Reporting info from a W2

[Doc16]

I would like to e-file but, Turbo Tax will not allow me because I have a W2 with no income shown on it.  All it shows on the W2 is an amount in box 12D, initial W with a contribution from my retiree service provider. Can I just so that $$ amount on form 8889, and skip the part where Turbo Tax asks for all the W2 so that I can e-file?

[rjs]

Do you have another W-2 from the same employer, with your income on it? If so, the W-2 with only the box 12 entry is not a separate W-2. It's a continuation of the W-2 that shows your income. Don't enter it separately. Add the box 12 entry with code W as an additional entry in box 12 on the W-2 that has your income. You combine the two W-2s and enter them as if they were one W-2.

[Doc16]

Hi RJS.  Thank you for the reply.  Unforunately, I don't have another W2 from the retirement management company.  I have 1099R that shows my income and a W2 shows the HSA contribution from the retirement management company.  I thought maybe I could just delete the W2 where you begin adding income information in the federal section, and then just type the numbers in myself on form 8889T to get around the issue so that I could e-file.  However the TT software will not allow me to manually enter the info on form 8889T.  Best Regards    

[JohnB5677]

If I understand correctly. You received a 1099-R for a retirement distribution, and part of that money was used to fund an HSA account.

You can post the 1099-R, but need help to post the HSA information from the W-2.

To post the HSA information:

1. Go to Deductions & Credits
2. Scroll down and select Medical
3. Select HSA, MSA Contributions from the list
4. Tell us about the health-related accounts you had in 2021
5. Select Health Savings Account = Continue
6. Did you use your Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for anything in 2021? = No
7. Did you inherit this HSA? = No
8. Did you put money into an HSA in 2021? = Yes
9. Continue the interview

In some cases, you will have to go through the entire 1099-SA interview to get to the contribution questions.

[Doc16]

Hi John, thanks for the comments. 

I did all of that to begin with... but this is the message that I get--> 

This is what it says on the Review Tab then.  

I went through a major head ache in 2019 dealing with the IRS regarding my inlaws estate and had to get my congressman involved to break through the log jam.  My reluctance here is because the IRS has a huge back log of income tax returns to do yet for 2020; and my past experience tells me they will cash my check for the money I owe for 2021 but will not electronically connect the check to the form for months and months.  During that time,  if it is similar to my last situation they will be sending me notes every couple months that I still have not paid my taxes even though they will have cashed the check.  The same thing is going to happen to me next year, and then the year after and so on. 

I'm struggling with this because the contribution is not taxable per the IRS.  In one of the other discussion links I read where someone said just write in $1 in box 1, so you could file electronically, but I'm  thinking the IRS would flag that also.   Any insite would be appreaciated here.

[JulieS]

If you entered the HSA contribution in using @JohnB5677 instructions, you can delete the W2 form if it has nothing else on it. In fact you need to delete it, or you will double your HSA contribution. 

Here is how to do that:

1. Select Federal on the left side menu.
2. Under  Wages & Income, find W2 (Job).
3. Select Start or Update to the right.
4. On the screen titled, Your W-2 info so far, look for the problem W2.
5. Look for a trash can to right of that entry. Select the trash can and confirm you want to delete.

[Doc16]

Hi Julie, Thanks for the feedback.  

I did everything John said since the first time I entered in the info even before I ever posted.  I would love to just delete the W2, but I don't know what the IRS rules are for this.  However, if I do delete it, then the info Turbo Tax pulls from the W2 will not update form 8889 and show the employer contributions.  Some of the boxes as you probably know can be manually updated in the forms section of TT, but this is one area that it will not allow manual updates.  Here is the section that I am refering too.  --> 

I wanted to see the outcome (what happens to form 8889)if I deleted the W2 showing the employer contribution even before I posted.  If I delete the W2 , the boxes above that show 1,000 will all go blank. I'm wondering though if it really matters, since the contribution is not taxable, and will not change my taxes.

In addition, I just assumed (maybe correctly or incorrectly) that if I don't include a W2, the IRS software would have a feature that would flag the issue and they would not accept my tax form electronically??? Maybe you know yes or no here?   Thoughts?

[JohnB5677]

You should delete the W-2 that only has Bos 12 posted to it.  You will then go to the HSA input screen.  You will be able to post both personal and employer contributions.

1. Go to Deductions & Credits
2. Scroll down to Medical
3. Select 1099-SA, HSA, MSA
4. Continue through the interview, 

You are correct that the IRS will use a computer to check for errors on your tax return.  However, a W-2 that doesn't have income will not be picked up.

[Doc16]

Hi John, thanks for the reply.  I did all of that even before I posted my first discussion.  Let me show you how the TT software works.  

So I went back and deleted the W2.  

Then I went into the deductions section and went into medical.  When you get to the section where you put in your contributions, you cannot enter your employer contribution. 

The only way to do it is through a W2. I've taken a screen shot below of this, and clicked on the (Box 12 of your W-2) and then highlighted in red the note it says about employer contributions.  The reson it is zero now and not 1,000 is because I deleted the W2.  So then if you try to work around it and go into form 8889 as shown further below, you cannot add the info from your employer. 

So if you try to work around and enter the info manually in form 8889, the section(line 9) for the employer info is blocked out.  Section 9; line A, C, F and then finally line 9 cannot be manually entered.

Are you aware of a different tax preparation software that will allow you to work around this?  Very frustrating.  

Regards

[DianeW777]

If you haven't tried this (I don't see it in the thread) you can enter $1 in the W2 for wages (Box 1), then complete Box 12 and it should allow you to e-file and put all the figures in the right places. If you have a Form 1099-SA you will need to enter that.

@Doc16