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Solved

Why is form 8995A still unavailable?

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
February 7, 2020
29 replies
0 views

I've been ready to file for a while now but Turbotax is saying I can't file because Form 8995A isn't available yet. First it said it would be available on 2/12/2020 and now it's saying 2/20/2020. I can go to the IRS website and find the form which is available now - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8995a.pdf

I tried calling Turbotax support and the person I talked to insisted the form isn't available yet, even through it very clearly is.

Anyone know what's going on with this?

TurboTax Home & Biz Windows

Best answer by Anonymous_

@sarasotakid wrote:
I would feel a little less frustrated and angry if TurboTax just told the truth instead of blaming "the Government".

Would it make you a little less angry if you were made aware that other tax preparation software companies are having the same issue? One of those firms has a release date for 8995-A of March 5th.

Irene2805

Every new or updated tax form must pass several checkpoints before we can call it "final" in TurboTax. Here's how it works:

The government must approve the form to make sure it follows the tax law.
The government then has to approve the tax software-specific version of that form.
We then rigorously test the form in the software to ensure it's accurate.
The government gives our form their final stamp of approval.
We can then include it in the TurboTax program.

jesses408Author

The form has been available on the IRS' website since December 2019. It shouldn't take this long to do any of the things in your list. It's a two page form - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8995a.pdf

I buy Turbotax with the expectation that I should be able to file my taxes as soon as the IRS starts allowing taxes to be filed, NOT at some seemingly random future date. Intuit needs to get this working ASAP

mannjj

I concur with Jesses408. The IRS released the form in December and it's going to take two months to include it in the software. This is very disappointing coming from a company such TurboTax. Surely this is not uncommon and TurboTax should be able to expedite the update. By the way, step number one was completed in December.

crshera

Today, February 8, 2020, I went to this IRS website address: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-8995-a

This webpage contains two links to PDF files: one for the 2019 Form 8995-A itself and one for its instructions.

The form itself is not labelled as a draft, but its instructions document is still only a draft as of December 12, 2019. I found no information about when the final instructions will be available. I think that Form 8995-A for 2019 will be available for filing using TurboTax only after the IRS publishes the final instructions document.

Critter

Employee

Ok ... just because the paper form is available doesn't mean the electronic form is ready ... even my professional program has a delay on that form until the IRS approves it for use ... this is not a simple thing to do as this form interacts with other forms which need to also be ready to accept it. Thank the congress for delaying things AGAIN and making everyone's job more difficult. Patience will be needed by all parties.

squarkman

If this form 8995 wont be available electronically on TurboTax until March , how come on the TurboTax home page it says...Must File By 2/15??? What does Must File By 2/15?
I won't be able to file until March and will then miss the deadline.

itsanss88

Is this why my form 8995-A has a "watermark" that reads, "DO NOT FILE, FORM NOT FINAL"?

I'm done with my return and printed it out and I was just going through making sure everything was in order and saw that this particular page said it's not ready even though it's all filled out.

Thanks!

pverma222

I relied on TurboTax, but checked independently; and found that IRS indeed had not issued form 8998A at that time. Then I checkef a couple of days ago; that form is now surely available with IRS but TurboTax is continuing to repeat the same mantra. I have a feeling the form is stuck in the TurboTax bureaucracy.

I am planning to buy H&R software and see if they also have the same stand. I would appreciate if some one had used H&R Block software and if they have a different story. If H&R Block provides the form, then I am done with TurboTax forever.

Anonymous_

Employee

@pverma222 wrote:

If H&R Block provides the form, then I am done with TurboTax forever.

You are NOT done with TurboTax; H&R Block is not scheduled to release Form 8995-A until 3/5/2020.

See https://www.hrblock.com/tax-software/updates-back-editions/federal-forms-available.html

pverma222

In that case I should be using my pen, calculator and already released IRS form.

donaldpennino

I have same problem. I was given e-mail notification saying this form was ready but when I go to update its still the same without the form

Same with state form. Won't let me do my return until it is available

can probably do manually and get it done faster

Dmatt401

Turbo tax did a bait and switch. No notification given until after payment. Bad business.

WreckitRalph

Would have been better off paper mailing this year, and I would agree that the fraud on others submitting my tax return is a concern.

Terrible bait and switch on me paying for the service and then not being able to file, I should file my w-2 and then my business income secondary but I'll have to pay a resubmitting fee and have to mail it anyways! Bad form guys.

Turbotax going Turbo.....

macuser_22

Employee

@WreckitRalph wrote:

Would have been better off paper mailing this year, and I would agree that the fraud on others submitting my tax return is a concern.

Terrible bait and switch on me paying for the service and then not being able to file, I should file my w-2 and then my business income secondary but I'll have to pay a resubmitting fee and have to mail it anyways! Bad form guys.

Turbotax going Turbo.....

Even the IRS says the form is not available for e-filing.

https://www.irs.gov/e-file-providers/list-of-available-free-file-fillable-forms

Screen Shot 2020-02-12 at 7.24.17 PM.jpg

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**

pverma222

Forget e-filing. I printed 8995A from IRS site, filled it out with ink, attached with everything else, and now am done. I believe I don't need 8995a. But TT is saying I do.

cubeman

what's funny is it's available on the web version of turbotax. What's annoying is I can't be signed into turbotax live and quickbooks at the sametime.

pverma222

Hahaha....Where are the TurboTax apologists? They flew away in the face of this post (I have to trust that this post is true).

macuser_22

Employee

@pverma222 wrote:

Hahaha....Where are the TurboTax apologists? They flew away in the face of this post (I have to trust that this post is true).

No idea what "this post" is trying to say, but the 8995A form is scheduled for the 2/20 update.

**Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**

ChiefBigG

Add me to the list. I’m getting a whopping $249 deduction tied to this so it’s worth about $70. Id rather give up the deduction and file, but can’t figure out a way to do so.

AKAurora1

I'm also waiting for 8995A. I talked with TT support today and asked how likely they would actually get the form updated by 2/20 and not push it back again. They checked and said the date is firm. hope so. I need to make a March 1st tax deadline and I'm pretty busy for the last ten days of the month.

According to TT, the IRS had not yet transmitted them the form. Who knows. Very frustrating.

lk55

I don't even have any QBI, no clue why this stupid form is still holding up my filing.