topic 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088) in After you file

2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

EhmannS — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 21:02:45 GMT

I began an amendment of my 2019 return which has been accepted and refund paid by the IRS. I expected the state and federal amounts to covert to zero. The state amount did but the federal refund starts out at a seemingly random $7,088!

Now I'm left to pore through my original return and the amendment and try to find the discrepancy(s). Is anyone else experiencing this issue?

I've tried 3 different versions of my 2019 .tax2019 files - one was the originally e-filed version and two other were from a few days later after the IRS and states had accepted my returns.

Note the originally e-filed version starts out with a different refund amount than noted above. This makes the product seem very unreliable. Help! I can send my tax file privately if that would help ...

Thanks ...

Re: 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

Critter-3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:31:08 GMT

When using the ONLINE version of the program one should never make any changes to the filed return until you start the amendment process. So you need to get the return back to how it was filed before starting the amendment process.

Open your return if it’s not already open.
In the left menu select Cancel amend.
Select Yes, I want to cancel my amended return

Re: 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

EhmannS — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:33:23 GMT

Thanks Critter-3. I am using the PC version of the program, not the ONLINE version ...

Appreciate your help!

Re: 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

Critter-3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:44:34 GMT

Same advice ... you must use the unadulterated file to start the amendment process ... find that one then start fresh. If you have no clean files to use ...

How do I cancel or undo an amended return in the TurboTax CD/Download software?

If you started amending your federal return by accident and would like to cancel the amendment, follow this process to correctly "unamend" your federal return:

Open your return.
Switch to Forms Mode (Windows instructions | Mac instructions).
In the left pane, select Form 1040X.
- Windows: After the form is generated in the right pane, click the Delete Form button at the bottom of the window.
- Mac: From the Forms menu, select Remove Form 1040X.
Follow the on-screen instructions to remove the 1040X from your return
Important: Go back through the TurboTax interview and undo any changes you made after you selected the option to amend your 2018 return, as merely deleting the 1040X will not undo those manual entries for you.

State Amendments

The best way to "unamend" your state return is to go through your state return from the beginning and keep your eyes peeled for amend-related screens or questions.

The amend question usually appears right at the beginning or towards the end of the state interview (never in the middle).

Correct any entries that have to do with an amended return, e.g.:

Answer No when asked if you want to amend;
Clear any amend-related checkboxes;
Delete entries in the tax year field.
Note: In a few state programs, you actually have to answer Yes to the amend question so you can revisit the screens that contain the information you want to delete.

If you still can't get rid of your state amendment form, try clearing your state return and starting over.

Re: 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

EhmannS — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 22:55:04 GMT

I went back and checked - I have no 1040X form(s) in the returns I've attempted to amend. I haven't saved them either as the results seem suspect.

If you've filed 1040X, there are 3 columns - original amount, net change, and correct amount. I would expect upon import from an originally filed return that the "original amount" column would match the original return, the "net change" column would be "zero", and the "correct amount" column would equal the "original amount" column (to start).

When I imported my original filed return to be amended, I got a mess - unexpected values in the "net change" column (from who knows where).

Seems to me to be a flaw in the code... I have used TT and Quicken for over 15 years and use the computer for work daily so this is not my first rodeo.

Thanks....

Re: 2019 amendment starts out with non-zero federal refund ($7,088)

Critter-3 — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 23:07:33 GMT

Please use the following link to contact Customer Support for further assistance.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/using-turbotax/help/what-is-the-turbotax-phone-number/00/25632