My federal e-file is not going through. I'm given the following error message: 601ERRV:5, CustHdr_17 - ?:? - Invalid SMS Number. Must be between 10 and 10 digits.

[CatinaT1]

Change your phone number to a US number in the Intuit Account of Turbo Tax.  No need to verify this number in the Intuit Account just click exit when your are done. Then go back to you return an continue filing. 

Solution: Intuit Account -> Sign In & Security -> Phone (change & save no need to verify) -> back to e-file and retry.

[haaadam]

Thank you! You are a lifesaver. This was so frustrating but this worked!

[halmoaibed]

Solved my problem, right before I printed it off to take to the post office. Amazing. Edit the number in your intuit account to a verifiable US one. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

[FirstTimeNeverAgain]

I got the exact same error messages and have spent hours trying every work-around listed here. There are NINE PAGES of responses to this issue!! Considering the number of expats filing through TurboTax you'd think they could get their act together and just FIX THE GLITCH! I mean, how obvious is it that folks living abroad might not have a US phone number anymore! 

[Taiye007]

Thank you for sharing the solution. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the problem is. I realized that for this to work you cannot verify the US number. Just enter the US number, press save, but do not verify It. Then you go through the Process of e-filing see the option to have a text message sent to the US number that you entered. This is a stupid glitch that needs to be taken care of. This is definitely something that's new this year. I've used TurboTax for 9+ years being outside of the US this is the first time I've had this issue.

[MFT-Abroad]

Tried a number of alternatives, including changing our phone number on TurboTax. Nothing allowed us to e-file.  Even used the Captcha several times but only 1 out of 3 times did we see the photos that needed to be verified. We kept getting the same error message saying it was an "invalid SMS number," and a suggestion to wait 24 hours for TurboTax to update.  Disappointing to be let down in the crunch by TTax.

[CatinaT1]

Change your phone number to a US number in the Intuit Account of Turbo Tax.  No need to verify this number in the Intuit Account just click exit when your are done. Then go back to you return an continue filing. 

Solution: Intuit Account -> Sign In & Security -> Phone (change & save no need to verify) -> back to e-file and retry.

[nomadsok]

Yes, same situation, but here in Ecuador....tried a few great "solutions" in theory to no avail i.e. getting a Skype account and U.S. number all set and ready, discovering my local foreign number in my Intuit Account settings and deleting that number, as well as trying to add the Skype number there - had to leave it blank - no luck no matter what I try....about 24 hrs now....really really frustrating.
FB

[brianbothwell]

If these other solutions don't work for you, I just tried using my windscribe VPN, locating from Los Angeles (I'm filing from the Czech Republic), and it worked. So frustrating, but glad I didn't have to wait the rest of the hour on hold!

[anatole]

Lfield’s workaround did work for me—thank you!—but only after I also ticked the box with my phone number (which, I believe, is just below the “prove you’re not a robot” box on the final submission screen). hope this helps!

[nomadsok]

Thanks for the tip. I tried Windscribe, tried west coast as well - still no luck from Ecuador.

[cqfu0214]

Exactly the same here in France. I bought a Skype number in the US.

Thank you for your answer. It helps a lot.

[Nothappywiththisservice]

Hello, I am also experiencing this issue. Can someone from TurboTax please help/respnd?

[curtis6]

Don't count on Intuit or Turbo Tax representatives to ever reply to these messages.  I don't think that is ever going to happen.  Somewhere in the great wisdom of their management team, they have decided to outsource user support to the users themselves.  We can only help one another.  I have read one solution but variations of this.  Here's what I did:

I have a brother in the US.  I put his cell phone number in both the Intuit Profile and the Turbo Tax Information Sheet.  Then Intuit asked me to verify the numbers, which I did, and it sent a text message to my brother's cell phone.  Then I called him, received the text, and typed it in.  That solution worked for me.  Others have said that all you do is have a US number in both places but it doesn't need to be verified.  You just log out and back in and by some magic, it works okay then.  You can try either way.  The error message is pretty worthless and some nitwit programmer probably thought this made sense.  This seems to be a user unfriendly approach all the way around for Intuit and Turbo Tax.  I hope this works for you.  I am already researching other services that offer as good or better services.  12 years with Turbo Tax over.

[dungiven]

Worked! Deleted phone number from my info tab