topic Re: W2 Importation in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

W2 Importation

nmartens — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 06:11:20 GMT

I chose to import my W2 from a PDF file on my computer. Turbo Tax returned an error message: "
could not import. Be sure to be connected to the internet."

I have two questions. It didn't give me any more details on why it failed to import the W2. The message says to be sure I'm connected to the internet. Why do I need that if I told it to import from a PDF file on my computer? The W2 on my computer is a scanned image of the entire W2 page I received. In other words, it has several 'forms' on one page: Employee Reference Copy, Earnings Summary, Federal Filing Copy, CA State Filing Copy, City or Local Filing Copy. Could this be confusing the program?

Thanks.

Re: W2 Importation

Bsch4477 — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 03:12:28 GMT

Just enter the W-2 manually.

Re: W2 Importation

nmartens — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 05:34:42 GMT

That's not really the answer to my question. I'd like to know why it failed and why does the message indicate that I should be on the internet when I'm trying to upload from a local PDF file.

Just to start the conversation, without understanding the inner workings of the product, I gave what I would call a reasonable guess. Tell me I'm wrong.

Thank you.

Re: W2 Importation

JulieS — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 20:31:53 GMT

It depends on whether you are using TurboTax Online, or TurboTax software installed on your computer.

If you are using TurboTax Online, you are trying to import the form from your computer to the TurboTax Online website, so you would need to be connected to the internet.

If you are using TurboTax software, and you are starting by entering your EIN on the page that says, Let's start with a bit of info from your W-2, the program is‌ trying to pull the information from your employer, not from the PDF on your computer.

Make sure that this is where you are trying to upload your PDF:

Sign in to your TurboTax account, or open your return in the software.
Select Wages & Income.
To the right of Job (W-2), select Edit/ Add.
Select Add new W-2.
Leave box b blank and select Continue.
Select Upload it from your computer, and follow the on-screen directions to complete the upload.

If this doesn't resolve the issue you are having, respond back and TurboTax can help you further.

Re: W2 Importation

nmartens — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 06:42:10 GMT

That worked. The key was leaving box b blank. Maybe for next year a comment might be added to the page about leaving that box blank. I would never have thought to leave a box blank that it was specifically asking for. When a program displays a box (especially if it's the only box on the screen) that normally means to enter something.

But here's something interesting. I deleted the W2 then started all over with 'adding a new W2'. This time I entered the employer ID #. I got the same screen with the option to upload from my computer. It opened Windows explorer and I selected the W2 file. Then I get the message it could not be uploaded.

I wonder what the difference is between supplying the employer ID # versus leaving it blank.

Anyway, I've got loaded.

Thanks for your help.

Re: W2 Importation

Tax Software user like you — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:01:33 GMT

Close pdf while you're uploading, otherwise you'll get error.

Re: W2 Importation

Tax Software user like you — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:10:27 GMT

Close pdf while you're uploading as it's not completely available for uploading, so that's why you get error.

Re: W2 Importation

nmartens — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 05:41:24 GMT

I might try that but I have a workaround-leave the employer ID blank.

Thanks.

Re: W2 Importation

user17715226326 — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 17:38:12 GMT

Try to cut out the unnecessary pages. Just leave the main Page 1. You can use this https://www.ilovepdf.com/ to cut out some pages. Hope that helps