Backdoor Roth - IRA Contributions Worksheet Line 14/15 Error

[TylerF123]

This year I did my first Backdoor Roth (contributed in 2023 and converted in 2023), and I am ready to file and thought I have everything entered correctly, but I keep getting this error when doing Smart Check:

Does anyone have any idea why it is doing this? Thanks so much!

[DanaB27]

Can you please clarify what error you are seeing? We cannot see the picture.

Please see How do I enter a backdoor Roth IRA conversion? for additional information.

[TylerF123]

sorry, yes - it says:

IRA Contributions Worksheet: Line 15 - Amount of taxpayer's IRA contribution elected to make nondeductibel should not be more than zero. 

[DanaB27]

It looks like you had already $0 deductible IRA contributions because you had a retirement plan at work. Therefore, you will need to enter $0 for the amount you elect to make nondeductible.

Please go back to the IRA contribution interview and edit the amount on the "Choose Not to Deduct IRA Contributions" screen.

1. Click on "Search" on the top right and type “IRA contributions” 
2. Click on “Jump to IRA contributions"
3. Select “traditional IRA”
4. Continue until you get to the “Choose Not to Deduct IRA Contributions” screen and edit the amount.

You have to enter the same amount next to "Amount of Your Contribution to Make Nondeductible" that is listed in the first sentence "You have 2023 deductible traditional IRA contributions of $XXXX"

For example, here are $3,380 listed in the first sentence, therefore you can only enter a maximum of $3,380. 

[Edited 3/5/2024 | 1:08 pm PST]

[TylerF123]

thank you! you said:  "Therefore, you will need to enter $0 for the amount you elect to make deductible."

Did you mean to say "non-deductible" here instead of deductible? Basically, it looks like I just need to change Line 14 to 0, right? That is what Turbo Tax is suggesting. Meaning that the non-deductible $6,500 is already covered by my work retirement?

Once I changed Line 14 to 0, the Smart Check ran again and said there were no errors and my Form 8806 looks good.

I did not deduct any traditional IRA contributions. I contributed to my individual 401k plan at work (I split have between Traditional 401k and half Roth 401k), but did not deduct any Traditional IRA money - the entirety of my Traditional IRA contribution is nondeductible. 

[DanaB27 · Accepted solution]

Yes, "Therefore, you will need to enter $0 for the amount you elect to make nondeductible."

Yes, line 14 will be $0 in your case since all of your contribution is already automatically nondeductible because you are covered by a retirement plan at work.

Yes, since you did not deduct any traditional IRA contributions you will have the $6,500 basis on line 1of Form 8606.