No W-2 form

Forum|Forum|6 months ago
March 10, 2026
2 replies
101 views

I did not work all of 2025 and do not have a W-2. I am filing taxes because I had some unemployment income and an Obama health care subsidy, but I am getting a refund from the state of California. When I attempt to e-file my return, I get a message that the amount on my California Form 540, line 12, does not match the state wages on Form W-2, line 16. Turbo Tax will not accept a zero in line 12 of form 540. What can I do? Would someone give me an answer in simple terms that I can understand? Thx

Vanessa A

Level 15

How did you enter the unemployment income? Did you enter it as a 1099-G or a W-2? If you entered it as a W-2, go back to the federal income section and select income then select the trashcan and delete the W-2.

From there enter your 1099-G in the unemployment section. If you hit next or continue after the W-2 deletion, this is the next category.

Or did you enter the 1099-G in the correct spot but have a phantom W-2 hanging out? If so, then you can delete the phantom W-2,

From the left rail menu in TurboTax Online, select Tax Tools (You may have to scroll down on the left rail menu.)
On the drop-down select Tools
On the Pop-Up menu titled “Tools Center,” select Delete a Form
This will show all of the forms in your return
Scroll down to the form you want to delete
Select the Form
Click on Delete.

Always use extreme caution when deleting information from your tax return.  There could be unintended consequences.

**Say "Thanks" by clicking the thumb icon in a post. **Mark the post that answers your question by clicking on "Mark as Best Answer"

PipiRAuthor

Level 5

The money from unemployment was entered as a 1099-G. However, I have now resolved the issue and submitted the federal and tax returns and both were accepted. It turns out that I had a zero in the federal 1040, and the 540 was blank. Since they did not match, they were creating an error message. I simply deleted the zero and all was good. Thx