Thank you Thomas, very helpful, and I think you may have identified the issue?
About half the AGI is ordinary-dividend income but the balance is pension, SS, small interest and small LT capital loss. I thought the dividends might be a factor but there's still that other income that I assume should be taxable. Three confusions: 1) Turbotax lacks transparency on how the standard deduction affects various income types, 2) the SS income on line 6a shows about $ 5,000 but line 6b, the taxable amount is $ 0, and 3) given his low taxable income of $ 5,443 I thought perhaps it might be the EIC, but the math doesn't seem to work there, as he had no kids.
I'm working on my PC and not online, and the 1040 worksheet doesn't answer these confusions. Any further suggestions?
Again, appreciate your reply.
