I need a schedule A form I don't know what to do

[mairairivera]

I need help

[DoninGA · Accepted solution]

A Federal Schedule A is only needed if your TOTAL itemized personal deductions are greater than your Standard Deduction for your filing status.

Standard deductions for 2019

• Single - $12,200 add $1,650 if age 65 or older
• Married Filing Separately - $12,200 add $1,300 if age 65 or older
• Married Filing Jointly - $24,400 add $1,300 for each spouse age 65 or older
• Head of Household - $18,350 add $1,650 if age 65 or older

Why do you think you need a Schedule A?

[Carl]

A SCH A is only required **IF** the total of your itemized deductions exceeds your standard deduction. A SCH A is not, and will not be produced otherwise, as there is no need for it.  However, you can "FORCE' the program to use the SCH A if you desire. However, that means if your itemized deductions are less than your standard deduction, then your tax liability to the IRS *WILL* *BE* *HIGHER*.

If a prospective lender is asking for your SCH A, and they refuse to believe this, then by all means refer them to IRS Tax Topic 501 at https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc501

Then refer them to line 9 of your 1040 tax return. If the amount entered on that line is "*EQUAL TO* your standard deduction, then you did not itemize and were not required to. If the amount on line 9 is *GREATER* than your standard deduction, then you *DID* itemize and a SCH A was automatically included in your filed tax return.

There are some situations where a tax filer MUST itemize regardless of the amount of their standard deduction. It's most common if a married person is filing a separate return and their spouse has already itemized deductions.