1040/1040SR Wks: Charitable contributions: Charitable contributions must be entered. Charitable contributions I keep entering 0 but it’s saying I need to fill it out

[LinaJ2020]

If you are filing with TurboTax online, let's do these steps: 

• Check your internet connection.  Try to log out and sign back in the program. 
• Clear your cache and sign back into the program.  To clear cache, click here: Cache
• You may also try a different browser.  

Then select "File" from the top to proceed. 

Note that your charitable donations only affect your refund if you have a LOT of other itemized deductions like mortgage interest and property taxes, etc.  In the TurboTax program, when you enter itemized deductions such as mortgage interest, property taxes, medical expenses, charitable contributions, all of these items are added together. Unless the total of itemized deductions exceeds the standard deduction for your filing status, you would not see any change in tax due or refund.  

Under the CARE Act, taxpayers can claim an "above-the-line" deduction of up to $300 for cash donations made to charity during 2020. This means the deduction reduces both adjusted gross income and taxable income without itemizing.  In the past, you can only benefit the charitable donations on a Schedule A and only if you itemize.  To see more information, click here: Charitable donations

[jharvey3177]

It has nothing to do with your Internet browser or your Internet connection or anything else the other guy said. It is TurboTax. I had the same problem.  I found what caused the issue is if you delete something turbo tax is not deleting the form associated with it like it is supposed to and it is creating a duplicate form when you enter the correct information. I had duplicate 1099NEC and section c forms. I just deleted all of the 1099NEC and all of the section C and went back and started a new 1099NEC. Worked fine after that. The forms giving you the problem may be different but just go through your forms and look for duplicates, delete all forms that you see a duplicate of (including the original form) and restart that section.

[nickjp321]

having the same issue but not the online version.  

[ReneeM7122]

Please try these steps to resolve the charitable contributions must be entered error:

1. Click Deductions and Credits
2. Select Review/Edit
3. Click Edit to the right of Standard Deduction
   ​​Click OK, Sounds Good
4. Click Wrap Up Tax Breaks
5. Click Continue
6. Make sure that $300 is filled in and then click Continue
7. Click Lets Keep Going

If the error persists, then go through the next work around.

Here is the second work around for claiming the Charity Deduction:

1. In TurboTax select Federal in the panel on the left
2. Select Deductions & Credits at the top of the page
3. Under Your Tax Breaks - Charitable Donations 
4. Click START to the right of Donations to Charity in 2020
5. Click YES
6. Click ADD next to Money
7. Type in the name of the charity that you donated to
8. Type the amount of the donation
9. Select Done with Donation
10. Select Done

Now the deduction should appear on Line 10B and in the Charitable Contributions screen.

How the CARES act changes deducting charitable contributions made in 2020

Previously, charitable contributions could only be deducted if taxpayers itemized their deductions.

However, taxpayers who don't itemize deductions may take a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions made in 2020 to qualifying organizations. For the purposes of this deduction, qualifying organizations are those that are religious, charitable, educational, scientific or literary in purpose. The law changed in this area due to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Keep in mind, it is very important to keep records of your charitable contributions.  If the IRS asks about them later, they will be denied if you don't have a record, receipt, letter, etc.

[bjn777]

Your fix did not work for me. 

"1040/1040SR Wks: Charitable Donations:Charitable contributions must be entered" error appears every time after I add money donation in addition to another non-monetary donation

Please let me know how to fix this 

Thanks

[KathrynG3]

This result occurs depending on the sequence of charitable donation entry details. It can be corrected. 

Return to the Donations section of your return, remove your entry in the CARES Act Charitable Donation screen, and enter it first in the regular charitable donations section.

The extra cash donation is allowable up to $300 for all taxpayers except married filing separate, who would each have a maximum of $150.

