[Russ_S]

We're retired, married filing jointly, living off our IRAs rather than contributing to them. We don't get Form 5498. I don't know why we have to enter my total IRA value in the first place (neither of us is old enough for RMD), but why isn't my wife's IRA value also requested?

[VolvoGirl]

Did you both take distributions?  Did she get a 1099R?  Make sure you entered each 1099R for the right person.  What code is in box 7?  I'll page someone, @dmertz 

[Opus 17]

Did you or your wife ever make non-deductible contributions to your IRA?  Did you have a form 8606 attached to last year's (2021) tax return?

[Russ_S]

Thanks very much for your response. No, she did not take a distribution in 2022, so she did not get a 1099R this year. 

[Russ_S]

Thanks for your response. No, neither of us contributed to our IRAs last year, and we did not have a form 8606 attached to last year's tax return.

Perhaps the fact that I took a distribution from my IRA in 2022 but my wife didn't has something to do with why TurboTax doesn't ask for my wife's total IRA value, but it still doesn't explain why TurboTax would be interested in my total IRA value in the first place, especially since my wife's total IRA value could be higher than mine. 

[AnnetteB6 · Accepted solution]

The total value of your IRAs is needed because you took a distribution from your account and the Form 1099-R probably indicates that the 'taxable amount cannot be determined' or you indicated that there had been non-deductible contributions to the IRA in the past.

If any of your IRA accounts have a mixture of pre-tax and after-tax money (or deductible and non-deductible contributions), then every distribution from any of your IRAs is deemed to be a mixture of pre-tax and after-tax money.  Therefore, the total value is needed to determine what portion of the distribution is taxable.  

If your wife did not take a distribution in 2022, then there is no need for her total IRA account balance because there is no calculation to be made.  

@Russ_S 

[Russ_S]

Thanks very much! As my IRAs are rollovers from 401k plans, they are completely from pre-tax contributions, but the "Taxable amount not determined" box is indeed checked on my 1099-R.

I'd like to suggest that it would be helpful if in future a "Why do we ask this?" note appeared on that page of the program.