You appear to be posting from the Free Edition. If you are using the Free Edition, you are not going to be able to enter itemized deductions such as mileage, donations, etc. Those entries would not change anything for you unless you have enough to exceed you standard deduction. If you do have enough "big ticket" deductions to exceed your standard deduction-- mortgage interest, property taxes, etc. you need to upgrade to Deluxe or higher .
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, job-related expenses, casualty and theft losses, for example, must meet thresholds that are pretty hard to reach. 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. Here are the Standard Deductions for 2017
Your standard deduction lowers your taxable income. It is not a refund
2017 Standard Deductions
Single $6350 (65 or older + $1550)
Married Filing Separately $6350 (65 or older + $1250)
Married Filing Jointly $12,700 (65 or older + $1250@)
Head of Household $9350 (65 or older + $1550)
**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.**
