Message: "State cannot be e-filled before your federal" but already received email confirmation that federal was received.

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
April 5, 2023
3 replies
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What do I do? I would greatly prefer to e-file rather than paper file it, but I know we're getting close to tax day.

I filed with TurboTax Premier (PC version, not online/web browser) on March 26, and received TurboTax email confirmation of acceptance for Federal and 1 of 2 states, but I still can't file for my 2nd state, California. Both States and federal were all completed and attempted to be filed on the same day, at the same time.

I just tried again 4/5/23 2:50PM PT and still get the same message, so it's been 10 days now. If this is standard/expected procedure, for future reference, how long should I expect to wait, and what confirmation should I be waiting for? Or is there no confirmation and I have to just keep trying to submit to e-file every day until it goes through?

Ask the Experts - Refund - April 2023

Best answer by DawnC

Sorry that won't work. You can only efile state from the same return the federal was accepted. So you can't efile CA from the mock federal joint return. You will have to print and mail california.

See the RDP guidance here. You have to mail the state return since you did not e-file the ''mock'' federal joint return. See step 5 under Part lV.

DawnC

Employee

Did you delete your CA return and then re-add it after you e-filed federal? You should be able to e-file your state once the federal return has been accepted. How to E-file State After E-filing Federal.

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cchin0021Author

No, I did not delete anything, but my situation is my partner and I created and filed our own individual Federal Taxes (Filing status, single) and then we build another (with community income, Domestic Partnership) for Married Fling Jointly for the single state of California. So perhaps Turbo tax is not registering that our individual Federal taxes were accepted? Any idea how to get around this? Both individual federals were filed on the computer/single license of TurboTax Premier.

VolvoGirl

Employee

Sorry that won't work. You can only efile state from the same return the federal was accepted. So you can't efile CA from the mock federal joint return. You will have to print and mail california.

RobertB4444

You need to create a mock up federal joint return and then the California joint return with it. Tell the system you are mailing the federal joint return and then efile the state.

@cchin0021

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lasafro

Just so you know, this worked for me just now. It wouldn't let me file my state return with a new file, but when I prepared the married state return for our RDP from a COPY of my original federal accepted return file, it worked and let me submit state only by e-file. The desktop app is not as helpful as the web based platform! Honestly this was such a headache.

BastaPa

OK, after listening to other TT users, here is the trick to e-filing ALL of your returns in a RDP:

- Prepare both your Federal returns, and e-file them. DO NOT start working on your "mock" Federal joint-return yet. And e-file both of your Federal returns. Call these files, e.g., Joe Fed Return and John Fed Return. This "stamps" each file as having been e-filed to the IRS.

- After e-filing your Fed returns, select the Federal file (out of the two) that requires the least modifications to become the basis for your mock-Federal joint file, i.e., that's the Fed file that you will NOT file to the IRS (as the IRS does not accept a Joint Return for a RDP) - say it's Joe Fed Return. Think about the modifications that you will need to make to bring all of your incomes from both of you, into one file. And make a copy of that file that you name Joe John Joint Return.

- Make your modifications to bring all of both your income as if you were married, e.g., all work wages or earned interest are no longer split, but "joint" numbers. This file then created your State Return. You may need to make some adjustments to your State Return, e.g., for charity donations that were not recognized by the IRS b/c you took the Standard Deduction.

- When you have completed all of your modifications to have a Joint Return, now you can e-file it with your state because you used a file that was "stamped" by TT as having been filed to the IRS; e.g., in this example, Joe Fed Return file was stamped, and now that you made modifications to that file to be a "joint return", it still remembers that it was used to file a return to the IRS.

Hope this works for you - it sure did for me!

NOTE: pay attention to the notes that you get after you file your Federal Returns (Joe and John) - for some returns, the IRS will require that you print and mail certain forms from your Federal Returns to the IRS. It sure beats having to print the whole return - even to the State, if you can't e-file it!!!

cchin0021Author

Thanks! Ran through your method and Turbo Tax accepted it!

It had me print/mail 1 form, which was a Form 1040-V: Payment Voucher for the Federal Amount due on my "Mock" federal, which expectedly, doesn't match our other returns. Seeing as my partner and I filed federal as individuals, and our net difference came out with a Refund, not a payment, I'll try not mailing anything and see what happens.