I can't e-file my tax returns this year

[Ready]

I'm using H&R Block to process my tax returns this year, and I'm being told I can't e-file because I'm married filing separately in a community property state (California).

Is this something new? I can't remember the last time I filed a paper based tax return.

 

[LastOfTheBoomers]

Anything new this year compared to last year? itemized vs std deduction

Does the reject code contain F1040?

 

[Paracelsus]

I had the same thing happen to me at the state level (MN) for underpayment penalties ($11). Had to mail in my return.

 

[Ready]

Here is the exact message from H&R software:

Some returns aren't eligible for e-filing. You can't e-file this year because:

Married filing separately in community property state.

Since you can't e-file your federal return, you won't be able to e-file your state return, either. We'll make filing easy for you by printing instructions with your returns.


I have not changed anything regarding my status compared to last year, so it appears to be a new rule for 2016.

 

[cathy63]

TTax help says "Depending on how tax withholding payments are allocated between the two MFS returns in a community property state, the IRS may not accept e-filed MFS tax returns at this time." So it may be that you did something slightly differently this year than in prior years, or had some other type of income or withholding.

Or else possibly Block has just decided not to implement the logic in this year's code for the relatively few people who use it.

 

[wolf]

Also use H&R Block. Noticed if I "override", any entries, I cannot e-file.

 

[Ready]

Well, I went ahead and printed out all of the forms for both Federal and California. Over sixty pages between the two, and not completely clear what portions of my Federal return were supposed to be included in the State return, so I just threw everything in for good measure.

I took a trip down to the local post office and spent $10.00 to send them certified mail, just to make sure I have proof I sent them. It sure was not as convenient as efile. I hope I never have to go through that again.

 

[Sunset]

Well, I went ahead and printed out all of the forms for both Federal and California. Over sixty pages between the two, and not completely clear what portions of my Federal return were supposed to be included in the State return, so I just threw everything in for good measure.

I took a trip down to the local post office and spent $10.00 to send them certified mail, just to make sure I have proof I sent them. It sure was not as convenient as efile. I hope I never have to go through that again.

So now you can anticipate that when some clerk types in your entries, they will make a mistake, and you will owe a lot more.
Or you will get a bigger refund, and then 2 years later be audited because you falsely claimed too much.

 

[meierlde]

So now you can anticipate that when some clerk types in your entries, they will make a mistake, and you will owe a lot more.
Or you will get a bigger refund, and then 2 years later be audited because you falsely claimed too much.

I doubt the entries are typed in any more with scanning and character recognition tech. They take the paper, scan it in turn the OCR software loose on it and then shortly it is effectively e filed. If the ABBY fine reader can do it to turn tax forms into pdf's then the IRS can do it also. I suspect the only forms that get typed in any more are hand written ones that the OCR software can't figure out.

 

[grasshopper]

With TT you pay more for efile, if I couldn't they would certainly hear about it. I put a stamp on my 2 page AZ return and had my refund in 5 business days.

 

[Ready]

Does anyone know a way to confirm if the IRS has received and process your tax return if you sent a hardcopy in the mail?

It seems like a simple question, but a google search only shows results for checking the status of a refund. I owed money, so I sent a check with my returns.

I know that I can check my bank account and watch for the check to clear, but this really doesn't confirm anything. I had a friend who used an accountant to file a tax return seven years ago, and sent a check along with the return. Seven years later, the IRS informed him they never received his return. It went under audit, and he was eventually fined $50,000 for failing to submit a tax return.

His argument was that the IRS cashed his check, so it must have received the return. They argued back that the check could have been a quarterly payment being submitted, rather than the final payment for the year. Even when he produced a set of returns showing that the amount of the check matched the return amount, they still refused to accept it. They said he could have fudged his returns to get the amount to match the check. In the end, he fought and fought, hired an attorney, and still was fined $50,000. And they just helped themselves to the money from his bank account without his approval.

So after hearing about that story, and having to file my returns via paper this year, I'm a bit paranoid about all of this. Is there any official way to confirm a return was received and accepted?

