Error or needs help ``Sch SE-T: Max deferral line 18 is too large. `` I want to write 0 in the field but it does not accept. What should I do with line18?

[KathrynG3]

It is asking you to revisit the section regarding deferring a portion of the self-employment tax. If you were in this section before a refund was calculated, you were eligible. However, with a refund, you are no longer eligible.

Go back to the interview section to correct these entries and un-trigger any deferral that you can no longer take and probably later declined. You will need to initially accept it before declining.

To do this in TurboTax, follow these steps:

Enter a temporary amount as income in the self-employment section that will result in you not having a refund.

1. From the left menu, select Federal.
2. From the Income & Expenses, scroll to Self-employment income & expenses and Edit/Add.
3. At Your 2020 work summary, select Edit.
4. Under INCOME, select Add income for this work.
5. Add Other self-employed income, includes 1099-K, cash, and checks and Continue.
6. At Type of income, enter Temp income to remove deferral and enter a large amount, such as $100,000 and Continue.

Decline to defer any self-employment tax.

1. From the left menu, click on Federal.
2. Click the second tab from the left, Deductions & Credits.
3. Scroll down to Tax Relief related to Covid-19 and Revisit.
4. Select Self-employment tax deferral and select Revisit.
5. Answer Yes at the next screen to get back to Let's start by getting your eligible income.
    
6. Enter 280/366ths of your income to reflect the income from March 27-December 31, 2021. 
   1. This amount should be the same as the correct amount on Line 18 of Sch SE.
7. Select Continue.
8. At Tell us how much you'd like to defer, 
   1. Enter 0.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Remove the temporary income.

1. From the left menu, select Federal.
2. From the Income & Expenses, scroll to Self-employment income & expenses and Edit/Add.
3. At Your 2020 work summary, select Edit.
4. Under INCOME, select the Trash can icon next to Temp income to remove deferral and Continue.

For more details, see TurboTax Expert @DawnC's answer here, about 2/3 down the page: Resolve Sch SE-T Max Deferral Line 18 must be entered.

[woholloway]

You can delete the zero and leave the area blank and then go back to the Deductions and Credits area and answer NO to the two questions about Self-Employed Sick Leave credit and then Self-employed family leave credit. Then run review again. The errors should go away.  Sometimes just leaving the area blank works.

[JamesG1]

Some customers have accepted the self-employment deferral when their tax return was in a balance owed position.  Subsequent entries changed the tax return to a refund position. 

In that case, you may need to add temporary income to the tax return to return to the balance owed position and to be able to access the self-employment tax deferral questions. 

For instance, you may add more income using the Add income for this work button at the self-employment activity.

Steps that I have found helpful are listed below. 

• Down the left side of the screen, click on Federal.
• Across the top of the screen, click on Deductions  & credits.
• Under Your tax breaks, scroll down to Self-employment tax deferral.
• Click on Edit/Add to the right of Self-employment tax deferral.
• At the screen Do you want more time to pay your self-employment tax?, click Yes.
• At the screen Let's start by getting your eligible income, I have left the dollar amount that was previously entered, others change this amount to $0.
• Click on Continue.
• At the screen Tell us how much you'd like to defer, change the dollar amount to $0.
• Click Continue.
• Click through Federal Review to make sure than the Review issue has been removed.
• At the screen Some of your self-employment taxes may be eligible, click Skip.