On the Capital Loss Carryforward Worksheet from 2023 to 2024, line 1 in the Regular Tax column is line 11 of your 2023 Form 1040 minus line 14 of your 2023 Form 1040. If Form 1040 line 14 is more than line 11 the result will be a negative number.
The description of line 1 is shortened and does not fully describe what has to be entered there. The description says "Enter the amount from 2023 Form 1040, line 15. If a loss enter as a negative amount." But Form 1040 line 15 cannot be a loss. Line 15 says "If zero or less, enter -0-." When line 1 on the Capital Loss Carryforward Worksheet says "If a loss enter as a negative amount," what it really means is to enter the loss that would have been on Form 1040 line 15 if it was allowed to be a loss. So if Form 1040 line 15 is zero you can't enter the zero on the Capital Loss Carryforward Worksheet. You have to subtract Form 1040 line 14 from 11 to see what the loss would have been if a loss had been allowed on line 15.
