Rejected 2019 return based on my deceased spouse's agi

[DianeW777]

This is not as simple as you would think and much of the data on a tax return, regardless of software, is attached to either the taxpayer or the spouse.  It requires that each piece of information is assigned appropriately.  In any event, you can also try using zero, if you haven't done that, occasionally that also works in uncertain situations.

That being said, you can try to Contact us for assistance, print the tax return and mail it, or start your return from scratch under a new account and file your return.

Check this article: How do I get AGI if I don't have last year's return?

You can find more information about validating your return at the following IRS link.

• Validating your e-file return

@97hk

[emq1096]

@97hk - If your deceased spouse is the first name on the tax return, then put yours first and the deceases spouse second.  You will need to go through your income section and make sure that each income corresponds to the correct name.  When you are ready to file, put in the AGI you have last year.  What I found out was that when I put my name first, TT asks all the necessary info to confirm my identity to efile.  TT didn't ask for that when I put my late husband first.  It worked for me.  I hope it will for you too.  Good luck.

[97hk]

@emq1096  thank you so much for your reply.  did you start from scratch creating a new account so to put yourself as "first"? 

i've been using TT disks for years and it transferred my 2019 data to 2020.  i went to "personal file" to see if i could switch the primary/spouse but there's no "edit" button to do so.  

i think the IRS rejection comes from: i keyed in the date of death of my husband (who had been "first" name on all tax returns), TT automatically changes the pin # to mine & that's the rejection states: non matching agi or pin from last year.

i do not want to paper file 2020 tax return, as my 2019 tax return "is" still processing by the IRS.  don't want my 2020 tax return will be in the "black hole" if paper file.

please help!

[JeanneLO]

You can try using 0 as your AGI since your 2019 tax return is still in the processing status with the IRS.

@97hk

[BWWilliamsAssociates]

Sadly, I just had to do the following for my deceased daughter's joint return.  In joint returns, the IRS uses the first tax payer as the lead identifier in the return.  Social Security has notified IRS about his death and his Social Security number is flagged by IRS and your return will not be accepted as long s he is the first taxpayer in the tax return.  Before changing anything go into the return and write down the pin numbers etc that are used to identify the taxpayers.  Now you will need to go into the personal area of the tax return and write your info where your husbands was and then type his information where your info was.  You will now be tax payer one and he will be tax payer two.  TT ties all income info forms to taxpayer one or two.  So, you will need to change every form to tie to the correct taxpayer as they will still be pointing to wrong person.  This also applies to the pin numbers later in the return.  Still use last year's AGI.  After I did all of this my daughter's joint return was accepted immediately.  BTW, the reject error msg is incorrect.  It has nothing to do with the AGI but is caused by a deceased social security number.

[eerickso1464]

I switched the order for my husband and me and made sure the correct PINs were listed for each of us by going into the forms and it worked like it should have in the first place. 

[emq1096]

@97hk - It depends on how complicated your tax return is.  I didn’t restart. But I had to go through the whole income section to make sure that the income corresponds to the right tax payer.  If you have quite a few different income to report, it might be easier to just restart.

After I do the switch with my name as the first taxpayer, TT asks for both taxpayers’ filing PINs at the end for efile instead of just mine.

[97hk]

@BWWilliamsAssociates  I really appreciate for your detailed reply.  Can you please guide me on how to switch the first/second tax payer's name in the "Personal File" area?  I was in there, but it does not ask who's primary/spouse, just info transferred from last year.  Do I just "replace" the name with each since we have the same address etc?  

Before knowing all these problems/headache, I keyed in my husband's date of death, and TT automatically switches me as filing as surviving spous and uses my pin # for filing. I therefore believe my tax return is ejected.

[BWWilliamsAssociates]

it did that for my daughter's return but it rejected. On joint returns, two taxpayers are listed. The top name is considered the first taxpayer. You will have to edit each person. For the first one use your name, birthdate and social security number and any other info that might be different and continue.  You will then need to edit the second name to be your husband's and change that information too.  TT might object to both names being the same when you edit the first name.  So you might want to temporarily edit your name first to something else.

[97hk]

@BWWilliamsAssociates  thank you so much for the guidance on switching the first/second name on the tax return.  i did and also corrected all forms that tie to the correct tax payer.  on reviewing the reports, noticed "deceased husband's  name on  mm/dd/yyyy" noted on the 1040 worksheet and "filing as surviving spouse" tied to my deceased husband in the signature section on printed copy.  i was not able to remove both on the form.  signed with my own pin & submitted anyway.

Just got a confirmation that the return  is "rejected" again.

sorry to bother you, but may i ask if you used the same pin of last tax year, or the own pin of the first name on the return of this tax year?

[BWWilliamsAssociates]

I used pins from last year for both of them and last year's agi.

[97hk]

@BWWilliamsAssociates  just want to let you know that i went in to zero out the agi from last year and resubmitted.  fortunately, it's accepted this time, finally!  think it's because my 2019 tax returned "is" still processing at the end of irs.

i just want to personally thank you for your quick responses to my questions and guidance on how to change the primary/spouse on the tax return!  thank you!

[vsenh]

This sounds fishy, and Intuit is not fixing this problem today neither.  They should disclose this is a known issue in their software etc..,  I think we should hire lawyers to file a lawsuit on behalf of the customers.  It is clearly, the company is defraud their customers in this case

[dianalarose]

You are exactly right. I was a TurboTax user for many years. But now they're not just ignoring their customers--they're flat-out lying to them. 
My gripes with TT began a few years ago when they advertised "free" tax filing but required an upgrade to the Deluxe version for ANY departure from a bare-bones return. For example, one year I earned a few bucks as a freelancer in addition to my regular job. For this, I had to pay $50 for the upgraded software! 
The AGI bug was the final nail in the coffin for me.

[1430frankie1]

No file copy for 2018 but was filed and received refund for 2018. Turbo tax must have hard copy for that. I was told to file by mail both state of VA and Federal for 2019. my wife died July 8 2020. I got an extension for 2019 tax year I was instructed to file by mail  but I did not mail by the extension time but was filed be the Federal filing time. extension.  I did ever thing as was instructed. I received state tax for 2019. Why is my federal tax in holding seeing I filed April 20, 2020. If you could look at 2018 federal tax in your file then it may clear for agi number for 2019 .  Thank you for looking into this. me I was under a lot of pressure when my wife was found with cancer  I knew some thing was bad late November 2019 and the lack of time by the government instructions getting her to be check in the hospital when we found she had cancer June 3 2020 she lasted until July 8, 2020.