Was 1099 R income reported to state or not?

[RomanyUY]

I am a US citizen living outside the US therefore I have no state nexus.

Last year, I took a lump sum distribution from my late husband's pension plan and rolled it over to my IRA. Because the pension plan would only send a check to my "residence" (which is in South America), I begged and pleaded and finally got them to send the check directly to the IRA custodian - a PO box in Indiana.

Now I have a 1099-R from the pension plan showing a single month benefit (taxable, direct deposited to my US bank account) with Indiana listed. The month's benefit did not go to Indiana, only the check for the rollover did. The pension plan INSISTS that my 1099-R included the rollover, which it absolutely did not. I'm still waiting for the 1099-R with 4G in Box 7 for the rollover. I will update this question when I get it.

So, I have a 1099-R with Indiana listed in Box 15, but state tax withheld and and state distribution are blank. The "Recipient" is my name with the name and Indiana PO Box of the IRA custodian.

I called Indiana DOR and was told that Indiana would be expecting a return and that I should get a corrected 1099 R from the pension plan. I did not notice that there was no state distribution amount until later. The pension plan refuses to give me a corrected 1099R because *I* was the one who changed the address.

Question: With no state distribution amount listed, will Indiana still expect a return from me? 

Question: Will TurboTax reject my e-Filed Federal return if I enter Indiana in Box 15 and leave Boxes 14 and 16 blank?

Question: Should I file an Indiana non-resident return showing zero tax due and including the story (with evidence) of how the 1099 R ended up with the IRA custodian's address as recipient?

Any help and brainstorming will be appreciated.

[Vanessa A · Accepted solution]

Question: With no state distribution amount listed, will Indiana still expect a return from me?  They should not expect a return with no income listed in the distribution amount. 

Question: Will TurboTax reject my e-Filed Federal return if I enter Indiana in Box 15 and leave Boxes 14 and 16 blank? It may give you errors.  Since there is no income or taxes withheld for the state, it is best to leave box 15 blank as well.

Question: Should I file an Indiana non-resident return showing zero tax due and including the story (with evidence) of how the 1099 R ended up with the IRA custodian's address as recipient? No.  With no income or taxes withheld, there is nothing to file.  Since you are in South Africa and did not receive the income as a resident of IN, you would have no state filing requirements. And since the boxes are blank, again, this would give you  no filing requirements.