Questions: Iowa State Return

[EA5]

While working through my 2019 Iowa State Return, I am asked about prior year federal tax.  The question is as follows:

• Tell us about your federal income tax after non-refundable credits for 2018 or prior years
  • Is this information found on line 13 of my 2018 federal 1040?

Subsequent questions ask about nondeductible taxes:

• 2018 Federal Income Tax Withheld from W-2 and 1099
  • 2018 federal 1040, line 16?
• Prior Year Estimated Taxes Paid for 2018 and Amount Applied from 2017 Return
  • Unsure where to find this?

I read prior posts but couldn't find a conclusive answer.  TIA!

[MaryK4]

2018 federal income tax Line 13 is correct for tax after non-refundable credits.

Line 16 is correct for tax withheld.

Prior Year estimated Tax/ amount applied from 2017 return would be Line 66 of Schedule 5.

[EA5]

Hi Mary, thanks for the quick response!

Looking through my old return, I don't have a 2018 1040 schedule 5.  Is that only applicable if I opted to pay ahead on 2018 taxes during the 2017 tax season?

[MaryK4]

Yes, if you did not make estimated payments or apply your 2017 refund, it is zero. 

It may also be on the Line 17 on the second line (not the a,b,c) - if there is no amount there, it is zero. BUT if you had other taxes on Schedule 5, they would be included here as well.

@EA5

[EA5]

Final question:

Situation- Iowa return, married filing separate, moved out of state mid-year and have income in two states.

Hung up on the following prompt:

____________________________________________________________________

Iowa Minimum Tax

Based on your entries so far, you have total Iowa minimum tax of zero.

Since you're filed married filing separately on this combined return enter [spouse's name] portion of the Iowa minimum tax items listed on the following screen, if necessary.

Taxes (less any Iowa income tax):     [spouse's name] ______________      Total  $5131

_______________________________________________________________________

I'm unsure where this total value of $5131 populated from or what to enter in this field.  Typically, if splitting any value between us I would just use the ratio of our incomes (spouse's income / (my income + spouse's income) to determine my spouse's portion of the value.  On the following screens, none of the Iowa minimum tax questions are applicable to us.

@MaryK4 

[MaryK4]

Yes, in this case I would recommend using the proration- it is better to be safe than sorry and this method is accepted.

@EA5