Tax Year Prior to 2020: My husband died last year. My return keeps getting rejected with a AGI erro. The amount listed is correct. Are paper returns required the year after a spouse died?

[LinaJ2020]

I am sorry to hear about your loss.  If you have tried all the methods mentioned above, you will have to mail your tax return, unfortunately. 

See this post from MayaD: Decease spouse AGI

[Shellzacct]

I wonder what you did differently? I've tried this twice - both rejected and even verified on IRS web site that the AGI was correct. Have used turbo tax for over 15 years and have never had this until now. 

Turbo tax needs to inquire with the IRS and find out why so many are getting rejected. Father died in Feb of this year (2020) and this is for 2019 returns for he and my mother. Of course they freeze the account - as soon as the funeral home notifies them....  Spent the past 2 hours trying to get a hold of a person at the IRS with no luck. 

So frustrating! 

[dhgar]

I was able to e-file for my mom in April of 2019 for tax year 2018 (dad died in March of 2019-so he was alive for all of 2018). But for some reason, I can't e-file now for 2019 (tried twice and both got rejected).  My dad is listed first, my mom under "joint/spouse."  After the first rejection, I sent in the forms/papers (7+ weeks ago) and it was never received. I was going to switch out the primary taxpayer to my mom, but it appears from another poster that that didn't work either.  So, I'm going to mail them again and see what happens (I'm thankful for the extension time). I'm not sure if I'm relieved that I'm not the only one having this problem, or feel sad for everyone else going through the same thing. Dealing with a death, COVID-19 and now not being able to get the taxes done promptly, just adds to the stress.

  Question to Turbo Tax Expert: My mom's worksheet didn't show her as a Widow with spouse dying in 2019. Is that correct or should it show that information?

[dhgar]

So here is something strange.   After using the suggested FreeTaxUSA and e-filing (just got an email that my mom's return was accepted), I noticed one difference. TT took my dad's RMD and removed it from Taxable Income (the code for his RMD was #4). FTUSA left it in as Taxable Income; thus changing the AGI number (my dad died March 2019 and his RMD was taken out properly in October 2019).  No difference in taxes owed (or refunded), thank goodness. And, yes, everything was input identically into both tax apps.  I'm not sure which is correct, should a deceased person's RMD be included or not be included in the AGI, since they are still counted when figuring deductions for tax purposes?

[eerickso1464]

So I am having this same issue trying to file for 2020. I tried resubmitting since the AGI I entered was correct but I suspect that will be rejected also. Is there still no workaround or fix, other than to file by mail?

[DianeW777]

If you return should reject, try entering zero for the AGI and resubmit the return. It's not clear if your spouse died in 2020, or 2019. 

The IRS Validation for e-file may provide some other tips for you.

Just to confirm the IRS record of AGI is the same that you have you can also request and IRS Transcript Online.

If you are unable to process your return you must mail it.

• How to print and mail your tax return.

[eerickso1464]

He died at the end of 2020.

Also, I noted this in the instructions. "When self-preparing your taxes and filing electronically, you must sign and validate your electronic tax return by entering your prior-year Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) or your prior-year Self-Select PIN." Could the problem be related to having entered both, not one or the other?

[DianeW777]

The value requested for prior year AGI should be what was on your 2019 return.  It wouldn't hurt to request the IRS transcript to see if your number actually does match theirs. If so, I would try it with that number, if rejected, you can try entering zero.

It's all about your protection.

[eerickso1464]

This problem has been reported by scores of people, going back multiple years. Some have been able to file electronically using another free program, so the problem is clearly with TT.

Another issue I noted when reviewing my return is that although I clearly marked that my husband had passed away, on the form itself it marks him as "Signing as Surviving Spouse." That is clearly an error as well.

All of us who are surviving spouses should not be forced to file manually due to what is clearly a bug in the TT software.

[eerickso1464]

So, going back to my earlier note about the self selected PIN, can I just simply remove the AGI and make sure that I have entered the self selected PINS from 2019 instead since the IRS seems to require one or the other?

[dianalarose]

**TO EVERYONE WHO WAS WIDOWED AND WHOSE RETURN IS BEING REJECTED BECAUSE OF AGI ERROR**

This is a bug in TurboTax. They will tell you that you must file a paper return. THIS IS NOT TRUE. After my return was rejected, I used FreeTaxUSA and was accepted in minutes. 
I do not work for FreeTaxUSA, I'm just a person trying to get my refund as quickly as possible.

[DawnC]

Yes, if you know the self-select PIN (not identity protection pin), you can use that in place of the AGI - you need one or the other to successfully e-file.   @eerickso1464

[eerickso1464]

Seems to me that this could be a pretty easy software fix for TT if someone would just pay attention to all of these issues. For those who lost spouses and who used TT for the prior year, TT could simply populate the info for last year's PIN rather than using AGI. It's unfortunate, to say the least, that TT is allowing this problem to continue for years like it has.

[eerickso1464]

Dawn, you indicated that I could use last year's PIN for verification. I tried that this morning and it has already been rejected. TT gives me two choices and two choices only: enter the AGI (which is does not accept although I have verified that it is correct) or file by mail. TT really needs to fix this.

[dianalarose]

TT is apparently still insisting, year after year, that this isn't their bug. It is absolutely their bug. Many people have switched to other online tax prep programs and had no problem filing the SAME return, SAME AGI.  After my TT return was rejected several times last year, I tried FreeTaxUSA. My return was accepted within minutes, and I received my refund quickly and promptly.