confused about info on last year's return for Turbotax e-file

[RustyShackleford]

Wife and I initially filed separately for 2020.   But in December 2021 we filed an amended return, filing jointly.  We had to mail in a paper return, and needless to say, it has not been processed (and is, I gather, very unlikely to get processed between now and the April 18 deadline for filing our 2021 return).   However, the IRS has acknowledged receipt of it.

When I'm e-filing our 2021 return in Turbotax, and am asked about our 2020 returns (for IRS "secure identity verification"), should I give the info for our 2020 MFS returns or for our 2021 amended MFJ return ?

[xmasbaby0]

With all the confusion regarding your 2020 AGI on original  returns and an unprocessed amended return, you most likely need to just try using zero as your AGI to e-file 2021.

[macuser_22]

---

@RustyShackleford wrote:

Wife and I initially filed separately for 2020.   But in December 2021 we filed an amended return, filing jointly.  We had to mail in a paper return, and needless to say, it has not been processed (and is, I gather, very unlikely to get processed between now and the April 18 deadline for filing our 2021 return).   However, the IRS has acknowledged receipt of it.

When I'm e-filing our 2021 return in Turbotax, and am asked about our 2020 returns (for IRS "secure identity verification"), should I give the info for our 2020 MFS returns or for our 2021 amended MFJ return ?

---

If you mean the AGI then use the AGI form the original 2020 tax returns.   The amended AGI never gets entered into  the IRS data base.  If that does not work try 0 (zero).   If not then yiu will probably have to paper file.

[ee-ea · Accepted solution]

Give the info for your 2020 MFS returns.

[RustyShackleford]

It's not just the AGI; before that it wants to know if we filed separately or jointly.

Sounds like the consensus is that I should say we filed MFS and use the AGI numbers for that.

[macuser_22]

You filed separately.

[RustyShackleford]

Hurray: "Federal return accepted".

For the secure identification I said we filed MFS in 2020 and used our individual AGIs.

[macuser_22]

Thank's for the feedback.

[RustyShackleford]

Article with some relevancy to my question:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/06/agi-fix-for-efile-tax-return/?template-name=%7B%7...