It is correct. The 20% QBI deduction calculation compares the difference between net business income , which is 20% of your Schedule C net income, minus any other deductions attributable to your Schedule C income, (which encompasses deductions such as the solo 401K deduction, Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction attributable to the business, and 1/2 of SE tax being deducted on your return) and 20% of your Taxable Income (which encompasses all other deductions and income amounts you claim on your return) Whichever amount is lower is the QBI deduction.
Why is TurboTax using this calculation? Although there has been recommendations that these deductions not be considered for QBI considerations, here is what the IRS decided in their final regs. What follows comes directly from their final regulations, which you can access through the link below. I will be quoting from pages 43 and 44 of the regulation: Final Regulations on Section 199A deduction (PDF) (Italics are added to show IRS official procedure on this provision) :
5. Treatment of Other Deductions
Section 199A(c)(1) provides that QBI includes the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction, and loss with respect to any qualified trade or business of the taxpayer. Commenters requested additional guidance on whether certain items constitute qualified items under this provision. Several commenters suggested that deductions for self-employment tax, self-employed health insurance, and certain other retirement plan contribution deductions should not reduce QBI. One commenter reasoned that qualified retirement plan contributions should not reduce QBI because they should not be treated as being associated with a trade or business, consistent with the treatment when calculating net operating losses under section 172(d)(4)(D). The commenter also suggested that while self-employed health insurance is treated as associated with a trade or business, such expense should likewise not reduce QBI for purposes of simplification in administering the rule. Another commenter suggested that QBI should not be reduced by these expenses because they are personal adjustments. One commenter also requested guidance on whether unreimbursed partnership expenses, the interest expense to acquire partnership and S corporation interests, and state and local taxes reduce QBI.
The Treasury Department and the IRS have not adopted these recommendations because they are inconsistent with the statutory language of section 199A(c). Whether a deduction is attributable to a trade or business must be determined under the section of the Code governing the deduction. All deductions attributable to a trade or business should be taken into account for purposes of computing QBI except to the extent provided by section 199A and these regulations. Accordingly, §1.199A-3(b)(1)(vi) provides that, in general, deductions attributable to a trade or business are taken into account for purposes of computing QBI to the extent that the requirements of section 199A and §1.199A-3 are otherwise satisfied. Thus, for purposes of section 199A, deductions such as the deductible portion of the tax on self-employment income under section 164(f), the self-employed health insurance deduction under section 162(l), and the deduction for contributions to qualified retirement plans under section 404 are considered attributable to a trade or business to the extent that the individual’s gross income from the trade or business is taken into account in calculating the allowable deduction, on a proportionate basis. The Treasury Department and the IRS decline to address whether deductions for unreimbursed partnership expenses, the interest expense to acquire partnership and S corporation interests, and state and local taxes are attributable to a trade or business as such guidance is beyond the scope of these regulations.
To be sure, the new Section 199A deduction is taking some time to understand all of the nuance involved in the deduction. However, the good news is that it is an extra deduction on our return that was not available before
This FAQ explains in more detail (click on the View the entire answer, and then the embedded link How is the deduction calculated? (Not for the faint of heart!): https://ttlc.intuit.com/replies/7019998
[Edited 02/22/2019 15:48 PST]
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