When trying to E-File my 2019 return I got the error "...difficulty recognizing the data in the return you are sending". Is there a workaround that will fix this?

[Anonymous]

see this link

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/after-you-file/discussion/when-i-attempted-to-file-federal-and-sta...

[mesquitebean]

@ 1quentin-rivers5 

That thread linked above was from last year and may or may not be the same as your issue.  There is a fairly common efile issue that many foreign filers (if applicable) are having this year that is different.  The cause and workaround are also different this year depending on the exact error message.    Look at your error message in its entirety.   You only mentioned the first part.   Is there an error code lower down in it? 

For instance, are you in a foreign country, and getting one of these similar SMS error messages:

601ERRV:5, CustHdr_17 - ?:? - Invalid SMS Number. Must be between 10 and 10 digits.

or

601ERRV:5, CustHdr_17 - ?:? - Invalid SMS Number. Contains invalid digits.

If so, we can give you the current info on how to correct that and what other foreign filers have had to do to continue to efile.

If that's not your issue, then see if your error message has a different error code you can mention in this thread.

[1quentin-rivers5]

@mesquitebean 

The error message I am still receiving is

601ERRV:5, CustHdr_17 - ?:? - Invalid SMS Number. Must be between 10 and 10 digits. 

I am currently in South Korea trying to e-file while using my wife's stateside cell-phone number.

[mesquitebean]

---

@1quentin-rivers5 wrote:
The error message I am still receiving is

601ERRV:5, CustHdr_17 - ?:? - Invalid SMS Number. Must be between 10 and 10 digits. 

I am currently in South Korea trying to e-file while using my wife's stateside cell-phone number.

---

The problem is likely the phone number shown in the Intuit Account settings.  To get to the Intuit Account, log in and in the left menu column scroll way down and click on "Intuit Account."

If you have a phone number listed in your Intuit Account settings, then you must make sure you use a valid 10-digit domestic USA phone number in both your Intuit Account settings and in your return.   Or you can try removing the phone number in the Intuit Account.

See if this FAQ helps:

FAQ:   601ERRV:5  Invalid SMS Number

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/bugs-and-error-messages/help/why-am-i-getting-601errv-5-custhdr-17...

Also see this answer by TurboTax DawnC in the thread linked below, who says not to use a number like Google Voice, Skype, etc.  in the Intuit Account settings, at least not until after you successfully efile.   She also says it may be possible to leave the phone number blank in the Intuit Account settings. 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/re-i-try-efile-but-i-get-message-invalid-sms-numb...

Also see this other thread with other out-of-country users with the same problem who were able to correct the error.  Several have posted anecdotes there about how they solved it.   If you have trouble, post there, and they can probably help you.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/my-federal-e-file-is-not-going-through-i-m-given-...

NOTE: 

A couple of users have said that even after making changes to (or removing) the phone in the Intuit Account, the efile problem still happened, until they logged out of TurboTax then logged back in. Apparently that reset something.

So if you make any changes to the phone number listed in your Intuit Account settings (or if you remove one), after you save the settings, log out of TurboTax and close the browser. Then reopen it and log back in and try to efile.

[mesquitebean]

If you have a phone number listed in your Intuit Account settings, then you must make sure you use a valid 10-digit domestic USA phone number in both your Intuit Account settings and in your return.   Or you can try removing the phone number in the Intuit Account.

See if this FAQ helps:

FAQ:   601ERRV:5  Invalid SMS Number

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/bugs-and-error-messages/help/why-am-i-getting-601errv-5-custhdr-17...

Also see this answer by TurboTax DawnC in the thread linked below, who says not to use a number like Google Voice, Skype, etc.  in the Intuit Account settings, at least not until after you successfully efile.   She also says it may be possible to leave the phone number blank in the Intuit Account settings. 

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/re-i-try-efile-but-i-get-message-invalid-sms-numb...

Also see this other thread with other out-of-country users with the same problem who were able to correct the error.  Several have posted anecdotes there about how they solved it.   If you have trouble, post there, and they can probably help you.

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/taxes/discussion/my-federal-e-file-is-not-going-through-i-m-given-...

NOTE: 

A couple of users have said that even after making changes to (or removing) the phone in the Intuit Account, the efile problem still happened, until they logged out of TurboTax then logged back in. Apparently that reset something.

So if you make any changes to the phone number listed in your Intuit Account settings (or if you remove one), after you save the settings, log out of TurboTax and close the browser. Then reopen it and log back in and try to efile.