I have local income tax paid (item 18) on my w2 but no local wages, tips etc (item18)

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Heather_BillingsAnswer

Level 2

That's very normal. Because the local wages, tips, etc are almost always the same amount as state wages and federal wages, many payroll companies leave that box blank. Don't worry - you'll still get credit for the local taxes paid on Schedule A.

Heather_BillingsAnswer

Level 2

edalbow

Level 2

Having the same issue here. I cant file because box 18 is empty. What should I do?

hannah-swaim92

Level 2

I just found this information in "common questions" category when searching for answers on my husbands tax return section of his employer.

QUESTION: My tax software program requires a local taxable amount. My W-2 doesn't show one. Where can I get this
figure?
ANSWER: The IRS does not require a local taxable figure on the W-2. Only the local tax paid must be shown. However,
some tax preparation software does require a local taxable figure for processing. We recommend that the employee use
the Medicare taxable figure, found in box 5 of the W-2.

I hope this is helpful to someone.

divad1

Level 3

I have a W2 with blanks in boxes 15-17,Ie. no state income tax withheld. Yet, I have amounts in boxes 18-19 and "51-Phila" (presumably Philadelphia) in box 20. What do I do? Do I need to file a PA state returnb (TT didn't prompt me w PA as a choice for states when I starting the state section). Do I need to file a local Philly return (and NOT a Pennsylvanis state return)? Thanks.

VictoriaD75

Alumni - Intuit

That is not likely. You would need to file a Pennsylvania return if you reside in the state. Do you happen to live in NJ and commute to Philadelphia? If so, you will need to file a NJ return. You should contact your employer, as it may have been reported in error. If you live in either PA or NJ, state income taxes should have been withheld. You may need to obtain a corrected W-2.

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thankmelater

Level 2

It seems that the software is not smart enough to distinguish 'blank' vs 0 when using the upload feature. Just go back to the W2 section and choose the manual entry option and remove the prefilled 0.00 in Box 18. Voila! Problem solved.

I paid for the live chat option only to get the standard 'clear your browser cache' canned response. Intuit, this the best you can do??

jabberwky

Level 2

Thanks.

Stupid Turbotax.

borhapsody1973

Level 2

I had the same problem with turbotax I was gonna have my return direct deposited but it said my local taxes were more than my local wages so it said I couldn't e-file I had to do a paper check so I changed it to paper check, yeah I wasn't too happy bout that