Has anybody noticed that line 12b of the Form 1040 is calculated wrong?

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
January 25, 2022
2 replies
185 views

This miscalculation reduces amount of refund or increases tax due.

TurboTax Online

DoninGA

Level 15

Form 1040 Lin 12b is only used to report a cash charitable donation if using the Standard Deduction. If used it increases your Standard Deduction thereby reducing your taxable income.

wtilley1Author

Level 2

I understand that, but when I enter the amount of cash contributions, the program calculates my refund. However, during review it identifies as an error and in place of what I entered, it enters $300 thereby reducing my refund.

DoninGA

Level 15

@wtilley1 wrote:

I understand that, but when I enter the amount of cash contributions, the program calculates my refund. However, during review it identifies as an error and in place of what I entered, it enters $300 thereby reducing my refund.

For the TurboTax desktop editions -

To remove the error I went into Forms mode and deleted the Charitable Organization Worksheet. Then on the Form 1040 Worksheet for Line 12b removed the $300 amount so Line 12b is now blank (empty).

Going back to Step-by-Step I completed the Deductions & Credits section without entering anything for a charitable donation. Continuing through the screens until landing on the screen labeled Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act, I entered $600. Continued through Final Review without error.

For the TurboTax online editions -

The problem appears to be that a charitable donation was entered in the Deductions and Credits section of the program when you are only eligible for the Standard Deduction.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen

Click on Tools

Click on Delete a form

Scroll through the all the forms, schedules and worksheets listed and delete all the Charitable Organization forms listed.

When completed with removing forms click on Continue With My Return at the bottom of the list.

Click on Federal on the left side of the screen

Click on Deductions & Credits at the top of the screen

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Wrap up tax breaks

Continue through the screens. After the screen showing that you are getting the Standard Deduction the following screen is Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act. Enter $600 if filing Jointly or $300 for all other filing status'. The federal review and the Final Review should no longer show an error for the charitable donation.

its_wayne

Level 2

I still have the issue with Turbotax Deluxe and mine is updated through 14 Feb. My thought is this for those who have state issues. Why can't you just go into Forms and change the appropriate entry?

EbonyA

Level 13

Have you tried the steps that DoninGA provided above? @its_wayne.

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its_wayne

Level 2

Actually, I just went into forms view and made the correction to Line 1b. Also, I noticed that even though Line 12c is filled in in the forms view it is not filled in on the printed form.