In 2020, if you use the standard deduction you can claim up to $300 in charitable donations without itemizing.
Here are the steps to get to the screen to add the charitable donation:
This will not add $300 to your refund amount, but it will reduce the amount of taxes owed or inccread your refund, usually by about $30. You have to go through the credits and deductions screens for this to work.
I am trying to amend my return and have tried that numerous times and do not get that screen, it just goes back to the main amendment page after I confirm the standard deduction. I did exactly that when I filed my original return, I just forgot a donation so I want to add it. I called to speak to someone who was not able to help me and said it might be an issue with my tax form and transferred me. I was hung up on before speaking to anyone else because I wouldn't upgrade to the $80 edition.
The CARES act allows tax payers who select the standard deduction to take up to $300 as a charitable donation without itemizing deductions.
Here is how to get to that screen when you do your amend:
The "trick" is to go through all of the credit and deduction screens until it comes to the standard deduction question and then chose standard deduction.
Yes, I did that. Multiple times and on the phone with the person sharing my screen. Something is wrong then, who can help me?
Are you sure you didn't get the contribution on your original return?
The limit is 300 and it will be on your 1040 line 10b.
I am using online, I followed the instructions above and I do not have "Go" on the standard deduction page, it says "continue" and goes straight back to the main amendment page, same as before. The cares act screen does not show up.
I only put the amount of one donation and forgot about the second one, hence why I want to amend it.
What are the amounts? You can only claim up to $300 total.
The original amount I claimed was $10, I forgot about a $50 donation and want to add it. Well under the $300.
Please follow these steps to enter the charitable cash contribution for 10b :
As I notes several times already, that screen does NOT come up for me. I am trying to amend my return and it just goes straight back to the main amendment page after the standard deduction screen. I do not get the cares act charitable contributions screen like I did when I originally filed.
Are you using the Online or CD/desktop product?
When you start the amendment process, Go to Deductions & Credits (if you can) or do a Search (upper right) for charitable contributions and click on the jump-to link (Mac users must find charitable contributions in the Topics List).
When you get there, add your second donation - make sure it is also MONEY.
Then on the left of your screen, click on Review. If things happen the way they did in my test, then the Review will notice that you made a change in contributions and then ask you to enter the line 10b amount (the above the line charitable contribution deduction).
Note that many posts above reference "Wrap Up Tax Breaks" but this button does not exist in all version of TurboTax. I find it better to click on the Review where TurboTax should notice that you have the Standard Deduction, have cash contributions, and express a curiosity about the line 10b above-the-line deduction, giving you the opportunity to change the line 10b value from $10 to $60.
Let us know if this works for you.
I am using the online version. I do not have a "Review" option anywhere after adding the donation under Deductions & Credits. On the left I only have Tax Home, Documents, Amend, Cancel Amend, Tax Tools.
Under Deductions & Credits, at the bottom, do you see "Wrap Up Tax Breaks"? I am told that in Online, if you click on this option, that you will be asked about this above the deduction IF you have entered at least one charitable contribution with MONEY, and you are taking the Standard Deduction.
Unfortunately, I cannot test this, so I will have to ask your indulgence to see if this works for you.
Yes I do see "Wrap Up Tax Breaks". After I click that, I get the "Based on what you just told us, the Standard Deduction is best for you" screen. After I click continue, I go straight back to the "Here's the info for your amended federal return" main page. No matter what I do, I cannot get the page that asked about the $300 cash charitable contributions.
Who can I contact about this TurboTax issue? Because if all these people are telling me I should be able to do it, but I can't, and the person I spoke to on the phone said it could be an issue with my tax form, there has GOT to be someone to talk to about this. Can someone PLEASE get me in contact with someone who can help me. I am allowed to amend my return for this, but TurboTax will not let me, that isn't right.
Just enter the total figure you contributed in the cash contributions section in the amendment process. You will be asked again during the SmartCheck review when you are getting ready to file your amended return. [See screenshot below.]
What exactly do you mean by "cash contributions section"? I only have Charitable Donation section under Deductions & Credits. Is that what you mean? I entered the donations there and I do NOT get anything anywhere even after going through the entire rest of the process right up to re-filing. I do not get whatever screenshot you shared, nothing changes.
It is possible this $50 donation change does not affect your return and therefore you will not see a change. You should check your originally filed 1040 to see that line 24 total tax may be zero and the amount that was withheld from your pay Line 25 has already been refunded on line 34. That would mean any additional deductions will not affect your returns.
I am not seeing how that connects to the allowable $300 in cash contributions under the standard deduction. Line 24 is not zero and line 34 is blank. I did not get a refund.
To increase what donations were reported, yes, an amended return would be required, which you have begun. To return to the correct area an increase the Cares Act Donation, it must be entered in the original donation section.
Keep in mind that the Cares Act Charitable Donation amount is a deduction. This means it reduces Adjusted Gross Income, not your tax bill. If your tax rate was 10%, adding $50 to your Cares Act Donation would save $50x10%=$5 on your tax balance due.
You would see this reported on Line 1 of Form 1040-X in Column B as a net change.
If you do want to proceed, to return there, follow these steps:
To qualify for the Cares Act above-the-line deduction up to $300 for all taxpayers except married filing separate, who would each have a maximum of $150, for standard deduction filers, the IRS clarifies that the contribution must be:
For more information, see: Charitable Contributions - TurboTax Tax Tips & Videos