10286: 8606 - Lines 4 or 8 are Blank

Scenario 1, Line 4 is Blank

Answer: If no distribution amount was entered on line 7 of screen 8606, the amount entered on line 4 will not carry to the form. On Form 8606, below line 3, it states:

In 20YY, did you take a distribution from traditional, SEP, or SIMPLE IRAs, or make a Roth IRA conversion?

• No. Enter the amount from line 3 on line 14. Do not complete the rest of Part I.
• Yes. Go to line 4.

If there was no current year distribution and no amount is entered on the 8606 screen in line 7 Total Distributions received from traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs during 20YY, the software answers No to the above question and skips to line 14. Per the form guidelines, nothing will appear on lines 4-13. 

If a distribution was received in the tax year, return to screen 8606 and enter an amount on line 7. 

Scenario 2, Line 8 is Blank

Question: During the tax year, the taxpayer made a nondeductible contribution to a traditional IRA, and before the end of the tax year converted all tax-deferred IRAs to a Roth IRA. I have completed Part I (the 8606 screen) and Part II (the ROTH screen), and line 8 should display the Roth conversion. Why is Form 8606, part 1, line 8 blank? 

Answer:

To allow line 8 to display, an amount (even if zero) must be entered on line 6 of form 8606 for Total value of all traditional, SEP, and SIMPLE IRAs as of 12/31/20YY. After the entry is made, the rest of the form will be calculated. 

If line 8 is still not displaying the expected amount, review the form to see at which line the calculation is being stopped: 

• If line 5 on Form 8606 is blank, verify the amount entered on line 4 of screen 8606.
• If the amount on line 4 is more than line 3, line 5 will be calculated as zero and the rest of the form will not be completed.

See the field help (F1) for more information as to the expected entry for each line on screens 8606 and ROTH.