Turbo Tax bug Form 6251, line 2a

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The IRS instructions state the following for line 2a of Form 6251:

Line 2a-Taxes

Enter the amount of all taxes from Schedule A (Form 1040), line 7, except any generation-skipping transfer taxes on income distribution.

If you aren't filing Schedule A (Form 1040), then enter the standard deduction amount that you reported on Form 1040 or 1040-SR, line 12e.

The current version of TT populates line 2a with the standard deduction in ALL cases, instead of just those cases where the taxpayer is taking the standard deduction and not filing Sch A. Please correct.

AnnetteB6

Employee Tax Expert

I was not able to replicate the situation you described. My test case used the correct value on line 2a of Form 6251. However, we could be using different versions of the program.

The first step to getting a situation in TurboTax to be reviewed and investigated by the development team is to provide them with a diagnostic tax data file demonstrating the circumstance. If you would be willing to provide a diagnostic copy of your return, that would be helpful. The diagnostic file will not contain personally identifiable information, only numbers related to your tax forms.

To provide us with the diagnostic file, follow the instructions below and post the token number along with which version of TurboTax you are using in a follow-up thread.

Use these steps if you are using TurboTax Online:

Sign in to your account and be sure you are in your tax return.
Select Tax Tools in the menu to the left.
Select Tools.
Select Share my file with agent.
A pop-up message will appear, select OK to send the sanitized diagnostic copy to us.
Post the token number here.

If you are using a CD/downloaded version of TurboTax, use these steps:

Select Online at the top of the screen.
Select Send Tax File to Agent.
Click OK.
Post the token number here.

If you are using a Mac version of TurboTax, use these steps:

Go to the Menu at the top of the screen and select Help.
Then, Send Tax File to Agent.
Post the token number here.

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user17733704952Author

Level 2

Hi Annette, thanks for your reply. I found a workaround here that helped.

In prior years when I "forced" TT to itemize and Sch A, line 7 was "blank", TT understood the "blank" to be a zero and moved a zero to Form 6251 line 2a.

For my 2025 return, when TT saw a "blank" in Sch A line 7 it defaulted to my standard deduction on Form 6251, line 2a. It was only after I went into Sch A and manually entered a zero into Sch A, line 7 that TT moved a zero to Form 6251 line 2a. Not sure if this was an intended change or not in the 2025 program, but it now gives me the correct result.