topic 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this? in Retirement tax questions

1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

jacquealope — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 06:25:34 GMT

Not sure what this means. My gross is about 12k from early IRA distributions, I withheld 950 for Fed and 150 for NY State, clearly 150 is less than 950... I remember getting this last year but after going thru the error review 100 times I somehow managed to push it through, this year I can't seem to figure it out.

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

SteamTrain — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 21:07:01 GMT

It's box 16 that must be higher than box 14.

The vast majority of 1099-R forms are issued with box 16 being empty...but NY insists that a number be in that box, that is IF box 14 has a value. Sometimes it is backfilled when you answer the follow-up questions after the main form...but I'm not sure what follow-up questions are presented for NY residents.

Anyhow, many respondents indicate that the $$ amount in box 1 should be copied by you into box 16 for the software form to clear the error. That's OK if box 1 is the same $$ amount as box 2a. BUT, I usually point to box 2a, because box 2a "can" be lower than box 1 for certain situations. But if box 2a is empty, then the federally -taxable amount of box 1 must be determined and used for box 16....many times that just ends up being the same value as box 1, but not always.

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

vjavaly — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:30:41 GMT

Hello. I have the same issue. Did you ever get this resolved? Thanks!

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

vjavaly — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 20:32:13 GMT

Hello. I tried what you recommended but I still cannot e-file. Any ideas? Thanks!

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

BillM223 — Wed, 12 Feb 2025 19:12:26 GMT

vjavaly:

Did you do what SteamTrain suggested (fill in box 16 with box 1)? If you did, please tell us what happened/what error message you got when you tried to file.

@vjavaly

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

vjavaly — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 13:51:50 GMT

Hello.

I copied the amount from Box 1 into Box 16 (even though it is blank in the physical 1099R).

In Box 14, I've tried entering $0.00 and tried leaving it blank, but I continue to get the same TurboTax error.

I've called the financial institution that issued the 1099R and they had never heard of this issue.

Please advise. Thanks!

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

MarilynG1 — Mon, 17 Feb 2025 18:37:48 GMT

If you had no New York Tax withheld on your distribution, you can leave Boxes 14, 15 and 16 blank on your 1099-R entry in your Federal return.

Here's more info on Taxable Retirement Income in New York.

@vjavaly

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

vjavaly — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:52:48 GMT

Hello.

I've tried leaving all those boxes empty, but when I try to e-file, I get the same error message. I don't know what else to try.

Thanks!

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

SteamTrain — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 12:57:54 GMT

@vjavaly

You could try deleting the entire 1099-R and re-entering it again manually.....

but maybe it's time for Customer Support on the phone instead (Open 5 AM PAcific, 8 AM eastern...so wait a bit :(

https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/account-management/contact-turbotax/L2y9ZKpQB_US_en_US?uid=m5s9l2vh

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

Tarry914 — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:33:57 GMT

Finally got it to work, I had no NYS withholdings.

1) delete existing 1099-R

2) enter new 1099-R with boxes 15,16,17 empty

3) go to next page and re-enter amount from box 1 , withholdings 0, NY payers state #

Good Luck

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equ...

Danbyshire — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 20:30:23 GMT

My 1099R was entered exactly like it was last year. It has a value in box 14, the State Payer's info in Box 15 and box 16 is blank. If I entered it exact into Turbotax, is the only I can get the program to e-file is to delete the 1099R entirely and reenter it? Seriously?

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

RichardMcCrum — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 20:06:47 GMT

Copying box 2a into box 16 worked for me - at least the return was sent - I did have an entry in box 14a

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

Nat2 — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 01:52:36 GMT

Worked for me as well. Thanks.

Re: 1099-R Box 14a won't let me file: "New York State withholdings can not be greater than or equal to gross distribution or state distribution." How to get around this?

diesel19914 — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:19:18 GMT

Worked this for me too to solve the same issue!