@bwierdra You say that you are retired and that you collect Social Security. You do not mention whether you have any other income besides the Social Security. If the SS is your only income then you are not required to file a tax return.
If you have other income from which tax is being withheld then you might need to file in order to seek a refund---or to get the stimulus payments if you have not yet received them.
As for entering deductions for donations and/or medical expenses----itemized deductions do not have any effect unless you have enough to exceed your standard deduction. The medical deduction is especially difficult to use since you have to meet a very tough threshold. $1000 of medical/dental expenses will not have any effect.
If you gave $300 in contributions to your church you can enter that.
In order to take this above-the-line deduction, enter your donation(s) under Deductions & Credits > Charitable Donations > Donations to Charities in 2020. The deduction will be added above-the-line by TurboTax after you have completed the Wrap up tax breaks interview in TurboTax if you take the Standard deduction.
On your form 1040, this deduction appears on line 10b - Charitable contributions if you take the standard deduction.
STANDARD DEDUCTION
Many taxpayers are surprised because their itemized deductions are not having the same effect as they did on past tax returns. The new higher standard deduction and the elimination of certain deductions, as well as the cap on state and local taxes have had a major impact since the new tax laws went into effect beginning with 2018 returns.
Your itemized deductions have to be more than your standard deduction before you will see a change in your tax owed or tax refund. The deductions you enter do not necessarily count “dollar for dollar;” many of them are subject to meeting tough thresholds—medical expenses, for example, must meet a threshold that is pretty hard to reach. (Only the amount that is MORE than 7.5% of your AGI counts) The software program uses all the IRS rules that apply to the expenses you enter, and it tells you if you have enough to use your itemized deductions or if using the standard deduction is more advantageous for you. Under the new tax laws, some deductions have been capped—there is a $10,000 limit to the itemized deductions for state, local, property and sales taxes.
Your standard deduction lowers your taxable income. It is not a refund. You will see your standard or itemized deduction amount on line 12 of your 2020 Form 1040.
2020 Standard Deduction Amounts
Single $12,400 (+ $1650 65 or older)
Married Filing Separate $12,400 (+ $1300 if 65 or older)
Married Filing Jointly $24,800 (+ $1300 for each spouse 65 or older)
Head of Household $18,650 (+ $1650 for 65 or older)
**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**
