I took a COVID withdrawal from my 401K in 2020 and spread it over 3 years but TurboTax is saying I need to enter a FEMA Disaster Number on my 2021 8915-F
I don't believe you need a FEMA number for this.
Here is the screen you will see to let TurboTax know that you need to report the 2nd 1/3 of the distribution you took in 2020. But Form 8915-F is not ready till later this week:
As of today, you can work on the 2020 Covid-related distribution now. There is a check box to mark. See the screenshot below:
I am receiving same error in final review of my federal. I too took covid related irs distribution in 2020 and Spread over 3 years. I did as the above and checked covid related and input line items required but am still being asked for additional input for final review
I figured out that if I hit the spacebar for a single space the TurboTax error message goes away and the form does not show anything on the FEMA lines while the box for COVID remains checked and used in the calculation.
I have the exact same error and question. Can someone at TurboTax please help?
Yes. There is no FEMA number for the COVID disaster distribution from your retirement plan. Enter nothing or none and you can move to the questions related to your qualifying distribution and report 1/3 of the taxable amount. The steps below may be helpful.
You must have your Form 8915-E from your 2020 tax return.
How can we delete the name if we already typed “Covid” into that section?
@TValentine1 wrote:
How can we delete the name if we already typed “Covid” into that section?
It does not matter what is entered for the FEMA name since the Coronavirus was not a FEMA disaster.
Just click the box and hit space. It will be blank on the form and satisfy turbo tax.
You do not need a FEMA Disaster number for COVID. You will check the box as shown in the screenshot posted by
Note this question was perhaps only applicable on Wednesday night after TTax had added the 8915-F. I realized that COVID did not need a FEMA disaster number, but on Wednesday night when you got to the review section, a TTax message said you had to enter one (corrected by now?) and would not let you get by this to file. As I mentioned, I found the blank space when the box appeared in the review as a solution. Thanks.
That is bizarre. I tried hitting the spacebar once like you said, and it worked perfectly. Thank you so much. How did you figure out that trick?
Your explanation as to how to fill this out is correct. The problem that I think you are missing is that the data validation within this cell is not de-activated by the check box as it should be. You have numerous people pointing out that if they put a space in the FMEA box, the error goes away. This is because a space is actually a character. I'm assuming that the data validation within the FMEA block only requires that something be entered, so the space is fulfilling this requirement. Please get your programmers to fix this issue as it's highly annoying.
Does this satisfy the beginning and end dates for the disaster too?
I PAID FOR THE EXPERT SUPPORT AND THEY ARENT CALLING AND WHEN AN EXPERT YASMINE TRIED TO HELP, SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING
THE BEGINNING AND END DATE IS STILL REQUIRED AT LEAST WITH MY REVIEW
i was finally able to speak to an expert who was actually an expert. What the expert directed me to do was to remove my 2020 1099r because it will be carried over automatically from 2020. I assumed i had to resubmit the 2020 1099r. The disaster issue did not even come up. Its a wrap for 2021 taxes, i feel much better
I am still getting the message that I will need to file by mail since I do not have a disaster name to enter into that question. I do not see a question laid out like you have with the boxes available for 2020 and 2018 or 2019 distributions. I get a series of questions that ask did I receive a distribution in 2020? Did I receive a distribution in 2019? Did I receive a distribution in 2018? And so on. So do I need to erase my return and start over or what?
It will not let me e-file unless I put a disaster name, and the spacebar trick does not work.
@firewall2 Are you reporting a 2020 Coronavirus-related distribution where you selected to have the distribution spread over three years? if so, follow this procedure -
You must go to the Retirement Income section of the program for a Form 1099-R to be able to enter your 2nd year of the 2020 distribution -
Click on Federal
Click on Wages & Income
Scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security
On IRA, 401(k), Pension Plan Withdrawals (1099-R), click on the Start or Revisit button
On the screen Did you get a 1099-R in 2021? NO
Answer Yes when asked Have you ever taken a disaster distribution before 2021?
Answer Yes when asked if you took a Qualified 2020 Disaster Distribution
Check the box that this was a Coronavirus-related distribution reported in 2020
In the box 2020 Form 8915-E, line 4, column b - Leave blank or enter a 0
This is not required on a Form 8915-F for a Coronavirus-related distribution
If the 2020 distribution was from an account that was Not an IRA
Enter 1/3 of the amount from the 2020 distribution in both boxes for Line 9
2020 Form 8915E, line 9, if you checked the box on that line, enter 0
2020 Form 8915E Line 9
If the 2020 distribution was from an IRA account
Enter 1/3 of the amount from the 2020 distribution in both boxes for Line 17
2020 Form 8915E, line 17, if you checked the box on that line, enter 0
2020 Form 8915E Line 17
Do not enter anything in the other boxes, leave them blank (empty) or enter a 0
The 1/3 of the amount from the 2020 distribution will be entered on the 2021 Form 1040 Line 4b if from an IRA or on Line 5b if from a retirement plan other than an IRA
After completing the Wages & Income section you will land on a screen Did you take a disaster distribution at any time between 2018 and 2020?
Answer NO since you have already completed the entering the 1/3 of the 2020 distribution.
You can view your Form 1040 at any time using the online editions. Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen. Click on Tools. Click on View Tax Summary. Click on Preview my 1040 on the left side of the screen.
Using the desktop editions click on Forms. Open the Form 1040
You should not receive the "Needs Review" in the Federal Review section if -
You Leave blank or enter a 0 in the box for 2020 Form 8915-E, line 4, column b
I just finished doing my 2022 taxes and I took the FEMA three year deduction. On the form, you have to delete the COVID-19 and leave it blank. After that it will still be checked on the box below for the COVID-19. My federal one through in about 20 minutes after I fix that. I am waiting on my state to finish being accepted after six hours!