Retirement tax questions

I think you mean line 5b on your Form 1040 is $5,000 which is the taxable amount of your pension distribution. If so, then your tax would be calculated using that amount, not your gross distribution. You can look on your Tax Smart Worksheet to see what makes up your tax. You will see that when you pay for your TurboTax program. It is possible that you are subject to an alternative minimum tax (AMT) or other taxes that are resulting in you being taxed more than on the normal tax rates. You can also look on Schedule 2 to see if you are subject to additional taxes.