Support CenterIn care of diagnostic error
❌ Diagnostic Error - Invalid "In Care Of" Field
This guide explains how to fix the "Invalid In Care Of" error that appears when running diagnostics on a return for a surviving spouse.
❌ Error Message
"Invalid In Care Of" appears when running diagnostics or submitting a return for a deceased taxpayer.
What it means: The "In Care Of" field is improperly formatted and needs correction.
📋 Understanding "In Care Of"
The "In Care Of" (In Care Of) field is used on tax returns for a deceased taxpayer's final return when the surviving spouse is handling the return.
⚠️ When You Need This Field
Use "In Care Of" when:
- The taxpayer is deceased
- The surviving spouse is filing the final return
- The return needs to indicate it's on behalf of the deceased person
📋 How to Fix This Error
The Fix
Enter the "In Care Of" information in the correct format.
- On the Main Information Sheet, find the "In Care Of" field
- Enter the format exactly as shown: % Surviving Spouse Name
- Start with a percent sign: %
- Followed by a space
- Then the surviving spouse's full name
✅ Example
Correct format:
If the surviving spouse name is John Smith, enter:
% John Smith
Step-by-Step
- Open the return in SureFire
- Navigate to Main Information Sheet
- Find the "In Care Of" field
- Clear any existing content
- Type: % (percent sign + space)
- Type the surviving spouse's full name
- Example: % John Smith
- Save the return
- Run diagnostics again to verify the error is gone
⚠️ Important Notes
- Always include the % symbol at the beginning
- Include a space after the % symbol
- Use the surviving spouse's full name (first and last)
- Do not use initials or abbreviations
📞 Still Need Help?
If you need help with the "In Care Of" field or continue to get errors, contact our support team:
Phone: 1-800-516-9442
Tags: install,web,federal,diagnostic