TurboTax

File with experts
File your taxes
Experts at your fingertips

An expert helps with your taxes, or does them for you
TurboTax Expert Full Service

TurboTax Expert Assist

TurboTax Self-Employed
Prior year taxes
File myself
File myself
Do it yourself

We'll guide you step-by-step
TurboTax Do It Yourself

TurboTax Self-Employed

TurboTax Desktop
TurboTax Free

Activate your product

Prior year taxes
Business
Business
Business taxes

Get your T2 corporate return done right, your way
TurboTax Business

TurboTax Business Desktop
Tax situations
Tax situations
Tax situations

Find extra guidance for your big life moves
For investors

For 25 and younger

For self-employed

For new to Canada

For life changes
Resources
Resources
Resources

Explore tax tools, get tips, and read reviews
Personal income tax calculator

RRSP savings calculator

Learning hub

TurboTax support (FAQ)

TurboTax community
Pricing

Level 2

Question

Form 1099-R: Box 14a error

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
March 16, 2022
4 replies
53 views

I entered every field exactly as is from my Form 1099-R, but the TurboTax error check is flagging "Box 14a should not be equal to or greater than the gross distribution amount."

The dollar amount in Box 14a on my Form 1099-R is equal to the dollar amount in Box 1 and Box 2a.

If I reduce the amount in Box 14a by 1 cent, then the error goes away, but then that's not the correct amount from my Form 1099-R.

I saw another post, that recommended copying the amount from Box 1 to Box 16 to fix this error. I tried that but it did not work for me.

SteamTrain

Level 15

@dhyen

Who exactly issued that 1099-R?

___________________________

If your actual paper/PDF box 14a has the same value as box 1......then you are using the wrong form-type to report those $$. You would need to delete that form, and re-enter it using the proper form-type

That would not be a 1099-R....that would be a CSF or CSA-1099-R that is issued by the Federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

____________________

1) A standard 1099-R has State "withholding" in box 14 and total state distribution in box 16.

2) A CSF- or CSA-1099-R from OPM has State "withholding" in box 12 and total state distribution in box 14.

____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

dhyenAuthor

Level 2

@SteamTrain the 1099-R is from an inherited IRA, and my financial planner applied all of the RMD to my state taxes. I think that's why the amount in Box 14a is the same as the amount in Box 1.

I don't have any amount in Box 12 or Box 16.

I don't believe a CSF or CSA-1099-R applies to me.

JulieS

Level 15

Box 14a on Form 1099-R is the amount of state tax withheld from your distribution. If that amount is the same as Box 1, that means your entire retirement distribution was withheld for state taxes. That doesn't sound right.

Box 1 and box 16 are usually the same, but I would expect the amount in 14a to be much lower.

Can you clarify your question? Is box 14a the same as box 1 on your 1099-R?

Exactly what does the error message say?

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

dhyenAuthor

Level 2

@JulieS yes, the amount in Box 14a is exactly the same as the amount in Box 1 on my Form 1099-R. The error message says: "Form 1099-R (CHARLES SCHWAB & CO., INC.): Box 14a should not be equal to or greater than the gross distribution amount."

SteamTrain

Level 15

@dhyen

Owwww.....that's pretty unusual that the entire RMD was applied to withholding.

Sometimes, a state, will not allow a person to e-file their tax return if the withholding is so large....usually set at somewhere between 20% -to50% of the total for the states that have such a limit......but that % limit is set by the states themselves. Why? Because the state wants to see the actual 1099-R form as proof that such a large withholding amount was actually done......which then requires mail-filing

Putting in a penny less in box 14 might just be what you have to do to get the form to work for correcting the supposed "error" in the software....but I don't know if the e-file for that state will eventually be blocked or not anyhow. Since many of the amounts from all your various withholdings end up getting rounded to the nearest $1 anyhow, that penny is not likely to cause any problem.

__________________________

Might be best to not take such a large % as withholding in future RMDs.....especially if you find out you have to mail-file the state forms because of that situation. Mail-filed tax returns can take a long time to get processed.

____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*

Blessmama77

Level 2

Turbotax support help me, She told me to put Box 1 in box 16 and I was able to continue. Yes

bbrafman

Level 2

My hard copy 1099-R has no box 14a. Box 14 is blank, there was no tax withheld. I am getting the error message you described and I want to know what to do. Is there a work around?

DoninGA

Level 15

@bbrafman wrote:

My hard copy 1099-R has no box 14a. Box 14 is blank, there was no tax withheld. I am getting the error message you described and I want to know what to do. Is there a work around?

If there is no state taxes withheld in box 14 of the Form 1099-R then leave boxes 14, 15 and 16 blank (empty)

If you continue to get an error then delete the Form 1099-R and re-enter manually to correct the error.