2019 amended 8829 Carryforward to 2020 8829 not working

[davidgopal]

I am amending my 2019 taxes in order to establish a business expense carryforward on form 8829.  I already filed my 2020 taxes and did report losses on 8829 (which will be carried forward to 2021), but at that point I had not filed my 2019 amendment so the 2020 did not show any carryforwards.  I am now trying to amend my 2020 so that I can show carryforward losses on lines 25 and 31 of form 8829.  This way I will be able to use both the 2019 and 2020 losses in 2021. 

Unfortunately, TurboTax does NOT carryforward 2019 amended info to my 2020 taxes, and there seems to be no way to manually enter my 2019 carryforwards on the 2020 form 8829.  

I suppose if there was a manual entry option, I could just add the 2019 losses on my 2021 tax return, but technically my 2020 return would not be correct.  Any advice on how to make the adjustments for 2020?  (Or should I wait and hope to be able to simple do it on the 2021 return?)

[Critter-3]

There is a manual option which is all you really need ... once you have completed the form 8829 in the 2019 return  then enter the carryover info in to the 2020 amended return's form 8829 ...  look in the OIH section for the  screens  below ...  do not start the 2021 return until you have completed the 2020 amendment ... if you wait the correct carryforward will be transferred automatically ... otherwise you will need to enter it on the 2021 return OIH section again.

FYI ... the carryover is cumulative ... you ONLY enter the info from the immediate prior tax year.

[davidgopal]

Thank you, but I went through the entire home office section several times and I just do not see those screens.  My wife and I both took a home office deduction.  Could that cause a problem with the software?  

[Critter-3]

Did you both opt to use the simplified method by mistake ?  If so go back and change that choice.

View the return in the FORMS mode ... look at the 8829 in the window ... then switch back to the step by step mode and you should be taken back to that section of the program.  

You may need to make a direct entry into the form or it's worksheet in the FORMS mode as a last result.

This is my mini version of  a tutorial  that should be in the downloaded program: 

What is Forms Mode?

Forms Mode lets you view and make changes to your tax forms "behind the scenes."

If you're adventurous, you can even prepare your return in Forms Mode, but we don't recommend it. You may miss obscure credits and deductions you qualify for, and you may forget to report things that will come back and haunt you later.

Forms Mode is exclusively available in the TurboTax CD/Download software. It is not available in TurboTax Online.

Related Information:

• Why would I use Forms Mode?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Windows software?
• How do I switch to Forms Mode in the TurboTax for Mac software?
• What is-the-meaning-of-all-the-different-colors-in-forms-mode

If you want to play around with different figures and tax scenarios without affecting your original return you can ….

• >>>In the TurboTax CD/Download software by creating a test copy: 
• 1.  Open your return in TurboTax. 
• 2.  From the File menu, choose Save As. 
• 3.  Give the copy a new name to distinguish it from the original (for example, by adding "Test" or "Example" to the file name). 
• 4. Click  Save. You are now safely working in the test copy and anything you do here will not affect the original. 
•  https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900642-how-to-make-a-test-copy-of-your-return

• >>  use the WHAT IF tool: 
• - Click Forms Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 2 (forms view) 
• - Click on the Open Form Icon 
• - In the “Type a form name.” area type What-If (with the dash), click on the name of the worksheet - click on Open Form 
• - You will see the worksheet on the right side of the screen; enter the information right into the form 
• - To get back to interview mode - click on the Step-by-Step Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 1

Once you have filed shut off the auto updater function and save the return and .taxfile.

It's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your tax data file, in case your original gets lost or corrupted. Here's how:

1. From the File menu in the upper-left corner of TurboTax, choose Save As (Windows) or Save (Mac).
2. Browse to where you want to save your backup.
   • Tip: If you're saving to a portable device, save it to your computer first to prevent data corruption. Then, after completing Step 4, copy or move the backup file to your device.
3. In the File name field, enter a name that will distinguish it from the original tax file (for example, add "Backup" or "Copy" to the file name)
4. Click Save and then close TurboTax.
5. Restart TurboTax and open the backup copy to make sure it's not corrupted. If you get an error, delete the backup and repeat these steps.

If you make changes to your original tax return file, repeat these steps to ensure your original and backup copies are in-synch.

Related Information:                             

• Retrieve a Tax File from a Portable Device
• What's the difference between the tax data file and the PDF file?

AND save it as a PDF so you have access to a copy even if you don’t have the program still installed and operational :

• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Windows?
• How do I save my return as a PDF in the TurboTax software for Mac?

AND protect the files :

• How can I protect the tax files on my computer?

*** Other clues to the downloaded program ***

In the forms mode ... double click  or right click on a box on a form to data source it ... sadly it doesn't work on all boxes. 

What's the meaning of all the different colors in Forms Mode?

When you look at an onscreen tax form using Forms Mode, you might wonder why one figure is blue and the one next to it is red or black.

These colors indicate the source of that data.

Color	Meaning
Blue	You entered this data, either in the interview or Forms Mode.
Black	The program entered this data or calculated this amount.
Red	This data has either been overridden or is invalid (for example, a ZIP code that doesn't exist).
Red italics	You marked this amount as estimated.
Black italics	The program calculated this amount from an amount you marked as estimated.
Purple	This information has supporting details.
Aquamarine	This data was transferred over from last year.
Green	This data was imported from Quicken or QuickBooks.
Yellow fields (Windows)	Yellow fields allow user input. Anything you enter here shows up in blue.

[davidgopal]

We did not use simplified and we are using TurboTax online so we cannot do forms mode.  

I keep going to "self-employment" then choose the line of work, and I get to 

Even though I have gone through it about 10 times and the data is all there when I start, it shows "not started."  Maybe this is because we don't qualify for the deduction in 2020.  Anyway, I go through every step using "actual expenses" and I never see a way to enter the 2019 carryforward.  I have also tried "guide me" and "quick entry."  Neither gets me to that screenshot you showed to enter prior year carryovers.  

Is there another way?  

[Critter-3]

The ONLINE system is not operational right now so if you are working on  2019 & 2020 amendments you MUST be using the downloaded program.   Did you not download those programs and open the original returns in those programs ?   

Please contact support via phone for assistance with this; contact details can be found here

[davidgopal]

Hi. I amended the 8829 and reuploaded for 2021. This captured the carryforward for 2019 and 2020 for federal. However, it did not carry through for state. My turbotax package only shows the 2020 carryforward for state for the 8829.  Help!