You're correct, I yield to a more experienced person who is aware of some subtleties I hadn't considered (yet).
I really didn't want to get into that form/worksheet, but eventually I worked thru it enough that I think I can see what's going on with the worksheet and what it does with LT gains. Normal folks really can't be expected to go thru that mess.
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A real solution for this person (and many, many others) would be to ALWAYS use the Desktop software each and every year. Then they can simply use the prior year's tax forms, and the What-IF worksheet to adjust the $$ amounts in the various income categories, to model the next year. Can't do everything, but it would be reasonably close. (And the Online software is really almost totally useless for such pre-season modelling ) .
Though that really doesn't give them their actual tax brackets, it will show a tax calculation with balance due, or refund, that they can either accept, or decide it too much to tolerate.
____________*Answers are correct to the best of my knowledge when posted, but should not be considered to be legal or official tax advice.*
