Why sign in to the Community?

  • Submit a question
  • Check your notifications
Sign in to the Community or Sign in to TurboTax and start working on your taxes
New Member
posted Jun 6, 2019 10:57:38 AM

How do I get to Schedule C Line 19 to enter a business deduction for contributions made to a SIMPLE retirement plan? (I am a self-employed sole proprietor)

0 23 6975
1 Best answer
Expert Alumni
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:40 AM

You do not enter your contributions to your SIMPLE plan directly on Schedule C.

You enter them in TurboTax and the program will transfer them to line 19 on Schedule C.

To enter your self-employed retirement in TurboTax Self-Employed:

  • Open your return and click on Search at the top right of your screen
  • In the Search box, type self-employed retirement then click on the magnifying glass icon on the right
  • On the results page. click on Jump to self-employed retirement
  • TurboTax will take to to an interview where you enter your SIMPLE plan contributions.

23 Replies
Expert Alumni
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:40 AM

You do not enter your contributions to your SIMPLE plan directly on Schedule C.

You enter them in TurboTax and the program will transfer them to line 19 on Schedule C.

To enter your self-employed retirement in TurboTax Self-Employed:

  • Open your return and click on Search at the top right of your screen
  • In the Search box, type self-employed retirement then click on the magnifying glass icon on the right
  • On the results page. click on Jump to self-employed retirement
  • TurboTax will take to to an interview where you enter your SIMPLE plan contributions.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:41 AM

Actually, yes, the EMPLOYER contributions to the SIMPLE are a business deduction and are supposed to be included in the Schedule C. The directions you gave are for both employee and employer contributions which will show up on the 1040. Ironically, TurboTax actually has a note which says, don’t forget to also record this as a business deduction!

Expert Alumni
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:42 AM

If you have no employee, this is where you enter your total of employer and employee contributions. If you have employees, the employees' contribution are deducted from their wages and the employer's contributions are deducted as a business expense under Less Common Expenses > Employee Pension plan.

Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:44 AM

As TurboTaxMinhT indicated, only SIMPLE contributions for your employees (other than yourself) go on Schedule C.  TurboTaxMinhT's answer correctly tells you how to get to the section where you enter your own self-employed retirement contributions.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:46 AM

From the IRS Website: If you are a sole proprietor or partner, however, you would deduct your own salary reduction contributions and your own matching or nonelective contributions on Form 1040, line 28.
And: Where do I report the contributions I make for myself to my SIMPLE IRA?
Report both your salary reduction contributions and employer contributions (non-elective or matching) for yourself on line 28 of Form 1040.
This is different from reporting employer contributions (non-elective or matching) for your common-law employees, which you would do as a business expense on your Schedule C.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:47 AM

As the sole proprietor, I am BOTH employee, and employer

Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:49 AM

Yes, that all agrees with what TurboTaxMinhT and I have said.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:49 AM

<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/simple-ira-tips-for-the-sole-proprietor:">https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/simple-ira-tips-for-the-sole-proprietor:</a>

If you are a Schedule C filer (a sole proprietor) and have a SIMPLE IRA plan, you are treated as both an employer and an employee when calculating and reporting your own plan contributions and limits. Here are some tips.

Where do I report the contributions I make for myself to my SIMPLE IRA?
Report both your salary reduction contributions and employer contributions (non-elective or matching) for yourself on line 28 of Form 1040.

This is different from reporting employer contributions (non-elective or matching) for your common-law employees, which you would do as a business expense on your Schedule C.

Expert Alumni
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:50 AM

This is exactly what @dmertz and I have said. When you enter both your employee and employer contributions as self-employed retirement in TurboTax, TurboTax will transfer the amount to line 28 of form 1040 (and not to Schedule C).

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:52 AM

The IRS website literally says you get both.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:53 AM

Here is yet another IRS website that says I put it on both the 1040, line 28 AND Schedule C, line 19:
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://www.irstaxforumsonline.com/sites/default/files/players/sep16/downloads/sep16transcript.pdf">https://www.irstaxforumsonline.com/sites/default/files/players/sep16/downloads/sep16transcript.pdf</a>
"Line 28 of the Form 1040 is the place you report the
deductions you made for yourself to the SEP or the SIMPLE IRA
if you are self-employed. ........ So then Line 19 of the Form 1040 (Schedule C) is the line item for
the deduction for contributions made to your employees and that
line is called Pension and Profit-Sharing Plans."

