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New Member
posted Feb 18, 2021 12:36:37 PM

Getting error where wash sale loss should not be 0. Correct number is 0.18 but form will not allow me to enter 0.18 and will only show 0. Decimal places get auto-deleted.

As I enter the numbers after the decimal place, they disappear. I tried to just go ahead with 0. and TurboTax is now saying there is an error because it shouldn't be 0. I know that! But TurboTax will not let me enter the amount! WTF? Can I really not file with TurboTax this year because of a glitch? And this is after I already paid, sheesh. Will be demanding a refund if this is really the case.

0 3 787
3 Replies
Expert Alumni
Feb 18, 2021 1:28:26 PM

To enter a disallowed Wash sale:

Income & Expenses

  1. Scroll to Stocks, Mutual Funds, Bonds, Other
  2. Answer Yes to Did you sell stocks, mutual funds, bonds, or other investments in 2020?
  3. On the OK, what type of investments did you sell? screen, select Stock, Bonds, Mutual Funds. Then select Continue.
  4. From here, you can import or manually enter your 1099-B.
  5. Answer the questions about your sales. Choose to Enter sales one by one when asked.
  6. On the Now, we'll enter one sale on your 1099-B screen, enter your info.
  7. Check I have other boxes on my 1099-B to enter and enter the disallowed wash sale loss in box 1g.
  8. Select Continue and answer any follow-up questions.

Note: You'll need TurboTax Premier, TurboTax Live Premier, or TurboTax Self-Employed, TurboTax Live Self-Employed, to add any 1099-B forms.

Returning Member
Feb 20, 2021 12:56:17 AM

Continue to get an error message....says leave blank, but that is not accepted either. Any solutions?

Expert Alumni
Feb 20, 2021 5:56:09 AM

The error messaging you are seeing with regard to the wash sale entries is a result of automatic rounding of the number imported from your broker or typed in by you.  If the wash sale adjustment is $0.49 or less, then it is automatically rounded to zero.  This type of rounding is allowed by the IRS.  Unfortunately, zero is not a valid value for this field -- thus the error message.

 

To resolve the issue, you can edit each individual transaction (although not from the screen in the review process) and delete the amount entered in the wash sale adjustment if it is $0.49 or less.  This will clear the error message.  

 

To do this, you will need to revisit the input section for the Form 1099-B transactions.  Use the following steps:

  • On the top row of the TurboTax online screen, click on Search (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax locate the search box in the upper right corner)
  • This opens a box where you can type in “1099-B” and click the magnifying glass (or for CD/downloaded TurboTax, click Find)
  • The search results will give you an option to “Jump to 1099-B
  • Click on the blue “Jump to 1099-B” link
  • Click Edit beside the institution name
  • Click Edit beside each transaction that contains a wash sale adjustment amount of $0.49 or less
  • Delete the wash sale adjustment amount and click Done

 

If you have too many transactions that would require editing, you can consider deleting your imported information and entering a summary of the different categories of transactions reported on your Form 1099-B (short-term covered, short-term not covered, long-term covered, long-term not covered).  This would require you to mail a copy (not the original) of your Form 1099-B from your brokerage to the IRS within three days of filing your return.  The Form 1099-B would be attached to Form 8453, which will print with your return.  

 

@mjbusch