California return rejected with error code 0521
Your 2011 California return is rejected with error 0521, along with the following explanation:
If Withholdings has an amount, Forms W-2, W-2G or 1099R must be present or there must be withholding from Form 1099-G, 1099-MISC, 1099-B, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, or 1099-OID. If there is no California withholding from Form 1099-G, 1099-MISC, 1099-B, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, or 1099-OID then withholdings must equal the total amounts withheld of all W-2 records. Withholdings are determined as following: W-2 - State Name 1 and/or State Name 2 must equal "CA", use State Income Tax 1 and/or State Income Tax 2. W-2G - Use State Income Tax Withheld when Payer state name equals "CA. 1099-R - State Name 1 and/or State Name 2 must equal "CA", use State Income Tax 1 and/or State Income Tax 2. If there is no California withholding from Form 1099-G, 1099-MISC, 1099-B, 1099-INT, 1099-DIV, or 1099-OID, then Withholdings must be greater than the total amounts withheld of all W-2 records and Form 1099-R.
Solution
This rejection is usually caused by a Married Filing Separately return that is switched to Married Filing Jointly, without removing the information specific to the original Married Filing Separately return.
To resolve this issue:
- Open your return in TurboTax.
- Click the Personal Info tab and proceed to the Your Personal Info Summary screen.
- Click Edit next to the topic Your Filing Status.
- Change your filing status back to Married Filing Separately and proceed until you are back at the Your Personal Info screen.
- Now, click the Federal Taxes tab (Personal tab if using Home & Business) and select Other Tax Situations below it.
- On the Other Tax Situations screen, scroll all the way down and click the Done With Other button.
- Remove your community property adjustments, tax withholding adjustments, and spouse's community income. When finished, click Done.
- Repeat Steps 2 - 4, except this time choose Married Filing Jointly.
- Proceed through the interview (both federal and California), making sure you've verified existing information and re-entered any missing information.
- Re-submit your return by clicking the File tab and going through the e-filing process again.