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:55 AM

"....the employer's contributions are deducted as a business expense under Less Common Expenses > Employee Pension plan.
~TurboTaxMinhT 4 hours ago"

Please Help! TurboTaxMinhT!  There is no option for me called "Employee Pension Plan". That is what I'm spending all this time looking for!

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:56 AM

Under Less Common Expenses, mine goes (in alphabetical order) from "Credit Card, Loan..." to "Equipment Rental"

Level 15
Jun 6, 2019 10:57:59 AM

For your *own* contributions, TurboTaxMinhT's answer said to type "self-employed retirement" in the search box (be sure to include the hyphen and omit the quote marks), click on Jump to self-employed retirement, then complete the self-employed retirement interview.  This will take you to Income & Expenses -> Other Business Situations -> Self-Employed Retirement Plans.  Answer Yes to Self Employed Retirement Plan.  Answer No to Individual or Roth 401(k) plan.  Answer Yes to Keogh, SEP and SIMPLE Contributions.

New Member
Jun 6, 2019 10:58:01 AM

Yes, I know. I have already done that. That is not actually my question. I have already entered my Self Employed SIMPLE Contributions. And Turbo Tax has already correctly poplulated that total amount to the 1040, line 28.

My question is - How do I navigate to Employee Pension Plan under Business Expenses. For some reason, it is not an available option to me.

Expert Alumni
Jun 6, 2019 10:58:02 AM

To see Employee Pension Plan under Less Common Expenses, you have to indicate in the profile of your business that you have employees (see screenshot 1 added to my main answer). If you answered that you do not have employees, you have to edit your answer. Then you will see the Employee Pension Plan category (see screenshot 2 added to my main answer),

New Member
Oct 8, 2022 10:25:05 AM

Hi, I do not see this option under less common expenses. I have been trying for a while, and a Turbotax rep has been looking as well. This line item option (line 19, "Pension and profit-sharing plans") simply does not show up. I'm using the TurboTAx Self-Employed package.

Level 15
Oct 8, 2022 10:47:05 AM

@badriv   Is this for your own plan or for your employees?  It it is for yourself it doesn't go on line 19.  That is only for plans for your employees.  Your own plan goes on Schedule1 line 16 which goes to 1040 line 10.  If you have employees, did you go to the business profile and say YES to have employees?

 

For  yourself.......

Go to Search and try entering "self-employed retirement" to get the Jump To link


Or go to
Federal
Income and Expenses and then scrolling down to the Other Business Situations section.
Click Start or Update beside Self-Employed Retirement Plans.

 

New Member
Oct 8, 2022 1:54:41 PM

@VolvoGirl Thanks. I got help from TurboTax. 

 

Essentially, for this option to show up, you need to indicate that you have employees in the "general info" tab of your business. Only after you do this, "Pension and profit-sharing" plans will start showing up as an option under "Other expenses"

 

Note that

 

1. You need to get a formal pension plan and / or a profit sharing plan set up, and file 550 for it

2. You can do this even if you are running a sole proprietorship

Level 15
Oct 8, 2022 1:59:08 PM

Yes I did say you you have to say yes you have employees.  So you do pay employees and give them a W2?  Not just paying them as subcontractors on a 1099NEC.

Level 2
Feb 19, 2024 2:47:40 PM

Where do you see that you can take this employer contribution (to yourself) as a Schedule C deduction?  "2. You can do this even if you are running a sole proprietorship"

 

The link you posted earlier in the thread is broken.  Everything I've seen online, including in the IRS guidance, indicates you cannot take two deductions for the same single contribution, but I'd love to learn if there's a way.

 

 

Level 2
Feb 19, 2024 3:12:15 PM

From the 2023 Schedule C instructions: www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040sc

 

"Line 19: Enter your deduction for the contributions you made for the benefit of your employees to a pension, profit-sharing, or annuity plan (including SEP, SIMPLE, and SARSEP plans described in Pub. 560). If the plan included you as a self-employed person, enter the contributions made as an employer on your behalf on Schedule 1 (Form 1040), line 16, not on Schedule C."

 

Level 2
Feb 19, 2024 3:18:41 PM

From Publication 560: 

 

"Remember that sole proprietors and partners can't deduct as a business expense contributions made to a SEP for themselves, only those made for their common-law employees."