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I've been following this thread and wanted to share another potential solution that worked for me when I had similar 1095-A issues with TurboTax. Check if your marketplace plan had any mid-year premium changes that aren't reflected properly on your 1095-A. Sometimes the marketplace will show an average monthly premium on the form, but TurboTax expects the actual month-by-month amounts. This can happen if you had income changes during the year that affected your premium tax credit calculations. I had to go back into my marketplace account and look at my monthly billing statements to get the exact premium amounts for each month, rather than relying on what was printed on the 1095-A summary. Once I entered the actual monthly amounts instead of the averaged amounts, TurboTax processed it without any crashes. Also, make sure you're using the most recent version of TurboTax - they released several updates this tax season specifically to address 1095-A processing issues. If you're using the desktop version, check for updates before trying to enter your form again.
This is such a good point about the mid-year premium changes! I just checked my marketplace account and you're absolutely right - my 1095-A shows averaged amounts but my actual monthly premiums varied quite a bit throughout the year. In my case, my premium went from $587 in January to $612 by December due to some income adjustments I made mid-year. I bet this is why TurboTax keeps throwing those "inconsistency" errors when I enter the averaged amounts from the form. Going to try entering the actual monthly amounts from my billing statements instead. Thanks for this insight - it's exactly the kind of detail that the 1095-A instructions don't make clear!
I've been dealing with a similar TurboTax 1095-A nightmare and wanted to add one more potential fix that hasn't been mentioned yet. If you're still getting crashes or error messages, try logging into your Healthcare.gov account (or your state marketplace) and downloading a fresh copy of your 1095-A as a PDF. Sometimes the physical form you received in the mail can have printing errors or the data can get corrupted if it got wet/damaged. I spent two weeks troubleshooting what I thought was a TurboTax bug, only to discover that my mailed 1095-A had a smudged number in Box 33A that I had been misreading. The "6" looked like an "8" due to poor print quality. When I downloaded the clean PDF version from my marketplace account, I could see the correct numbers clearly. Also, for anyone considering the alternative software route - H&R Block's online version has been much more forgiving with 1095-A entry this year. Their interface actually shows you a side-by-side comparison of what you're entering vs. what the form shows, which helped me catch a couple data entry mistakes I was making in TurboTax. The bottom line is don't give up! These 1095-A issues are frustrating but definitely solvable once you identify the root cause.
Does anyone know if using the money for a first home purchase exempts you from the 10% penalty on a Roth 403b? I know it does for IRAs up to $10k but I thought 403b plans didn't qualify for that exception?
You're right to be confused because there's an important distinction here. The first-time homebuyer exception that waives the 10% early withdrawal penalty applies to IRAs (both traditional and Roth) up to $10,000 lifetime limit, but it does NOT apply to 403b or 401k plans. For 403b/401k plans, you would still face the 10% penalty on any taxable portions withdrawn early, even if used for a first home purchase. However, if you first roll your 403b funds into an IRA, then wait at least 60 days, you could take advantage of the homebuyer exception through the IRA.
Great question about the 1099-R! Based on what you've described, it sounds like you're dealing with a fairly standard Roth 403b withdrawal situation. The $12,000 non-taxable portion represents your contributions (money you already paid taxes on when you earned it), while the $4,000 taxable portion represents earnings that grew tax-free in your account. Since you didn't have taxes withheld, you'll need to account for this when filing. You'll owe regular income tax on that $4,000 plus the 10% early withdrawal penalty ($400). Unfortunately, as others mentioned, 403b plans don't qualify for the first-time homebuyer exception that applies to IRAs. One thing to consider for future reference - you might want to look into whether your 403b plan allows for hardship withdrawals or loans for home purchases, as these sometimes have more favorable terms. Also, since you're in Florida (no state income tax), you at least don't have to worry about additional state penalties. Make sure to keep all your home purchase documentation - closing statements, contracts, etc. - in case the IRS has any questions about the withdrawal purpose. And don't forget to file Form 5329 with your tax return to report the early distribution properly!
