This can be corrected.
It sounds like there was a Federal 1040 line 12b Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act entered when your tax return qualified for the standard deduction. Now that you want to itemize deductions on Schedule A, the entry remains there and causes an error message. The $300 contribution was likely entered under the second option listed below.
Federal 1040 line 12b Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act can be entered or removed at either:
- Federal Taxes / Deductions & Credits / Your tax breaks / Donations to Charity in 2021 or
- at the screen Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act immediately following Based on what you just told us, the Standard Deduction is best for you.
You want to change the amount of itemized deductions to $1 so that you qualify for the standard deduction. Then remove the $300 contribution. Finally, restore the itemized deductions to qualify for Schedule A.
- Remove or reduce to $1 the entries at Donations to Charity in 2021.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Wrap up tax breaks.
- You will see the screen Based on what you just told us, the Standard Deduction is best for you.
- At the screen titled Charitable Cash Contributions under the CARES Act, make sure that the box contains $0.
- At Other Tax Situations, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Let’s keep going.
- Continue through Review.
Go to Tax Tools / Tools / View Tax Summary / Preview my 1040 to view line 12b for the charitable deduction of $0.
Finally, restore the itemized deductions to qualify for Schedule A.
@Meeta
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