Why is my PA tax form asking for Unemployment Expenses when nothing was check on federal return and I've been retired since 2013?

[brickter]

on the printed federal return from turbotax online, there is no mention of getting unemployment.

[CesarJ]

Pennsylvania may ask for Unemployment Expenses on the state tax form even if you didn't report or receive unemployment on your federal return. Some states have specific reporting requirements or questions related to unemployment compensation, regardless of whether benefits were received or taxable federally.

Since you have been retired since 2013 and have no unemployment income, it's very likely you can enter zero or leave this section blank if TurboTax allows. This question may appear due to Pennsylvania's tax form design and doesn't necessarily mean you must report unemployment benefits.

Check carefully for any related entries in TurboTax for Pennsylvania and help make sure no unemployment income is entered. You may be asked to make sure this data to complete your state return.

[brickter]

CesarJ,

Thanks for your reply. I was feeling very frustrated and didn't know where to turn.  It may be best if I can include some screen shots showing the problem.  The last page is asking for my employer's address and if I leave it blank, it will not complete the "Fixing the PA tax forms".  I'm not sure if it sees I have no PA income (my pension and wife's pension are not taxable in PA) so it assumes I'm taking unemployment expenses.  So looking at page 3 of what I included, it says to remove or exclude of UE form, hit edit.  There is no edit button.  So to my thinking something seems to be wrong with the PA forms/computations.  I have another complaint about my federal form, but I'll put that in a different message.

Thanks for any help you can give me.

bruce rickter

[Vanessa A]

In PA there are no deduction for expenses related to unemployment. UE is not unemployment, it is Unreimbursed Employee expenses.     This would only apply if you had W-2 income. 

This form does not need to be included in your return.  It looks like you are using the online version from your screen shots.  You can delete the Schedule UE from your state return by taking the following steps:

1. From the left rail menu in TurboTax Online, select Tax Tools (You may have to scroll down on the left rail menu.)
2. On the drop-down select Tools
3. On the Pop-Up menu titled “Tools Center,” select Delete a Form 
4. This will show all of the forms in your return 
5. Scroll down to Schedule UE under Pennsylvania
6. Select Schedule UE
7. Click on Delete. 

Always use extreme caution when deleting information from your tax return.  There could be unintended consequences. 

[brickter]

Vanessa,

Thanks for your reply.  I tried what you said and was able to delete the PA Unemployment Expenses worksheet, but as I continued the PA taxes, it was for some reason making me verify my information on my federal form, my 2024 AGI, the id's (PA drivers license) that we used to submit last year, and then said my fed file was submitted and continued onto PA taxes and when it reviewed PA taxes, it came up with the PA UE form to fill out.  I tried skipping it and it said I would need to mail the PA tax forms.  Going back to check on the left tab files option, the PA UE form had returned.  When I looked at all the file, I noticed there was a form 2106 (IRS) but it said I could not delete that form.  I looked in the saved (printed) file of my federal taxes and no IRS form 2106 was found.  So it seems like even though I did not file and Employee Expenses, the federal file remains and it keeps triggering the PA state UE form.  I have tried deleting it several times and just going around in a circle.

[AmyC]

Let's look for triggers in other areas:

1. If you have a w2 entry, review it and look for box 12 code statutory employee. Sometimes people check that box instead of retirement by accident. A statutory employee would have those PA expenses.
2. Go to the deductions and credits section. 
   1. Look for employment / job expenses. 
   2. Select yes you have expenses so you can go through the section. 
   3. Continue through making sure everything is blank. 
   4. When you get to the end, it will say your expenses don't qualify. 
   5. Select Continue, then delete the job expense summary.
   6. Select yes to delete, done
3. Your 2nd screenshot says you have employee expenses with no w2. Edit your state form and select to edit expenses. This way you can see what is being pulled in and you can delete it there. Continue through making sure everything is blank and deleting as needed just like in the federal section. 

Those are the only unreimbursed expenses I can think of.  You should not have federal forms to trigger PA now.

Check and see if there is a federal to delete first. Next PA,  Delete it.