Thanks for the detailed breakdown! I'm actually in a similar situation right now - considering an early withdrawal from my 403b for a home purchase. You mentioned hardship withdrawals or loans as alternatives - do you know if the loan option would avoid the tax implications entirely? I've heard conflicting information about whether 403b loans are treated differently than withdrawals for tax purposes. Also, is there a typical maximum loan amount or percentage of your account balance that plans usually allow?
The IRS website is so confusing fr. Why they gotta make everything so complicated π€
fr fr its like they want us to mess up or sumthing
The pattern you're seeing is actually completely normal! The N/A entries don't mean there's a problem with your returns. Here's what's happening: **Return Transcripts** - These are only kept readily available online for recent years (usually 2-4 years). Having just 2021 available is typical. **Account Transcripts showing N/A** - This is actually GOOD news! It means you haven't had any post-filing adjustments, amendments, or IRS changes to your returns. If the IRS had made changes or you filed amendments, these would show up here. **Wage & Income Transcripts** - These have the longest availability (2019-2022 in your case) because they're direct reports from employers/financial institutions to the IRS. **Record of Account showing N/A** - Since this combines Return and Account transcript data, and your Account transcripts are N/A (no changes), this would also show N/A. The asterisk note about "Verification of Non-Filing letters" just means if you need to prove you didn't file for a particular year, that option exists. Bottom line: Your transcript availability looks completely normal for someone who filed their returns properly without needing amendments or having IRS adjustments. Nothing to worry about! π
One thing to watch out for with BC PST - if you're providing digital products or services, the rules can be different than for physical goods. I learned this the hard way last year. For digital services sold to BC customers, you generally need to charge PST. But the same digital service sold to customers outside BC (including US) is PST-exempt. Check out the BC gov website's bulletin PST 107 for the specific rules on telecommunications services which includes digital products. Don't make the same mistake I did and assume digital = exempt!
Does software-as-a-service (SaaS) count as a digital service for PST purposes? I offer a monthly subscription to my web application and wasn't sure if I should be charging PST to my BC customers.
Yes, SaaS definitely counts as a taxable service for BC PST purposes. You should be charging 7% PST to all your BC-based customers for your web application subscriptions. The province considers software accessed through an online portal to be the same as software purchased and downloaded. The provincial government has been increasingly focused on digital service taxation in recent years, so this is definitely an area where you want to be compliant. If you haven't been collecting PST on these transactions, you might want to look into voluntary disclosure before they catch it in an audit.
Quick heads up for anyone with BC small businesses - make sure you're also keeping track of where YOUR suppliers are located. If you're buying stuff from other provinces or internationally, different input tax rules apply. For example, I was buying software from an Ontario company and they were charging me HST, which affects how I claim input tax credits compared to GST. And when I buy from US suppliers, there's no GST/HST charged but I might pay duties or import taxes depending on what I'm buying. Tracking this stuff from day one saves massive headaches at tax time!!
NeonNinja
Quick follow-up question for you: β’ Did they tell you specifically why your return was flagged for verification? β’ Were you claiming any specific credits that might have triggered this? β’ Did you file with a tax preparer or self-prepare? I'm trying to identify patterns in who gets selected for verification vs. full-blown identity verification letters. This could help others prepare proactively next tax season.
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Eli Butler
Just went through phone verification two weeks ago! Here's what they asked me: β’ Basic info (name, SSN, DOB, address from return) β’ My 2024 AGI from line 11 of Form 1040 β’ Driver's license number and expiration date β’ Previous year's AGI (2023) β’ Asked me to confirm two specific 1099-NEC amounts I reported β’ One random question about my filing status The whole call took about 18 minutes. I had everything organized beforehand which definitely helped. My transcript updated 3 days later and refund hit my account exactly one week after the call. Pro tip: Have your actual tax return PDF open on your computer/phone during the call. Makes it so much easier to reference specific amounts quickly. They seemed impressed when I could answer immediately instead of saying "um, let me find that..." Good luck with your call! The phone verification is honestly way better than waiting for that stupid letter in the mail.
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