To do this in TurboTax, follow these steps:

• First, enter in the charitable donation amount as you normally would.
  • From the left menu, select Federal.
  • Select the second tab from the left across the top, Deductions & Credits.
  • Scroll down to Charitable Donations.
  • Enter your details.
• When finished entering all donations, select Done with Charitable Donations and Continue.
• Scroll to the end of Deductions & Credits and select Done with Deductions.
  • You may need to respond to any other additional questions. You will eventually see: The Standard Deduction is Right for You! 
  • Click Continue.
  • Now, you will see Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act where you will see any qualified contribution amount already entered from your earlier posts. Select Continue.
    • If you have entered something else in this field, delete it so that TurboTax will calculate it automatically.

For more information, see IRS Charitable Contributions Deductions.

@bjn777

[arcarsanel]

I'm getting this same error/loop around charitable contributions - and these steps above are not resolving it.

I did not answer or see any questions about the "CARES Act," even upon revisiting those sections.

I am not filing with the Standard Deduction.

It keeps telling me I can't leave the 10b field blank, and when I fill it, it says the 10b field HAS TO be blank. So there's no way to fix it!

[KrisD15]

If you are using TurboTax Desktop, you must switch to Step-By-Step input located on the top right side of the screen. 

Then please follow these steps. 

DESKTOP

Go to Step-By-Step input

Click Federal

Click Deductions & Credits along the top

Click “I’ll choose what I work on”

Edit or Update Donations to Charity in 2020 if needed, then click “Done with Charitable Donations”

Scroll down the “Your 2020 Deductions & Credits” screen and click “Done with Deductions”

Click Continue on the “Let’s Check Your Deductions and Credits” screen

Continue through the following interview questions until you get to the “Here Are Your 2020 Deductions & Credits” screen

Click Continue

If the next screen says “Itemized Deductions is Right for You!” click Continue

ON THE NEXT SCREEN enter (0) for cash contribution made in 2020 and click Continue

Your 1040 should update

@arcarsanel

[carlinjm]

I too have the same problem as @arcarsanel , and have worked through the suggestions to no effect.  Since I am itemizing and not using the Standard Deduction, I never see anything regarding the CARES Act.  If I override the value on line 10 in the 1040/1040SR Wks with 0 rather than the actual amount of charitable deductions that exceed $300, this seems to clear the errors.  For some reason, TurboTax seems to be ignoring that these charitable deductions are part of my itemized deductions.  There must be a better way to fix this issue.

[DaveF1006]

Turbo Tax is diligently working on this issue as well as other issues. COVID 19 was an extraordinary event for everyone and Turbo Tax is feverously updating its software to comply with many last minute changes to comply with sudden changes in the tax code. 

[arcarsanel]

I do not have TurboTax desktop; we're using TurboTax Deluxe 2020 online.

The steps above don't work or aren't available online. This error is preventing TurboTax from filing my taxes. Should we just wait until this is corrected?

[KrisD15]

If you are itemizing, the amount on the 1040 line 10b SHOULD be zero, in that case the charitable contributions are taken on your Schedule A. 

@carlinjm

If you are taking the Standard Deductions and using TurboTax Online, follow these steps. 

TurboTax ONLINE

Click Tax Tools on the left side bar

Click Tools from the drop-down

Click the "Topic Search" box on the screen

Type or scroll down to    standard deduction and exemptions

Click GO 

The next screen gives you an option to change your selection from Standard to Itemized and back. You do not need to change your selection

Scroll down to the bottom of that screen and click CONTINUE

The next screen is the Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act screen

IF YOU ARE CLAIMING STANDARD DEDUCTION enter the amount of cash contributions you made, up to  300

IF YOU ARE ITEMIZING DEDUCTIONS enter 0

Scroll down and click Continue

Click Continue on the next screen

@arcarsanel

[arcarsanel]

I am itemizing deductions. When we follow those steps above, it does not take us to the "Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act screen" as the steps suggest. Instead it wraps up that section.

Then, when I try to file, it says there is an error - and whether I leave 10b as zero (as it should be), blank or $300, it will not let me file. Have tried more than a dozen times and it's a loop.

The error says 10b "should be blank," and after I make it blank and save, the messages changes to say 10b "cannot be blank."

[arcarsanel]

Am I doing something wrong? Or is this a problem with the software?