topic Re: Ampersand Problems in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

Ampersand Problems

3496pr — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 05:18:16 GMT

I'm having trouble with the name of my company when entering the W2 data. The name contains the ampersand character (&), and after saving the data, the company's name get distorted. I'll illustrate this with an example.

If I enter A&B as the company name, the software saves the name as:

"A &amp;amp,amp;amp;amp,amp; B"

This software bug is driving me nuts. Any ideas as to how to fix it?

Thank you!

Re: Ampersand Problems

Bsch4477 — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 16:43:20 GMT

Omit the ampersand.

Re: Ampersand Problems

3496pr — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:16:16 GMT

I'm intelligent enough to realize that omitting the "&" is a workaround; however, I'm looking for a solution and not a band-aid.

This is obviously a software bug that needs fixing.

Re: Ampersand Problems

VolvoGirl — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:18:13 GMT

Yes that is a known problem. The & in W2 box C is not showing correctly.

TurboTax CD/Download W-2 box C not showing ampersand(&) correctly

Re: Ampersand Problems

3496pr — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:09:36 GMT

@VolvoGirl

Thanks for providing the info. I noticed though that the header shows as SOLVED BY TURBOTAX (see attached picture).

Was this solved? If so, what's the solution?

Re: Ampersand Problems

HeatherPLO — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:41:21 GMT

@3496pr

For our Help Articles, "Solved" means we were able to general a Help Article due to the information gathered. As of right now, we are still working to resolve this issue as noted in this particular Article. Please sign up for updates by clicking the button with the bell, and we will notify you of any updates on this matter.

Re: Ampersand Problems

3496pr — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 15:55:14 GMT

@HeatherPLO

Labeling something unresolved as SOLVED is misleading and unacceptable. The only thing this does is to sweep the issue under the rug.

As healthy feedback, I'd recommend you create a new category called "ESCALATED TO DEVELOPERS" or similar, and once the problem is solved, the system can update the status as SOLVED. This should be accompanied with instructions to run the software update.

I'm not trying to ruffle feathers but to highlight the poor approach to unresolved issues.

Re: Ampersand Problems

joe85 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:28:02 GMT

I tried deleting the "&" to eFile, as suggested here, and the return was still rejected. The EIN number is correct.

Re: Ampersand Problems

joe85 — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 21:29:58 GMT

I tried omitting the "&" and still got rejected. The EIN is correct.

Re: Ampersand Problems

EbonyA — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:51:56 GMT

What is the reject code that you are receiving? @joe85.

Re: Ampersand Problems

3496pr — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 03:25:27 GMT

@HeatherPLO

@EbonyA

Has TurboTax fixed this problem? The first comment was registered five (5) weeks ago, meaning that TurboTax has had five weeks to work this out.

This is a company bragging all the time about how good the software and offering its clients the most money (despite of how complicated the tax code is); however, it cannot fix a lousy ampersand error. I don's see how this cannot be solved by fixing no more than 10 lines of code. The system is just parsing a string incorrectly.

Who do you have for code developers and programmers, high-school interns?

Five weeks is more than enough to fix this, so get to it now and allow me to file taxes now. I'm not requesting a favor since I paid for the software; instead, it's your duty to fix this immediately. This is unacceptable!

Re: Ampersand Problems

bmargel — Sat, 05 Mar 2022 16:49:19 GMT

Trying to e-file with the embedded ampersand problem causes an e-file rejection. Trying to e-file with the ampersand omitted also causes an e-file rejection. I have one last shot-- PLEASE FIX THIS!!!!! I bought the TT software specifically because I planned to e-file; a software glitch that prevents me from doing so is really bad for a company that touts its "ease of use" and "accuracy"!!!!!! This is a known issue for over 8 weeks now, and seriously needs resolution!!!!

Re: Ampersand Problems

MoniqueLO_ — Sat, 05 Mar 2022 17:11:02 GMT

If you have not already done so, please see this Help Article to sign up for updates to be notified when this issue has been resolved.

@bmargel

Re: Ampersand Problems

overtrik — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 15:09:51 GMT

This is the last hurdle for me to be able to file my taxes. I cannot believe it has been this long and a solution has not yet been implemented. It does not seem like a difficult issue to fix.

Re: Ampersand Problems

Critter-3 — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 15:16:45 GMT

Just enter the word "and" to make the program happy and move on ... don't wait for a fix for something that doesn't matter. This will not get the return rejected by the IRS. The IRS only looks at the EIN and the name/address of the company can be dead wrong. For instance ... I have been entering in OPM instead of the "office of personal management" for decades without an issue. Same for USPS and DFAS instead of their full names ... again 30 years and no issues.

Re: Ampersand Problems

bmargel — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 22:35:01 GMT

To Critter-3: No, just entering "and" in lieu of the "&" also causes an e-file rejection, just like trying to completely eliminate the "&". The IRS apparently DOES look at company names, since both the "and" and a blank will cause e-file rejections. In the examples mentioned by you, you are using well-recognized and standardized abbreviations for huge national entities- and where there is no "&" in the name! But when it comes to other companies where an "&" is part of the company identity, the IRS apparently DOES CARE, and will reject e-files with "incorrect" company names (ones that omit the "&"). There is no excuse for TT not being able to fix this, and fix it quickly. I escalated to a TT Help call this afternoon, but all they could do was report that "it is a known issue". Sad..... and frustrating!!!! I have been trying to get my niece and nephew to do their own taxes using TT, touting how simple and direct it was to use the TT software (in the past)- but the learning curve took a major hit when we encountered this problem!!!! It completely prevents an effective e-file, and reduces TT's utility to being just a smart calculator.