How do I "fix" the issue with MA return Form 1 about Tax exempt pension if has already been done and still saying to fix or file by mail?

To enter your exempt State employee pension, you will first have to enter the necessary information in your Federal Income tax return section, which will flow to your state return, and you may have to update your state return.  

 

You have to indicate when you initially enter your Form 1099-R into TurboTax, that it is a tax-exempt pension in the State of MA.  To do this you may have to indicate it as a Qualified Governmental Retirement Distribution (I am not sure of the source of your pension distribution).

 

Find your Form 1099-R by typing 1099-R in the search box, and follow the steps below:

1. Click on Jump to 1099-R
2. Scroll down to Retirement Plans and Social Security
3. At IRA,401(k), Pension Plan Withdrawals (1099-R), click Update
4. Click on Edit then Continue
5. Answer the next questions until you get to the Where Is This Distribution From? screen
6. Select the source State Employees and enter the information requested: This will carryforward the information needed to your state tax return to make your pension tax exempt.
7. Click on Continue
8. Click on From a Qualified Plan
9. Continue answering the questions

Now on your state return: 

1. At the Changes to Federal Income page, scroll down to Received retirement income, click Start/Update
2. At the Retirement Distributions Summary page, click on Edit State
3. If no additional information is required, click on Continue
4. Click Done

Click here for a link to the MA website that explains the taxability of your MA pension. 

Click here to contact Turbo Tax for assistance.

On the drop down menu, do not choose "G tax exempt", chose "no entry" on the Massachusetts TR. This helped us.