TurboTax Error: Box 18 Blank but Box 19 Has Amount - Won't Let Me Proceed

Tax pro here. This is a common issue with Form W-2. Box 18 shows your state wages and Box 19 shows state income tax withheld. Logically, you can't have state tax withheld (Box 19) on zero wages (Box 18). Check your W-2 again - Box 18 should match Box 1 unless you live in a state with different wage calculations.

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I had the exact same issue last year! Try clicking 'override' if turbotax has that option

turbotax is trash tbh. switch to hrblock next year trust

having the same issue rn... following

might be a glitch. try logging out and back in works sometimes lol

Had this exact same error last month! The issue is usually that TurboTax is comparing the wrong boxes. Make sure you're looking at the right form - sometimes people accidentally look at their paystub instead of the actual W-2. Also double-check that you didn't accidentally enter the numbers in the wrong fields when inputting your data. If your W-2 shows both Box 18 and 19 have amounts, re-enter them carefully and it should resolve the error.

For anyone still having this issue, another thing to check is if you have multiple W-2s from different employers. Sometimes TurboTax can get confused when aggregating state tax information across multiple forms. Make sure each W-2 is entered separately and completely before moving on to the next one. Also, if you moved states during the year, you might need to file returns in multiple states which can complicate the Box 18/19 calculations. The error usually clears up once all forms are properly entered with matching state wage and withholding information.

I've been dealing with TurboTax errors for years and this Box 18/19 mismatch is super common. One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet - make sure you're not accidentally looking at your 1099 forms when you think you're checking your W-2. I did this once and spent hours trying to figure out why the numbers didn't match up. Also, if you have any employer corrections or amended W-2s, those can sometimes show different box layouts that throw people off. The golden rule is always double-check that Box 18 (state wages) and Box 19 (state tax withheld) are from the exact same document before entering them into TurboTax.