Retired, worked for Commonwealth of Mass, Pension income is tax exempt. Checker is saying I need to put this on Federal form not directly on Ma form. How do I fix this?

[DawnC]

Enter your 1099-R in the federal section.   TurboTax automatically transfers your income to your state returns.   Once you are done with your federal return, you will go through your MA return.  When you are going through the state return, you will be able to exclude pension income.   There will be a section titled How Massachusetts handles income differently...

MA Tax Info for Retirees and Seniors

Where do I enter a 1099-R?

Income from most private pensions or annuity plans is taxable in Massachusetts, but many government pensions are exempt.  Withdrawals from a traditional IRA are taxable, but the Massachusetts taxable amount may be different from the federal taxable amount.