Cannot e-file Federal Return from 2023 TurboTax Home and Business Error: employee credits for small businesses

[dadolphs]

I cannot e-file my federal return due to the above error.  My total wages paid to my employees is highlighted, and I get the above error referring to form 8881 (which I dont use anyway).  What is going on?

[MayaD]

Form 8881 Credit for Small Employer Pension Plan Startup Costs and Auto-Enrollment won't be available in TurboTax until 03/06/2024.

It takes some time to incorporate IRS forms into TurboTax. While they may be available from the IRS on a given date, we need a few days to make the forms available for use in TurboTax.

Eligible small employers use form 8881 to claim the credit for qualified startup costs incurred in establishing or administering an eligible employer plan.

For more information, check: What is Form 8881: Tax Credit for Small Employer Pension Plan Startup Costs

To delete a form that you don't need, check: How do I view and delete forms in TurboTax Online?

[dadolphs]

I understand. However I have no need for form 8881 on my return so I deleted it.  My company does not have a small business pension plan.   Yet I still cannot e-file due to TurboTax Home and Biz hanging up on this.  Is there a way to get around this so I don't have to wait weeks to file my taxes.  My return is getting hung up by something not applicable to my return.  Thanks!

[aeisen]

Farmers are due March 1 and the same error is preventing the filing of those returns

[PatriciaV]

Taxpayers who are filing with a business and have employee wages will have to wait until all the forms are ready. There have been some changes in the tax law that will affect the tax return and TurboTax is working hard to provide you with a reliable product that allows you all possible deductions and credits. The current estimated date for availability of the form is 03/6/24.

There is no way to e-file your return before this form is released. You can, however, choose to file by mail.

[dadolphs]

I understand there are tax law implications holding up release of the affected form.  However that form does not apply to my return.  I have no Small Employee Pension Plan.  I deleted Form 8881 from my return and I still cannot eFile my return.  

Please have your programmers make a fix so that if Form 8881 is not required on someone's return, it will not hang up efiling said returns.  For instance, if we delete Form 8881 from our filing, then the efile will successfully transmit.  Seems to make sense to me. 

Thank you.  

[kinserra]

What if I change my gross wages to 0.00 and put the name Gross Wages and the amount under misc?  Will that work and will the IRS accept that?

[kinserra]

Can I move my wages to misc expenses and write out Gross Wages and enter the amount?  Will that then allow me to e-file my return?  This is absolutely ridiculous!!

[PatriciaV]

The amount on the wages line is used for the QBI calculation, so you do need to report your wages on the appropriate line.

@kinserra 

[edited 4/17/2024 | 6:59am PDT]

[calbear]

@PatriciaV I am having the same issue as well. There's $500 entered (not by me) on Part I line 4 that I cannot remove. I am trying to claim for my solo 401k under Part II which I checked.

I can't seem to figure out how to remove the entry on Part I line 4 which appears to be the issue on why my Federal and State returns keep getting rejected. It needs to be 0. I've tried manually going into forms- won't allow. I've tried Easy Steps and trying to go under Self-retirement tab, but it will not allow any changes when clicking update.

F8881-002-01 - Form 8881, 'PensionPlanStartupCostsCrAmt' must have a non-zero value if an amount is entered.

Please help Turbo Tax. It's after 3/6/24 when it was purported to be ready. (it's not)

mahalo. 

[PatriciaV]

Please see the response to your post in this thread: Re: How to Claim Small Employer Auto-Enrollment Credit (Form 8881, Part II) for solo 401k.

@calbear