Using HR to file simple tax return but having a problem with boxes 18 and 19 on w2 and error. There is no amount in 18?

Depending on where you live, this is normal. Box 18 gives your income for local tax purposes, box 19 the amount withheld for local taxes. If your locality does not have a local income tax, these boxes will be empty.

For example, residents of Philadelphia pay a wage tax of 3.92%, which is not subject to deductions or exemptions. When they work, the employer will report all of their wages in box 18 (the amount subject to local income tax), and then report 3.92% of that in box 19 (the amount withheld for the tax). When filing federal taxes, employees can take the amount in box 19 as an itemized deduction, in addition to their deduction of state taxes.

Edit: If your box 19 is more than your box 18, it sounds like your company made some kind of accounting mistake. (It should not be withholding any income for local taxes if it has determined your income is not subject to it.) Your best bet is to contact the company for an explanation and a corrected form W-2.

If all else fails, you should still be able to file your federal taxes using the "Fillable Forms" option provided by the IRS. You fill out the forms yourself, electronically, and then file them electronically as well. You don't have the benefit of tax software, but you avoid any software bugs and can simply follow the tax guidance the IRS supplies.

I'm in California and have never had anything in these boxes. It's generally 15/16. However it sounds like you just need to put your total gross income in box 18. That large number they repeat multiple times in the boxes above.

I am in California the software is not allowing me to go any further with return because box 19 is larger than 18.