Disaster distributions worksheet is preventing me from filing my federal return.

[blak319342]

What should I do?

[JamesG1]

Did you take a disaster distribution from your pension funds between 2018 and 2020? A disaster distribution allowed you to spread the distribution over three 1040 tax returns.

If so, IRS Form 8915 will be needed to complete your tax return but that form is not yet available.  See this TurboTax Help.

If you did not take a disaster distribution from your pension funds between 2018 and 2020, there may be a question that needs to be reviewed.  Follow these steps.  

• Go to Federal / Wages & Income.
• Scroll down to Wrap up income.
• Continue.
• At the screen Did you take a disaster distribution at any time between 2018 and 2020? answer No. 

Now watch the headings under Federal closely.  

• When you are in Deductions & Credits. 
• Scroll down and click on Wrap up tax breaks.
• Then you are in Other Tax Situations.
• Scroll down and click on Let's keep going.
• Continue through to Federal Review. 

[blak319342]

James thank you!

[frang7]

I am having the same problem and am stuck. I did not take a disaster distribution from my pension. I simply received government support for myself and my child during COVID. Any recommendation on how to proceed? The screen I am stuck on says:

Federal Information Worksheet: Disaster Distribution - you can't file just yet due to disaster tax relief laws passed by Congress. (...) we can keep working on your tax return and we'll let you know when we can help you finish up your taxes. 

[TeresaM]

Here are the directions to delete Form 8915 from your return.  This will delete both the form and the entries for the Disaster Relief.  In TurboTax Online:

1. To Delete a Form, go to the black menu bar on the left
2. Click on Tax Tools
3. Click on Tool
4. Under Other helpful links, click on Delete a Form
5. Scroll down and check for  Form 8915 and if there is one, click on Delete
6. Click on the blue Delete Selected Form
7. At the bottom, Continue
8. At the bottom, Continue with my Return

If this does not clear the flag in Review, our team is working to resolve a situation where sometimes there is a message in Review for Form 8915 Qualified Disaster Retirement Plan.  We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and are working to correct this.

Please see this TurboTax Help article which has a link to sign up for updates.  Notifications Form 8915

[frang7]

Thank you very much for responding. I followed your steps, I checked that I received the disaster release still, and it still flagged me. Should I go back through the process again and say that I did NOT receive the relief?

Thank you

[TeresaM]

Yes, please. Go through the process and answer the questions with "no" to the pension disaster question. Then take it through Review and see if it clears the flags.

If it still give this message, just to clarify, we would like to take a deeper look at this. It would help to have a diagnostic file, which is a sanitized copy of your tax return that has all of your personal information removed but has all of the forms and numbers entered. You can send one to us by following the directions below and posting the token number here so we can access the sanitized return. You can flag it for me by putting an @ followed by TeresaM at the bottom of your post.

 TurboTax Online:

1. Sign in to your online account
2. Click on Tax Tools on the left toolbar
3. Select Tools
4. In the pop-up screen, click on "Share my file with agent"
5. Click OK on the message that a diagnostic file will be sanitized and transmitted to us
6. Please post the Token Number

TurboTax Desktop/Download Versions:

1. Open your return
2. Click the Online tab in the top menu bar
3. Select "Send Tax File to Agent"
4. Click Send on the message, and the tax file will be sanitized and transmitted to us
5. Please post the Token Number

[frang7]

Followed the steps and clicked 'no.' It worked this time and I filed, so thank you. But one more question: will I get the rest of the COVID relief that I was supposed to get by filing? now that I declared I didn't get it, I am not sure how I will get the other half.

Thank you again!

[JulieS]

If you are referring to the Recovery Rebate Credit, if you didn't get the amount you should have received in 2021, you will receive it with your tax refund. 

Be sure to report the amount that was in your Letter 6475 or you may face delays in getting your refund.

Here is how to revisit that section:

1. Open your tax return and make sure Federal is highlighted in the left side menu.
2. Click on Federal Review in the upper right corner. 
3. The next screen will show you your stimulus payment based on this return. 
4. If the amount shown matches your letter, answer Yes. 
5. If you answer No, you will be asked what amount you received.

[frang7]

I am afraid I do not understand how to review the section, but I am certain that I put the right amount from the form. Will the total of my refund include the rebate (I filed, and I know my refund amount, both federal and state), or will the rebate come separately and in addition to the refund? Thank you again.

[LenaH]

The total of your refund includes the Recovery Rebate Credit, which is on Line 30 of your 1040. The Recovery Rebate Credit will not come separately or in addition to your tax refund. 

You can find your total refund (including the Recovery Rebate Credit) on Line 35a of your 1040.

@frang7

[frang7]

Oh I see. Line 30 has a 0. Now I feel that I should double check on that form. Could you please explain how to 'open' my tax return and get to the page where 'federal' is highlighted? I can access and download the PDF but that is it.

Thank you so much again

[frang7]

Also, I have a 6419 letter in addition to the 6475.  The amount on 6419 is about half as much as the amount on 6475. But I don't think I used the amount in 6419 for my tax return. I fell that maybe I should have at some point included that?

[RaifH]

Letter 6419 reports the amount of advanced child tax credit you received.  This came as monthly payments from July through December 2021. TurboTax will calculate the amount of remaining child tax credit that you may include on your return by calculating how much you should get based on your household and reducing that by the amount you already received that was reported to you on Letter 6419. 

If you are owed additional child tax credit, it appears on Line 28 of Form 1040. You can enter the amount of child tax credit received in TurboTax using these steps:

1. In the Deductions & Credits section of your tax return, go to Advance Payments, Child and Other Dependent Tax Credits then hit Continue.
2. Answer Yes to Was your main home located in the U.S. for 6 or more months during 2021?
3. Answer Yes to Did you receive any advance Child Tax Credit payments in 2021 and enter the amount then hit Continue.
4. Enter the amount from Box 2 of Letter 6419. 
5. Click None of these apply to me if you are not in one of the uncommon situations.
6. Verify the amount you received.

These instructions only apply if you have not already filed your tax return. If you have not yet filed, you should be able to see Federal listed on the left-hand menu under 2021 Taxes. You will then be able to verify the amounts you reported for the child tax credit and the recovery rebate credit.

If you have already filed, then it is too late to change what you filed. If you made an error, the IRS may automatically catch it and adjust your refund. If you think you reported the amounts on Letters 6419 or 6475 incorrectly and the IRS does not automatically adjust your return, you will have to amend your return. You have until April 18, 2025 to file an amended return for this year. 

@frang7

[frang7]

I have already filed, and the amount on line 28 has a significant amount. It is not clear to me if the total refund includes that amount. Perhaps you can help me figure out if the total is already inclusive of the amount on line 28. 

If it is not, then how do I file an amended return?

Thank you