HELP! Why did turbotax allow me to list a chartible contribution when I selected the standard deduction???? IRS Kicked back my return.

[evwhaley1]

Turbotax correctly entered standard deduction amount correctly on line 12a of 10,390  but it allowed me to enter a charitible contribution on 12b  which it shouldn't have because that is not allowed for the standard deduction right ?  Now I have the IRS asking for a schedule A.  What do I do ?????

[fanfare]

You are permitted to put an amount on 12b up to a certain max amount, which TurboTax should enforce.

IRS should not be asking for Schedule A.

@evwhaley1 

[dmertz]

$10,390 doesn't sound like the amount of a standard deduction for any year that the tax return would have had a line 12b for charitable contributions.  Are you married filing separately and your spouse itemizes?  If so, your tax return should have included Schedule A and nothing on Form 1040 line 12b.  It seems likely that TurboTax would have prevented e-filing a tax return with itemized deductions on line 12a and an entry on line 12b.  Did you file on paper?

[evwhaley1]

Thanks for responding!    I feel so helpless.    More about my situation: 

• I was claimed as a dependant 
• I made 10,040 in 2021
• I claimed 300 on my charitible contributions  12b    

The big question I have is where it says  on  line 12b  "if you take standard deduction (See instructions)"       I  cant find any instruction on the instructions page that tells me what to do.       

I don't understand why  IRS is telling me to send a schedule A

[dmertz]

Ah, I see.  In that case your standard deduction is limited, which explains the $10,390.

I suspect that that your filed tax return is correct and that the IRS examiner made an error by thinking that the $10,395 represented an amount of itemized deductions despite there being no Schedule A included in the tax return.  The letter you received should provide instructions for disagreeing with the finding of the examiner.

I assume that you also have unearned income that results in you having taxable income.  There is no benefit to claiming a charitable deduction if your taxable income is already zero.

[Critter-3]

Did you mail in your return ?    If so did you indicate you were being claimed as a dependent ?    If you did not that could be the issue.  As a dependent your standard deduction is your earned income + $350.  The extra $300 deduction for charity is a moot subject.  

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

The fact that TurboTax used the limited standard deduction suggests that even if filed on paper the tax return would have had the box marked indicating that you could be claimed as a dependent.  However, the IRS employee who transcribed the paper-filed tax return into the IRS computer could have made a transcription error and lost that indication, making it appear as though the tax return was missing Schedule A.