What does it mean to say "Sch SE-T Max deferral line 18 must be entered"?

[KatrinaLO]

To make changes to your return before you file, please see the FAQ below for more information:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/after-you-file/discussion/want-make-changes-before-filing/00/57062...

Please see the FAQ below for information on amending your tax return:

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/amending/help/how-do-i-amend-my-turbotax-online-return/00/27577

[BHHH]

It is not allowing me to delete Sch SE-T. 

[DawnC]

If you have net income from self-employment, even if you delete the Sched-SE, it will reappear.    Do you want to defer your SE tax or are you just trying to remove an error?   @BHHH

if you don't want to defer the taxes, you can enter a 0 for the Line 18 error and if it is Line 11 showing a 0, you can delete the 0, leaving that field blank.   If you do want to defer the tax, go through the interview section and complete the deferral there.    To go through the interview and edit the amounts you can defer or want to defer:

1. Click on Federal from the left menu
2. Click on Deductions and Credits from the top menu
3. Scroll down and click on See More Tax Breaks if you don't have the full list
4. Look for and Review the entries under Tax Relief related to Covid-19. 

Click Revisit / Enter / Edit next to Self-Employment (SE) tax deferral.   To update the form, answer YES to the first question.   Enter your eligible earnings and on the next screen.  TurboTax will calculate the amount you are eligible to defer.  You can then choose to defer any amount up to that amount, including 0.  

[wsudu111]

@DawnC  I'm trying to get rid of the error and do not want to defer.  You wrote"and if it is Line 11 showing a 0, you can delete the 0, leaving that field blank" , but what if line 11 does show a number, just leave whatever number is there?

[WendyN2]

Yes, you can just leave that number there. This is merely calculating for you the total of Medicare ("your" portion and the "employers" portion of the 1.45%). I always suggest double checking your return towards the end when it gives the option to save draft as a PDF. This will open up the draft of your return at that point so you can make sure it is coming out the way you want it to.

[Bill1968]

I'm having the same issue - the inability to unselect the deferral (using the online platform).  Here's a reply I got from a separate post where I asked about how to not take the deferral:

In order to remove your tax deferral, you must delete your election to defer your self-employment taxes from your tax return.

Please follow these steps in TurboTax to change your election:

1. In your return go to the Deductions and Credits screen.
2. Scroll to the section Tax relief related to Covid-19.
3. Click Revisit next to Self-employment tax deferral. 
4. On the screen asking Do you want more time to pay self-employment taxes? mark the No radio button and click Continue.

This did not work for me.  When I clicked on No and then Continue, the next page said that more information on my income, etc. was needed before it could calculate whether or not I am eligible for the deferral.  Two things - One, I have already provided the info that said was necessary.  Two, either way, whether eligible or not, I don't want the deferral!

Has anybody gotten this to work with the online version?  I've tried all the suggestions here to no avail, deleting forms, etc.  I very close to switching to a different provider, as I've spent more time on TurboTax trying to solve this problem than I did putting in all my info before the problem arose.  Frustrating.

[Ihatethisthing]

*** UPDATE ***

This is my final update. You can see my other update post around page 7 or 8. 

1. I put 0 on line 18. 

2. My FED and STATE taxes were almost immediately accepted (both within 24 hrs)

3. 7 days later (today) my STATE REFUND has been deposited. 

4. I am still waiting on the FEDERAL REFUND, but I'm sure if the state went through the federal will too soon enough.  The IRS says usually within 21 days.

Good luck to all - I highly suggest just putting the 0 on line 18 if you do not want to defer any taxes or if you get the message you're not eligible.  

TT next year? Nope. 

[tktcnet]

This is EXACTLY my experience with the online version.  The key was to go into tools and deleted schedule SE then put 0 as the amount earned between March and year end so as to have 0 deferral.

My state tax refund has also been deposited & I'm waiting for my federal refund to move into processing. 

[shawnuamack]

This worked.  

[jlaserso]

I followed the instruction to delete the Sch SE-T form since it had zero amounts and I kept getting error saying the zeros should be blank.  Disappointed with these types of bugs in Turbotax

[Jimwilly]

I was able to go under the COVID-Relief section of deductions and credits, and clicked on the deferral of payments section. I had to select "Yes" I would like to defer, even though I do not want to defer. It told me I wasn't eligible since I was getting a refund, so I simply went in and edited my taxes by taking out the quarterly tax payments and re-entering the form for deferrals. It allowed me to go through the form, and I entered "0" when it asked how much tax I wanted to defer. Voila, line 18 was filled in, I am not deferring any taxes, and I went in and put back my quarterly taxes and my numbers all work! What a pain!

[Shooshoo]

My net amount of self-employed portion for line 3 was super low ($58 - ha!), so I entered $40 on line 18 and it seemed to be happy to let me file...have no idea if that was close to being right, but...crazy!  The software needs a fix, for sure.

[JamesG1]

For some, it has been helpful to delete the form for the 1040 and 1040 Worksheet.  Both forms will regenerate but you may have to restore a couple items of data.  Follow these steps: 

• Down the left side of the screen, click on Tax Tools.
• Then click on Tools.
• Then in the center of the page, click on Delete a Form.
• Choose the form to be delete and click Delete to the right of the form(s). 

In TurboTax Online Self-Employed, I was able to enter a self-employment tax deferral and pass Review.  Then I was able to remove self-employment tax deferral and pass Review.

Follow these steps. 

• 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, delete the dollar amount.
• 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.

Your self-employment income may be eligible for a portion of your self-employment tax to be deferred.  See this TurboTax Help.

@jlaserso 

[Edited 03/01/2021 7:50 AM PST]

[JamesG1]

@Jimwilly

Congratulaions!

It appears that the self-employment tax deferral is generated at a point when your tax return reflects:

• A balance due, and
• Self-employment tax due.

I suspect that when you removed your estimated taxes, that put your tax return in a balance due status and you were then able to access the self-employment tax deferral questions.

I have had luck temporarily returning the tax return to:  

• Balance due status,
• Self-employment tax due, or
• Both.

Then access the self-employment tax deferral questions.

Finally, then reverse the temporary entries that I put in the tax return.

Your self-employment income may be eligible for a portion of your self-employment tax to be deferred.  See this TurboTax Help.

[JamesG1]

@Shooshoo

The self-employment tax deferral is an optional benefit.  You are not required to enter a dollar amount to defer at the screen Tell us how much you'd like to defer.

To qualify for the benefit, you must report a dollar amount as eligible income for the period for income earned for the period of March 27, 2020 through December 31, 2020 at the screen Let's start by getting your eligible income.

This is a deferral rather than forgiveness, so those amounts will eventually need to be repaid. Half of the deferred amount is due on December 31, 2021, and the other half is due on December 31, 2022.

See also this TurboTax Help.