I can't e-file my 1099-R line 12 with turbo tax in New York State

[macuser_22]

If there is tax withheld in box 12 but the box 1 amount into box 14 if blank.  For some reason NY's e-file software  does not  like a blank box 14, even though a blank box 14 when only one state is understood to be the same as box 14.  

[donferg1332]

What are the values in Box 12,13,14?  Did you enter all of these into the 1099-r?  What error message did you receive?

[donferg1332]

It feels like box 14 should be filled with Box 2a - the taxable amount

[macuser_22]

Box 1 - box 14 is the state portion of the *distribution*, not the taxable amount.  In many cases box 2a is blank if box 2b is checked.   If only one state then the state distribution is then entire distribution, not the taxable part.

[donferg1332]

Then why not insert the distribution in box 14?

[macuser_22]

The reason for box 14 is:  if there are two states with withholding in box 12a and 12b, (say the plan owner moved mid year), then the payer must allocate the amount of the distribution between both states in the two box 14's, the total of both box 14's will be equal to box 1.   If only one state then there is no reason to enter anything into box 14 because by default, there is no other state to divide the box 1 amount with.

Financial institutions by convention, never enter anything into box 14 if there is only one state.  Only NY (to my knowledge) started to reject 1099-R's with a blank box 14 last year and are doing the same this year. This appears to be a bug in the NY software that they have not fixed.  The other 49 states get it right.