Suggestion regarding Form 1310 when e-filing return for deceased parent

[Bobr1946]

My mom passed away in December. 

Given that information, TurboTax correctly had me fill out a Form 1310 - Statement of Person Claiming Refund Due a Deceased Taxpayer.

I am the one e-filing the return.

What TurboTax did not do was tell me that the birth date for the person filing the return should still be my mom’s and that the California ID information should still be my mom’s.

Since I’m doing the filing, I put my birth date in the first location and my California Driver’s License information in the fraud prevention location.

As a consequence, the Federal filing was rejected for wrong birth date and the wrong ID information.

California filing was rejected because the Federal filing was rejected.

Now, I must give TurboTax credit, I did receive e-mails regarding both rejections which directed me to re-open the return for my mom to fix the problem.  However, when I was taken to the location of the two errors, there was no further direction to change the information in either location back to my mom’s information.  I assumed that was the case and changed the information back to my mom’s and resubmitted.  Both filings were then accepted.

My suggestion:  If TurboTax has a Form 1310 filed out by a user, pop up a page next which explains to the user that the filer’s birthdate and ID information are for the deceased person, not the one doing the filing.

It would also be helpful given a Form 1310 in the forms generated if the cover page of the Electronic Filing Instructions for your 2019 Federal Tax Return had a reminder to sign and MAIL the Form 1310 to the IRS Center where a paper return would have been filed.

[Irene2805]

I'm sorry for your loss!

Thank you for your feedback -- I will pass it along to our developers.

[Bobr1946]

Thanks for quick response from an employee who could pass the info along.  Just wanted to help someone else from getting the twin rejections and having to go back through the loop without clear indication as to what they should do.

Great product.  Working on my taxes now that mom's are e-filed and accepted and the Form 1310 mailed.

[dtmt40]

Thank you for your post....it did save someone from potential tax return rejection....me.  I'm filing for a deceased parent this year and when it came time for the ID fraud protection section I wasn't sure what to enter...mine or my parent's.  It was unclear but a google search and coming upon your post answered my question.  State has to be filed by paper but federal was accepted.  Thanks.

Would be helpful if instead of "you" being used as you fill out the sections for the deceased person, the deceased person's name is used throughout from start to finish because you do enter that info right at the start so the program knows.  Not that you'd get confused in the tax form sections because it's the deceased person's taxes your filing but if it's his/her name used from start to finish all the way through to the ID fraud section, it's just consistent and there's less confusion.  

[MarBoo]

This has still not be remedied in the 2022 products.  These suggestions would make it so much easier!