if i report a capital gain that is less than my capital loss carryover, this should result in a capital loss, but turbotax doesn't calculate it this way. why?

[MelindaS1]

You're looking at software menus which help show how your income has been input by you, and not how it all shows in sum on the final tax return. Print a copy of your Form 1040, and look at the amount on Line 7a - "Capital gain or (loss). Attach Schedule D if required". To print the PDF of your tax return:

TurboTax Online

1. Open or continue your return.
2. Select Continue or Start on Tax Home to enter your return.
3. Select Tax Tools from the menu.
4. Select Print Center, choose Print, save, or preview this year's return, and follow the instructions.
   • If you haven't yet paid your TurboTax Online fee (or registered, if you're using a free version), you'll need to do so before you can save the PDF.

TurboTax Desktop

1. Open or continue your return.
2. Select File.
3. Select Print/Save for Your Records.
4. Choose to either Save As PDF or Preview Print Copy.

[VolvoGirl]

You get to first offset the loss against any gains you have each year so that can use more of it up.  Then after applying the loss to the current gains you can take a max loss of 3,000 (1,500 MFS)per year.  Turbo Tax does all the calculations for you.  Just enter the prior year carryover amount.

The current year carryover loss from the prior year is on schedule D line 6 & 14.

On the income page The 2025 column shows the carryover to 2026 (not your current loss for 2025).

Schedule D doesn't actually show the carryover amount. To find your  Capital Loss Carryover amount  you need to look at your  return schedule D page 2.  Line 16 will be your total loss and line 21 should be a max loss of 3,000.  The difference between line 16 and 21 is the carryover loss for next year.

There is also a Carryover Worksheet showing the carryover from the prior year and the current amounts.  Then there is also the Capital Loss Carry Forward worksheet showing the amount transferring over to next year.

In the Online version you have to save your return with all the worksheet as a pdf file to your computer to see Schedule D and the Capital Loss Carry Over and Carry Forward worksheets.

In the Desktop program you can go to Forms and find it in the list in the left column.