What should I do if I do not have an FEIN. System is asking for FEIN for a foreign bank account for a 1099-int.

[LinaJ2020]

Will you be able to contact the bank?  If you don't have the FEIN, you would need to paper-file your return, unfortunately.  

In order to e-file, the IRS requires a valid employer identification number.  If you do not have one, you would have to print out your tax forms and submit them by mail.

[sanjaykarve]

Was this not a requirement last year. Do not remember having this issue last year?

[LinaJ2020]

Let's try this workaround:  Enter 9's as the FEIN.  

Let me know if it works. 

[sanjaykarve]

I did try this out and it did not work. It accepts the input in the 1099-int section but on final review it pops this it up again - this time it brings up a worksheet where it say FEIN is invalid in both cases - ie all zeros or all 9s

[KarenJ2]

You can enter the foreign bank account interest as miscellaneous income instead of interest income.

1. Open your return in TurboTax
2. Click on Wages & Income
3. Scroll down to All Income
4. Scroll down to Less Common Income
5. Scroll down to Miscellaneous Income, 1099-A, 1099-C
6. Click start
7. Scroll down to Other reportable income
8. Answer yes
9. Enter interest description and amount

[sanjaykarve]

I did try that out, but it does not have any provision for adding the foreign interest component. so how does one get the credit?

[Critter]

Wait a minute ... you do not need an EIN to enter interest ... in the interest section simply say you will enter the info yourself then do so on the next screen.  

[sanjaykarve]

I was trying to enter it into the Other reportable income section. 

Here there is only a provision to enter income. 

When I enter it in 1099-Int. I can enter both foreing income and foreign tax paid. While it allows this during entry with out FEIN, during review it does not allow to proceed with out FEIN

[Critter]

Use this website to contact TurboTax support for this situation:

https://support.turbotax.intuit.com/contact/

[Vinp]

Contacted TurboTax by phone.

The lady agreed this is a new issue and asked me to file the returns by postal mail.

Looks like we would never be able to e-File again because of this new validation by TurboTax.

Hope TurboTax will fix this, since foreign bank can never have a "Federal ID" number, which are used to identify Banks in USA only.

Also, since if the IRS can accept the returns by postal mail, they should not have issue when we do the same by e-filing. So this definitely looks more like a TurboTax issue rather than an IRS requirement.

Or simply TurboTax should give a new option where we can add Foreign Bank interest income.

[DoninGA]

---

@Vinp wrote:

Contacted TurboTax by phone.

The lady agreed this is a new issue and asked me to file the returns by postal mail.

Looks like we would never be able to e-File again because of this new validation by TurboTax.

Hope TurboTax will fix this, since foreign bank can never have a "Federal ID" number, which are used to identify Banks in USA only.

Also, since if the IRS can accept the returns by postal mail, they should not have issue when we do the same by e-filing. Or simply give a new option where we can add Foreign Bank interest income.

---

A FEIN is not required on a Form 1099-INT for e-filing a tax return.  Ignore the Review and Continue to the File section to e-file.

[quite98]

Can confirm, I was able to e-file by ignoring the Review.  But isn't this review the benefit of paying for this software/service?  Perhaps I'll fill in the forms manually next year and save $80. 

[Vinp]

Yes. FEIN should ideally not be a requirement and this exactly what this post is all about.

Since TurboTax for some reason has started a new validation at the final stage of review, where it jumps back to the point where it asks us to enter a VALID FEIN number.

It just does not allow us to proceed to e-File. No way to skip it.

The lady executive took a screen sharing session with me and confirmed that I would have to file by postal mail this time, because of the NEW issue.

[Vinp]

@quite98, can you please give me the steps on how to ignore the Review and proceed to e-File?

I was not able to do it. Tried all the steps. Also the Turbo Tax executive who came over the phone gave up and asked me to file by postal mail.

Kindly let us know if there is any way to bypass the Review stage where it insists on entering a VALID FEIN.

The review process starts again, if we try to e-File.

Don't want to take chances with IRS by entering wrong FEIN number. Any suggestion would be highly appreciated.