topic Schedule J (Form 1040); Income Averaging; 2025 in Business & farm

Schedule J (Form 1040); Income Averaging; 2025

user17737940769 — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:46:14 GMT

On the Schedule J (1040 Form), 2025 Elected Farm Income Smart Worksheet; C - Ordinary Income; (4), Elected Farm Income, how do I calculate the amount to enter into this box? Every amount I have attempted to enter is not accepted. On a red "0." appears in the box. Please explain in laymen terms.

Re: Schedule J (Form 1040); Income Averaging; 2025

AmyC — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:13:12 GMT

The potential causes of zero:

If TurboTax does not have your information for years 2022-2024 it can't calculate an average. You need to enter the prior year data.
Your net farm profit Sch F line 34 is limited by 1040 line 15. If you have no taxable income, you can't average it.
If you are in Forms mode, switch to step by step and use farm income averaging. The program prefers step by step.
Check your Sch F - a loss is not eligible

Re: Schedule J (Form 1040); Income Averaging; 2025

user17737940769 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:10:19 GMT

Yes, that is what I finally realized yesterday. I am not sure how I got into the Schedule J in the first place. The TT explanations were in "pseudo tax speak". Thank you for your concise explanation! Yesterday, I attempted to file my IRS 2025 taxes with the error message on Schedule J. It would not allow acceptance. Thus, I dug deeper and found what I had been overlooking -- that I had gotten involved with a "voluntary form." Thus, I immediately "deleted" the form. With my taxes now being error free, I filed. Now life is at peace. I've used Turbo Tax for years ... but now at the point like a few others .... Time to try out the FREE USA tax program. A friend used it this year and was thrilled with the capacity to import her tax info from 2024 and move onward from TT.

Re: Schedule J (Form 1040); Income Averaging; 2025

user17737940769 — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:14:18 GMT

Yes, as per my prior message to a fellow responder and now to you, I sincerely thank you for your response and correct answer ... and which I realized yesterday and was able to just "delete" the Schedule J and move forward and file. Now life goes on with a sigh of relief. :>))