Do I have to file federal and state together on Turbo tax, or can I file them separately ?

[mesquitebean]

@Tammymac66asked:  "Do I have to file federal and state together on Turbo tax, or can I file them separately?"

If you are efiling, you have 2 choices:

You can either efile the Federal and state returns at the same time, OR you can efile the Federal return first, and then after the Federal return has been accepted, you can efile the state return.

NOTE:  If you decide to efile only the Federal return first, you'll still have to go ahead and pay for both returns before it will let you efile.    The only way to pay for a Federal return and not pay for the state return would be to delete the state return (if it allows you) and add it back later, if desired.

[vinoporuva]

My federal efile has been accepted (confirmed by text and also through the TurboTax software) but it will not allow me to now submit my state efile.  The screen keeps erroring and telling me that I need to also file the federal electronically as well.  I check the appropriate boxes but nothing seems to work.  Ughh!

I've been a loyal TT fan for decades but this is my last year using them.  There have simply been too many issues (i.e. I had to Google for an hour to figure out that the reason the activation screen was blank and wouldn't let me complete installation was because the resolution was too high and I had to revert my screen back to 600x800 in order for window to work).  I also could not get the search function to work either.  I've never been so frustrated with TT before and next year I'll begin to look toward TaxAct or other offering.

[PaulaM]

What error are you seeing? What does it say and what did you do just before?

[vinoporuva]

"E-file requires federal return

To e-file, you must also select federal return.

Click Back to select federal and any other returns you'd like to file."

This is verbatim what the screen tells me.  I go back, click on e-file for both federal AND state  then continue to get this screen.  I've already received confirmation that the federal has been received and accepted.  Is there any other way to e-file my state now.  I'm not happy about the $25 to file but can live with it.  If I end up having to print everything, organize, sign and snail mail them then it feels like I just wasted $60 on the software.  Please tell me how to file this separately.  I've been able to do it in the past so not sure why it has become an issue this year.  ???

[ChondelLO]

Please visit the TurboTax Help article below regarding the inability to e-file a state return after filing a federal return.

Why am I not able to e-file my state return after ...

[mesquitebean]

@vinoporuva 

Expected resolution date

As you'll see in that FAQ that @ChondelLO  posted above, this state efile issue is scheduled to be resolved for desktop users in a product update on March 19, 2021.   The FAQ was updated this afternoon to reflect that expected resolution date.