Charitable Deduction Limits Worksheet changed (line 17)!

[infohighwy2]

I filed my return online a few weeks ago and it was accepted. However, I went out today to look at some things, and it wanted to do an update of the program on my computer. I allowed it to do that, and when it loaded my unchanged tax return I had filed, it now said I owe $1500 more than on the return I filed. I compared the return I filed from the one on my computer today, and noticed that line 17 on the Charitable Deduction Limits Worksheet changed and also the calculation associated with it, naturally. The one on the form I filed said, "17. Subtract line 15 from line 10a. The one on the current program says 17. Subtract line 16 from line 15. BIG DIFFERENCE! Which is the correct one, and whose goof is it that line 17 changed? Mine, or Turbo Tax's? Is this a case where they say that their returns are 100% accurate but apparently in this case they were not? I guess I should wait to hear back from the IRS as to the goof and the penalty for that. I'm still not positive that what I submitted originally is not correct, and the update is actually the one that is wrong.

[tagteam]

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@infohighwy2 wrote:

I guess I should wait to hear back from the IRS as to the goof and the penalty for that. I'm still not positive that what I submitted originally is not correct, and the update is actually the one that is wrong.

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I believe waiting would be the best course of action, but you might want to contact support (after the rush today ends, of course).

Support is here --> https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1899263

Note that there is nothing that would relate to what you described in the release notes for the last couple of weeks.

See https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/3169946

Also note that TurboTax does not support certain calculations, which would affect the 100% accuracy guarantee.

See https://digitalasset.intuit.com/DOCUMENT/A5FP7N8Ic/2018-unsupported-calcs-L1FQfTTgn-1.pdf

[infohighwy2]

Thanks for the links. Fortunately I saved the "full deal" PDF file when I submitted my returns so all worksheets are included. So if someone at TT or IRS wants to see where the error was, it is very clear where it happened and how it changed my tax due. I have always assumed that if there is a mistake that there is a disclaimer for that (isn't that always the case these days), and assume that will be the case here as well. So the 100% guarantee correct is a bit misleading IMHO. Clearly that form changed from March 20 until today sometime, and I can prove it. But assume I will be on the hook for any penalties and interest due to fine print that says that worksheets are excluded from the math guarantee. Such is life and I'd almost be surprised if it was covered by their guarantee because it does seem too good to be true and we all know what that means. 

[kmschmitz]

Did you ever obtain a resolution to the changes in the charitable deductions limits worksheet?  My problem is different.  My original submission in February did not include the worksheet and when I subsequently updated my files recently (in June), I now have the worksheet with an excess contribution base on lines 24 to 27 - taxes due and carryover to 2019.  I reviewed the IRS publication 526 worksheet and performed the calculation in Excel and TT appears to have the correct calculation now.  I assume I am liable for taxes and interest.   

[infohighwy2]

FOLLOW UP: Not wanting to incur further penalties and interest on the money that I owe them, I computed and printed out an amended return with hopefully the correct numbers and mailed that in with the funds that are owed. To my surprise, a few days later, before the IRS even got the amended return, I got a note from them saying that my numbers on my original return were wrong, and that I owed them about half of what I actually sent in with the amended return. To stop the interest and penalty clock from running, I went ahead and sent them the additional funds they said I owed them. Between now and next year I will try to figure out if the IRS can tell me exactly how much they needed to close out 2018, and additional funds I sent them will then be estimated payments.

At this point I have absolutely no idea how they came up with their numbers or why they were so different than the ones that TurboTax came up with, even on the allegedly correct return. So I think if I cannot get the numbers from the IRS, I will then just cancel any carryforwards I had been using and start over for 2019 with a clean slate. If I don't resort to an accountant for 2019, I will definitely buy two competing products to do my taxes and basically send the IRS which ever one says I owe more under the theory that the one that says I owe less is doing an underpayment.

Apparently these carryforwards are extremely complex especially when more than one type is being carried forward, and probably there is some difference in opinion of how that should be done. So I will simplify things in the future to hopefully avoid this problem. I may eventually hear back from the IRS regarding my amended return, because I understand since it was on paper it takes a long time to process. All I know is they should have plenty of funds so that there are no penalties or interest moving forward at this time.