topic cannot e-file 2021 taxes in Get your taxes done using TurboTax

cannot e-file 2021 taxes

akrupitsky — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 07:01:19 GMT

I spoke to several support people who couldn't help so I'm just trying to create a "paper trail".

I had exactly the same tax situation for many years but only this time it broke. The problem is that I live in NJ but work in NY. My employer gives me two W-2 forms where the second one, specifically for NY state, is almost empty except for boxes 15-17. Importantly, box 1 is empty. (Again, this is how it always was, and was never a problem.) As a result, the software "thinks" that NY state withheld more money (box 17) than I earned and treats it as an error that prevents e-filing.

It's a bug, plane and simple. If it is not addressed by the next tax season I will have to switch to another software or use an accountant.

Re: cannot e-file 2021 taxes

VolvoGirl — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 19:51:04 GMT

Aren't you entering them on the same W2 screen? You only enter 1 W2.

If the EIN number is the same and you work in more than 1 state or city, sometimes they will give you another W2 with the extra state information on it and the top part the same or not filled in. If this is the case, list one W-2 but include both state or local taxes on it. It will let you type in more than one line for boxes 15-20. Don't add the boxes together.

Re: cannot e-file 2021 taxes

akrupitsky — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 19:53:20 GMT

No, both are pulled in electronically.

Re: cannot e-file 2021 taxes

akrupitsky — Sat, 26 Mar 2022 21:58:11 GMT

Apologies for an incomplete answer - I was leaving the house. Maybe I didn't fully understand what you said.

Yes, EIN is the same. This year, I have both NJ and NY income from the same employer but before my desk was moved to NJ all 100% of my income was from NY and they still gave me two W-2s with the NY version being empty outside of boxes 15-17.

I don't make any choices as to which form to list - the software does. I could manually delete the W-2 for NY but then I have nowhere to report the taxes withheld by NY. I could delete both and enter manually but then you are suggesting that Turbo Tax will let me enter second line for boxes 15-17 and this will fix the problem.

I looked at the existing main (NJ) W-2 and it actually does show two lines - one for each state, so I guess I need not do anything manually because it was imported correctly. Then I wasn't sure why I needed the second W-2 at all so I tried to delete it. My federal return was no affected but - inexplicably - I ended up with a large liability to NJ instead of large return before. So that didn't work either.