 

[braumeister]

In the end, he fought and fought, hired an attorney, and still was fined $50,000. And they just helped themselves to the money from his bank account without his approval.

Something doesn't sound right about that story. I've heard too many good stories about people using Tax Court for legitimate problems like that to think they would screw him over like that.

 

[meierlde]

Does anyone know a way to confirm if the IRS has received and process your tax return if you sent a hardcopy in the mail?

It seems like a simple question, but a google search only shows results for checking the status of a refund. I owed money, so I sent a check with my returns.

I know that I can check my bank account and watch for the check to clear, but this really doesn't confirm anything. I had a friend who used an accountant to file a tax return seven years ago, and sent a check along with the return. Seven years later, the IRS informed him they never received his return. It went under audit, and he was eventually fined $50,000 for failing to submit a tax return.

His argument was that the IRS cashed his check, so it must have received the return. They argued back that the check could have been a quarterly payment being submitted, rather than the final payment for the year. Even when he produced a set of returns showing that the amount of the check matched the return amount, they still refused to accept it. They said he could have fudged his returns to get the amount to match the check. In the end, he fought and fought, hired an attorney, and still was fined $50,000. And they just helped themselves to the money from his bank account without his approval.

So after hearing about that story, and having to file my returns via paper this year, I'm a bit paranoid about all of this. Is there any official way to confirm a return was received and accepted?

It appears that certified mail return reciept requested handles the issue. The courts have ruled ruled thus and here is a link to an IRS document on the subject: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2011-40_IRB/ar10.html
And the explict part of the rule: "i) Registered and certified mail. In the case of a document (but not a payment) sent by registered or certified mail, proof that the document was properly registered or that a postmarked certified mail sender’s receipt was properly issued and that the envelope was properly addressed to the agency, officer, or office constitutes prima facie evidence that the document was delivered to the agency, officer, or office. Other than direct proof of actual delivery, proof of proper use of registered or certified mail, and proof of proper use of a duly designated PDS as provided for by paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section, are the exclusive means to establish prima facie evidence of delivery of a document to the agency, officer, or office with which the document is required to be filed. No other evidence of a postmark or of mailing will be prima facie evidence of delivery or raise a presumption that the document was delivered. "
So in fact the way the rule is written the check is proof of paying something, but the certified mail reciept is proof the IRS got the documents in question.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Well, I went ahead and printed out all of the forms for both Federal and California. Over sixty pages between the two, and not completely clear what portions of my Federal return were supposed to be included in the State return, so I just threw everything in for good measure.

I took a trip down to the local post office and spent $10.00 to send them certified mail, just to make sure I have proof I sent them. It sure was not as convenient as efile. I hope I never have to go through that again.

As one of those dinosaurs who mails it in every year, here's a tip for you & any others who may have to do it now, or in the future.

The reason you ended up printing 60 pages, is because TurboTax not only prints the forms you need to actually send in, they print all the worksheets, estimated tax forms for 2017, etc.

When the return is complete, & it asks you if you want to print the return, don't do it. Save the return to a PDF file. This way you can go through and manually print only the pages you need. I print page 1 of my 1040, then put the same piece of paper back in, and print page 2 on the other side.

As far as what pages from the federal returns have to be mailed in with your state return, it's clearly marked when you look at the pages individually on the PDF file. Once you get to the forms that say 'save for your records' you know you've printed all the pages that need to be included with that state return.


My 1040 is 14 pages long, 7 pages because I print on both sides.
If I printed 'everything' it would be something like 72 pages.

Maybe TurboTax owns ink & paper companies

 

[Ready]

It appears that certified mail return reciept requested handles the issue. The courts have ruled ruled thus and here is a link to an IRS document on the subject: https://www.irs.gov/irb/2011-40_IRB/ar10.html

Thank you - that was very helpful. I sent both federal and state returns via certified mail and have received email confirmations of receipt. So I guess that's a good first step. It seems odd to me though that you can't log on to a web site and confirm that your return has actually been processed, unless you have a refund to check the status of.

