Rhode Island 2021 electronic filing rejected

[tkacvins]

I went to e-file RI taxes this morning as this is the day TurboTax said the RI forms would be available.  Yet, the filing is rejected

which seems odd to me.  I called the RI Division of Taxation and they said this is a TurboTax problem.  Any ideas?  I really do not want to file by mail

[RobertB4444 · Accepted solution]

Rhode Island is correct - this is a TurboTax problem.  The states have all released their forms and the TurboTax programmers are working to integrate them into the program as fast as they can, which includes not just the programming but also the testing to make sure everything is working.  

The schedule that TurboTax has released of when the state forms will be ready is the best that the programmers can do to estimate how long these things will take.  In this case they may have been off by a day or two.  I would suggest that you give them a couple of days to finish up - the delay on this end is not as much as the delay from mailing it in.

[Gary120]

I spent two hours on the phone on Feb 4. Problem was escalated to higher tech level. Ticket #[phone number removed] was opened. They finally suggested I wait a day and try again. No luck. In the meantime, they closed the ticket without actually solving the problem. And they sent me a survey to see how satisfied I was. I told them.

I understand there are many people with the problem. My guess is that nobody has been able to e-file their RI 1040.

It's amazing to me that an information/technology company would release an update (or whatever you would like to call it) that had not been tested. And that they further would let it sit out there with known issues and not tell folks who download the forms that they can't file them.

The e-file fee for RI is not that high, but it's extremely annoying that they wouldn't automatically offer me a refund.

[RobertB4444]

As I said above, the programmers are working to integrate the forms.  They haven't released them yet which is why your return can't yet be submitted.  They will release it -here's the schedule of state form releases.

Your frustration is completely understandable.  It gets later and later each year that the states receive the forms from the federal government and then have to craft their own forms.  Then the states send those forms to TurboTax and the process starts all over again.  There are some forms that won't be ready until mid-March.

That being said it is still a better idea to wait and efile Rhode Island after those forms are ready.  The delay for mailing your return in will be even more than the delay now.  Go ahead and file your federal return and then check the schedule for when the RI forms are ready and check to make sure they're actually ready when they say they are.  

[Gary120]

Here's the text of the email TurboTax sent:

The wait is over! The tax forms we needed to finish up your taxes are ready.
 

• Form RI Schedule W, W2 and 1099 Withholding
• RI IND HEALTH, Individual Health Care Mandate
• Form RI-1040, Individual Income Tax Return
• Form RI Sch E, Exemption Schedule

My Windows desktop program downloaded the forms. It then finished the return and declared it ready for filing. How could that happen if the forms hadn't been released. 

Furthermore, when I follow the link to the schedule of state form releases, it says that those forms are available for both print and e-file.

I suggest you take another look.

[RobertB4444]

@Gary120  I'm sorry, can you please clarify - what error message are you receiving?

[Gary120]

"The Intuit Electronic Filing System is having difficulty recognizing the data in the return you are sending. Make sure your TurboTax program is up-to-date: Go to the Online menu and select Check for Updates. If you still can't transmit your return, go to www.support.turbotax.com for a solution or workaround. In some cases, you may need to file this return by mail. -Tax Year 2021 transmissions are not available. - Turbo Tax is not ready to process Tax Year 2021 for this return."

[RobertB4444]

@Gary120 that's a weird one.  The RI 1040 is indeed ready and people are able to file it.  Are you sure that you don't have some weird forms attached to you RI return?

Go to TAX TOOLS and then click on TOOLS.  

Go to DELETE A FORM

Look through all the forms attached to your Rhode Island return and see if there is something there that doesn't belong or is hanging your RI return up.

[Gary120]

I only have the standard stuff on my RI return. TurboTax says it's error free.

There are many with this problem. I know one personally, and I've seen several on this site. In fact, this particular message chain was started by someone else with exactly the same error message.

The problem is with TurboTazx - a bug in the forms, a bug in the desktop app, or a bug in the TurboTax servers. You should really stop thinking it's our problem and start looking at TurboTax.

Please, no need to keep telling me to do things. You're not going to tell me something I didn't get from 2 hours on the phone with tech support.

Move the problem to TurboTax

[tkacvins]

I am still having problems.  I do not have any odd forms attached to my state return, and there are no updates available.  I've waited a few days, and even got an email notification that the forms were ready, but no joy.  I even re-did my RI state taxes, but that did not work.

[RobertB4444]

Apparently this is a known issue and the programmers are working on it.

[mcri]

I'm probably the one you meant who got the same error message.  On Friday morning I got notification from TurboTax - not the state of Rhode Island - that the forms were ready for download.  I downloaded the forms, there were no errors, but I can't transmit the return.  I've tried for three days, but I still get the same error on Monday that the Intuit Electronic Filing System is having difficulty recognizing my data.  It says that I might have to file by mail.  So much for fast and easy.

[Gary120]

Do the letters ams mean anything to you?

[tkacvins]

Thought it was you when you said you knew one of the persons on this thread personally (and also your user name).

[Gary120]

My partner is having the same problem and is on a different thread. They've been told it's an internal problem and several have sent in their forms for analysis.