How to efile mfs state returns after efiling mfj federal?

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Once the federal is accepted, you can print out the acknowledgement, then go in and uncheck the EF boxes on the fed info worksheet, save and exit the return, that should remove the duplicate SSN message on the states in the EFCenter.

[lalexander]

Thanks, Lisa.  I've tried that, but keep getting an error message 'The federal return failed final review'.  This is different than in prior years, and I can't figure out the fix.

[lalexander · Accepted solution]

The only way this works is if there are no errors in the federal return, even though you are not e-filing the federal return.  

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

why would there be errors in the federal return if you already filed it?

[lalexander]

When Proseries splits the MFJ return into two separate MFS returns, you end up with three files: MFJ, MFS-taxpayer and MFS-spouse.

I efiled the MFJ federal return just fine.

Then I went into each MFS file to just e-file their respective states ( One lives in one state and the other in another state).  Has nothing to do with the federal return in that file; no e-file checked box for the federal ; only the state efile box is checked. 

Have to make sure that no errors appear in the federal return for the MFS file, even though you're not using it, before the software will allow you to e-file the state return successfully.

Thanks for your support!

[Just-Lisa-Now-]

Its possible the states youre dealing with are piggyback states and require the federal return along with them to efile....you may be stuck filing those MFS by paper.

Or maybe edit the title of your question to include which states youre dealing with, maybe someone familiar with the situation and those states have a better answer.