That shouldn't really pose a
problem; or at least not one that will prevent you from filing your tax
return. Please allow me to explain.
The only truly meaningful
elements on a W-2 for income tax filing purposes are your employer's
federal EIN (Employer's ID number), your own Social Security Number (SSN),
and your actual wage data. If there was a mistake made with any of these
items, then that would definitely be something that requires attention.
However, with respect to the state
number ID issue, it won't really matter what you input in Box 15 Employer ID,
as long as the software will accept it (explained below). Simply try
leaving the space entirely blank at first. If there is any issue with Box
15 that prevents e-filing your return with a blank Box 15, and it absolutely
requires some value in the software, then either try using your Federal EIN
here, or enter a "nonsense" value such as 12345 67890 (with a space
in the middle, or not).
If the TurboTax program asks you for
a state ID number in a specific format, such as needing exactly 9-digits and
ending in XYZ, for instance, then enter a just enter a value that
conforms to that format . . . such as 123456XYZ. This will enable you to
bypass the issue and file your return. In other words, try to be a little
creative here, and just give the software some value (even gibberish) that it
will accept. This can include also using the Box 15 drop-down menu to select your state, if needed.
As you correctly point out, some states don't have an income tax, or tax out income taxes by withholding.
In fact, the IRS computers and
your state department of revenue (if applicable) really won't care what you do here in the TurboTax program, as, they're really just
looking for the federal EIN, SSN, and relevant wage data. The State
ID is simply a bureaucratic convention for your state; the state can and
will still be able to easily and uniquely identify your employer by their
federal EIN, even if they have to cross-reference the Federal / State ID
numbers in their database. In other words, this single issue should not
affect the processing of your tax return, as long as you can satisfy the
software with some acceptable input (or none at all).
Once again, your state should still
be able to understand and process your tax return. As a very last resort,
if nothing else works, you attempt to e-file and your state return is still
rejected, then you can always ask your employer payroll office or human resources
department for their actual number. If your employer has employees in your
state (they must, because they employ you), then they will have a state tax ID
number somewhere in their files, even if it's not printed on your W-2.
Thank you for asking this question.