How to get around TurboTax says "Medical expenses worksheet hdeduc is marked as estimated" but it is not!

[RobertG · Accepted solution]

This can happen in the desktop version of the software.

To find the "Unmark Estimated" from the Edit menu", go to the top left to Edit (between File and View), and click on it.

Halfway down is "Unmark Estimated".

Click this and the field will be unmarked. (as you can see, to mark a field, do the same thing but click on "Mark as Estimated").

The real problem is trying to find which field TurboTax is talking about. It should be marked with a red letter (an exclamation point, perhaps, but it isn't always visible).

It may be easier to delete your medical expenses and reenter them.

This answer was provided by BMcCalpin

[candycannon]

The Medical expenses worksheet hdeduc says the amount of prescriptions is estimated and the number is in red, but the drop down menu from EDIT does not have the "unmark estimated" option. It only has the "Mark as estimated option".  I entered all of the supporting documentation but the program still claims the amount is estimated and I can't "unmark" it. ?????

Candy

[SteamTrain]

@candycannon 

Try a double-click on that red number. 

You probably have a "Supporting Details" sheet attached to that field, and one or more numbers within that sheet are estimated numbers.  Each sub-entry must be dealt with separately.

[GVogs2]

@candycannon 

I have the exact same issue. Were you able to resolve this or find a workaround?

[RLC3]

I also had trouble with that error, with no visible estimates in the Medical Expenses worksheet or its supporting details.  Another thread held the answers: Check says Hdeduc is marked as estimated but it doesn't show and I can't unmark it. 

My reply to that thread follows:

Having had to use the nuclear option (delete the form and reenter everything) in past years, I didn't want to reenter all my Medical Expenses deductions again; Again.

Thankfully, this thread provided some ideas over the last year:

1. @maglib suggested clearing up any other estimated items in the return.  I tried this, no luck.

2. @tstucsonaz suggested going to forms and entering each value again.  I just pressed enter for each box and went down into the supporting details where they existed and did the same there.  Again, no luck.

3. @sjonescrg and @Jonesy tried clicking through the Medical Expenses Step-by-Step interview. Finally I got the red out!

It appears that there are multiple ways to stimulate this "Hdeduc is marked as estimated" error so it is necessary to fix all of the possible causes before that red exclamation point will go away.  So, try the obvious verify and un-mark all your estimates; the easy clicking through the Medical Expenses Step-by-Step interview; the less easy press enter for each box through the Medical Expenses form and its supporting details; and once the simple stuff didn't work, save the return as a PDF with all worksheets and supporting details then delete the offending form and reenter your information. You can save some time here by not bothering with the supporting details and entering the numbers directly in the new copy of the Medical Expenses form as they appear in the PDF Medical Expenses form.

[maglib]

I had the same error.  There is a form you must delete that was created when you entered in original interview. I honestly can't recall it but it had to do with Long Term care I think....  If someone else finds it, please respond as now I can't reproduce what I did.

[jstearns]

Re @SteamTrain suggests that the problem is an estimated value on a "Supporting Details" sheet.

That's not possible.  TurboTax doesn't allow "Supporting Details" to be estimated.  (It would be nice if it did, but it doesn't.)

[SteamTrain]

@jstearns 

I just did it.  Put three $$$ entries  on multiple lines in a Supporting Details sheet for Prescriptions.

then stick you cursor in any of the $$ amount fields and hit f8  (or rt-click on the $$ amount and select "Mark As Estimated".

Of course, some of these folks found the problem in a different area entirely...and it's tough to make a perfect guess remotely when you are not sitting in front of the tax return in question. Nature of this beast 

[JamesSutton]

I fixed this error  by going to Step-By-Step and pressing the little trash can button next to lit (yellow) areas with no text/values on line 11. It appears that TT reads these empty yellow areas as errors, as if they were marked estimated. Still don't know what "Hdeduc" means.  TT could have spelled it out to give me a clue.

[rlmcguire51]

The workaround that has worked for me is to delete the Medical Expenses Worksheet in "Forms View" mode, save and exit the return, re-open the return and re-enter the information.  I found it helpful to print a hard copy of the worksheet, including any supporting details before deleting it.  This has been a problem with Turbotax for many years.  I have reported it several times to technical support to no avail.  It's about time Turbotax fixed this long-standing bug!  By the way, I have mark as estimated other entries on other forms and supporting details without the same error , so this problem appears to be isolated to the Medical Expenses Worksheet.

[jakejacobsen99]

I spent a long time trying to get rid of this error and finally found this solution.  I went through the medical expense line by line twice to get rid of the error message to no avail.  This solution worked...what a pain but thank you for the solution.

[Buijas99]

Unmarking does not work. The values are highlighted in purple and cannot be changed. Unmarking only turns them red, as "estimate", again.

This MUST be an error in Turbotax.

[DMarkM1]

It appears the workaround to clear estimates on the medical expenses worksheet posted by @rlmcquire51 that has worked for others is:

1. To delete the Medical Expenses Worksheet in "Forms View" mode
2. Save and exit the return
3. Re-open the return  
4. Re-enter the information  

Note:  It may be helpful to print a hard copy of the worksheet, including any supporting details before deleting it. 

[rlmcguire51]

All of these workarounds are great help but the real issue is that this has been a known issue with TurboTax desktop for many years now with no fix.  It"s about time for TurboTax to get off their butts and fix this obvious glitch.