 

[meierlde]

Re Own your future which print option did you use in TurboTax it has print return for filing, and print return for records with sub options to print everything it knows out. For example my return comes to 11 pages for filing and 62 pages in print everything you know.

 

[Ready]

I used H&R, not Turbotax. But I did select only print forms required to file. I still got about 18 pages on my Federal return. And for my state return (CA), it told me I need to print a copy of my federal return and include it as well. It was a bit vague on which forms from federal needed to be included in the state return, so I just sent them everything. What difference does it really make? It cost me about $5.00 to send it certified mail, and the fee would have been the same whether it was five pages or fifty. Let the IRS and Franchise Tax Board work a little to earn my money. They can figure out which pages they want to enter.

 

[Fedup]

Also only mail and select print forms. Never certified. Never had any trouble.

 

[cathy63]

I used H&R, not Turbotax. But I did select only print forms required to file. I still got about 18 pages on my Federal return. And for my state return (CA), it told me I need to print a copy of my federal return and include it as well. It was a bit vague on which forms from federal needed to be included in the state return, so I just sent them everything. What difference does it really make? It cost me about $5.00 to send it certified mail, and the fee would have been the same whether it was five pages or fifty. Let the IRS and Franchise Tax Board work a little to earn my money. They can figure out which pages they want to enter.

TTax includes a complete copy of the federal return when it prints the CA state return, so I assume the state expects a copy of everything that was filed with the IRS.

 

[ownyourfuture]

Re Own your future which print option did you use in TurboTax it has print return for filing, and print return for records with sub options to print everything it knows out. For example my return comes to 11 pages for filing and 62 pages in print everything you know.

I didn't realize it had those options. I suppose the first time I used it back in 1999 or 2000, those options weren't available & I just went ahead & printed everything. 60 pages

Since then, I just got used to saving it to a PDF file & doing the printing that way.

When you print the return for filing (11 pages) does it print on both sides automatically ?

 

[45th Birthday]

I print page 1 of my 1040, then put the same piece of paper back in, and print page 2 on the other side.

My 1040 is 14 pages long, 7 pages because I print on both sides.
If I printed 'everything' it would be something like 72 pages.

Maybe TurboTax owns ink & paper companies

Just be careful:
While it is preferred that both sides of the paper be used for substitutes and reproduced forms, resulting in the same page arrangement as that of the official form or schedule, the IRS will accept your forms if only one side of the paper is used.


Just note that each form within the return can be double sided but you can't print different forms sharing the same page. So for instance you have a 1040 and a schedule D, the 1040 can be double sided and the D can be double sided but they can not share a page.

I have to paper file every year. This year's return (no extra stuff) is 67 pages so far. Instead of trying to print double-sided and keep all the forms together, I just print on one side and let them deal with it. If I printed everything (TT using Tax Return, all calculation worksheets option), it would be 576 pages...

 

[meierlde]

I didn't realize it had those options. I suppose the first time I used it back in 1999 or 2000, those options weren't available & I just went ahead & printed everything. 60 pages

Since then, I just got used to saving it to a PDF file & doing the printing that way.

When you print the return for filing (11 pages) does it print on both sides automatically ?

Since my printer does not duplex I don't know if it does it directly. However you can save the file to PDF and then print it with the reader and duplex. So you can save two pdf files one for filing and the other for records and print from the pdf .

 

[Sunset]

My crazy State wants the Fed return and some stubs included when I paper file.
Yet if I do the return on the State web site (for free ) then I don't mail them anything.

It's strange how they want a bunch of proof when I paper file, but not for e-file ??

 

[Fedup]

This is why I never do efile. There must be some transmission of something without my knowledge. With paper file, I know what I send in.

 

[target2019]

There is a feature in TurboTax whereby you can list the data to be sent.

When you paper file your tax forms, you are choosing to go down a tax path that is not computer data driven initially. The processor is scanning your paper forms. Information gets recognized and is matched to other information on record. They are not going to look up your data in computer to determine whether you include all W-2 information. This is my guess, of course.