So this is still there for TY 2024.

I recently submitted 3 separate Calculation Challenges to Lacerte, asking them to cite their authority for this being a required entry.  They claimed that unless I could submit an FTB document saying that this field is optional, they were not changing anything.  Yeah, right, prove a negative!

I also submitted a CA return with diagnostics overridden, with this field blank.  CA accepted it just fine.

Lacerte's response was to then simply override the diagnostics each time!

This is madness!  How do we get them to contact California's FTB and confirm this is not a mandated field?

I could just enter the "2" - but since I didn't ask the client (no reason to if their employer is providing health insurance), that is not as accurate as leaving it blank.