topic Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help? in Business & farm

Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

arobflagler — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:33:33 GMT

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

PatriciaV — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:39:55 GMT

Please clarify the exact error message you are seeing with regards to passive operating losses. Also, which version of TurboTax are you using? Online or Desktop?

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

triciabfriedman — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:20:48 GMT

Yes, I am as well.

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

triciabfriedman — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:26:09 GMT

Here is the problem/bug that needs to be fixed:

Check This Entry

Schedule E Worksheet <name of property here>: Passive Operating Loss...sum of losses in individual years should not be greater than the total loss (-$3508.).

Passive Operating Loss: <there is a box here to input a number>

I have tried putting every number under the sun in the box. Nothing works.

Please please fix this bug so that I can file my taxes soon! Thank you!

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

triciabfriedman — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:24:40 GMT

I am using QB Online.

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

arobflagler — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:16:36 GMT

I ended up entering a zero in the box and that worked.

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

suescookin — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:18:32 GMT

I am stick on this passive operating loss, I've tried to enter 0 and it won't take that. I have never needed to add this in all my years and it won't allow me to progress. How to we contact someone to report the error in the system? @PatriciaV

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

PatriciaV — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 21:28:17 GMT

If the message you see relates to a rental property (Schedule E), try working through the property interview again.

In TurboTax Online, navigate to your Rental Property Summary page and look for Less Common Situations at the bottom.
Click the pencil icon to the right of "Carryovers, limitations, at risk info, etc." and work through the interview to enter your carryovers.
Check the box for "I have passive activity losses carrying over from last year," and complete all tables that may appear and continue until you reach the property summary page again.
It is important that all boxes have an entry (zero is accepted). This should resolve the Smart Check message.

@suescookin

@triciabfriedman

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

AlsoStuck — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:09:31 GMT

Hi,

I am having the same problem with online Turbo Tax...Fix...Check This Entry...Sch E...Passive Activity Loss as well as Passive Operating Loss. I've tried 0, blank. I've tried reviewing the .pdf version of the form including the Sch E worksheet. Inputting every number that might make sense. No dice. I've gone back to Rental Property Section and reviewed every question/answer. Still stuck on this Fix.

Can someone at TurboTax provide instructions on how to get out of this Fix Loop glitch?

Need to file soon...

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating l...

PatriciaV — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 16:29:53 GMT

When you run Smart Check, TurboTax will present a section of the Schedule E Worksheet Carryovers to 2025 Smart Worksheet, Disallowed Passive Losses by Year and Type that generated the message: "Passive Operating Loss...sum of losses in individual years should not be greater than the total loss."

NOTE: Please use the Chrome browser to access this table when running Smart Check.

To resolve the Smart Check error message, scroll through the embedded worksheet and look for the section with a list of tax years and three types of losses for two columns (Regular Tax and QBI - see below). Your entries into this table should equal the amount presented in the error message. If you have workpapers from last year's return, you can enter them by year (look at the Schedule E Worksheet for this property).

Note that there may be several fields that require an entry. In most cases, you can enter zero. If you get what appears to be the same message again, enter zero until the message changes. Otherwise, make a one entry that brings the totals into balance (Regular Tax = QBI).

Note that the total shown in the error message may be found earlier on the same worksheet under Carryovers to 2025 Smart Worksheet.

If you're unable to scroll down in the popup window to see these lines, you will need to transfer your return to TurboTax for Desktop so you can use Forms Mode to fix this carryover. See How do I switch from TurboTax Online to the TurboTax software?

@AlsoStuck

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

FrustratedbyTheBug — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:18:17 GMT

I was stuck on this complicated bug in TurboTax online, but eventually worked around it. The bug is TT pulls the "carry loss forward" number from prior year's return, but it doesn't fill out all other years and all amounts correctly (especially if the amounts add up to be more than the "carry loss forward"). It's extremely frustrating and I tried so many times and spent so much time. Appreciate you raising this post for everyone's benefit. I ended up following most of the answers from TurboTax support staff, which gave good clues. In my case, I had rental property. So go there to re-work that interview section on rental property -> click pencil for carry loss forward to edit (for me, it's under the section after you enter expenses) -> you should see 3 fields, something like "operating loss", "Alt Min Tax", and "QBI" -> in my case, I ended up making these 3 fields the same value; and the value is the "carry loss forward" number from prior year's return. If TT hasn't pulled this in for you automatically, you can manually double-check Form 8582, part VII in your prior year's return -> on the same screen, make sure to check the box that says "I have losses .. Schedule C, D, Form 4### (Uncommon Situation)", even if you don't have this situation. I didn't have this situation, but it's necessary to unlock the TT bug. This was another work-around. I entered "1" for all the fields, so I can enter the next actual table. This is where you would see all prior years and amounts. In my case, it was fairly simple to enter "0" for most years and amount. You'll see TT's bug at this table, because some fields are filled out and others aren't; and values are all over the place. -> keep going to completing this section. -> in my case, after I did all this, TT in fact gave me another "Review" message while doing another "Federal Return check". This time, however, it's a different field and the field actually takes a number (so I put in "0" like 3 times. I think it's because the bug still does not fill in all fields in the table). -> then finally I got out of the TT bug hell and move onto the next stage and could breathe again. Their bug caused so much stress for me, it's not even funny.

I'm only sharing in the hope anyone else who ran into this bug can proceed to next steps, MECHANICALLY, around this bug. You will obviously have to enter all correct numbers and values on your own return, and not just simply enter "0" or "1" all the way through it.

Re: Is anyone else stuck on their federal return at the Schedule E worksheet, passive operating loss entry? It seems like this figure should be automatically generated. Help?

FrustratedbyTheBug — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 03:20:13 GMT

+1.. see if my post below helps with your situation. it's very frustrating and hope you get through it.