2021 Kansas state tax itemized deductions

[ga hiker]

My friend, living in Kansas, is using TurboTax online to do her taxes.  She reports that her itemized deductions for Kansas are greater than their Kansas standard deduction of $9,400. Nevertheless, TurboTax uses the Kansas standard deduction, whether or not she uses standard or itemized for her Federal tax. This is despite the fact that the Kansas instructions clearly state, "If you did not itemize your deductions on your federal return, you may choose to itemize your deductions or claim the standard deduction on your Kansas return whichever is to your advantage. If you itemized on your federal return, you may either itemize or take the standard deduction on your Kansas return, whichever is to your advantage." Anyone else in Kansas having this problem, or succeeding in itemizing deductions on their Kansas return?

[BillM223]

You are correct that you can itemized in Kansas without regard to whether or no you itemized on the federal return.

The Kansas itemized deductions works fine on my test, so there is something unusual about her return.

Looking at her return, how much mortgage interest did she enter? How much in gifts to charity? How much in Medical and Dental expenses? How much is either sales taxes or income taxes?

[ga hiker]

Thank you so much for your response. Living in Georgia, I am trying to assist my Kansas friends at a distance. They assured me that their itemized deductions exceeded their Kansas standard deduction but I did not press for specific numbers. Given that no one else in the Community has responded that they also have this problem, I have to believe that there is a reasonable explanation for TurboTax choosing the standard deduction. Because of their frustration with the situation, the several days without any response to my question, and the approaching tax deadline, they have decided to have a CPA do their taxes. It will be interesting to see what he/she does on their Kansas return. I feel confident that I could have resolved the issue if I were onsite and privy to their financial data. Thank you again.

[BillM223]

Thanks for coming back with the explanation.

@ga hiker

[ga hiker]

FYI My friend had more than one phone conversation with TurboTax support before she called me. She reported that support agreed that something was wrong but their only suggestion was to try the TT desktop version rather than the online version. It doesn't make sense that one would work differently than the other in this situation. She observed that since the desktop version required purchase up front, if it didn't resolve their problem they'd have wasted their money. It's frustrating to me that I can't get hands on but...

[iamgary2day]

yes  having the same issue,  Trying to itemize in  Kansas verse  standard in Kansas State and Turbo tax state will  not transfer or input  mortgage interest  entered on federal,  no place to enter on state. So now I'm under the standard and getting changed higher taxes.  If I give up and file standard  deduction  I'm paying more taxes.   I paid for the Kansas state turbo tax  version  and  nobody  will admit  or we can contact at turbo tax to resolve.   If I have to do it manually, I want a refund. 

[AmyC]

If they have already paid for the online version, it is free to switch to the desktop version. See How do I switch from TurboTax Online to the TurboTax software?

I have the steps for the desktop version in another post here. In desktop, there is a toggle between the program and Forms mode in the top right. Forms mode shows all the forms on the left side.

@ga hiker 

[ga hiker]

I believe they did not already pay for the online version and did not want to pay for the desktop version since they have no confidence that it would work either. Regardless, they have already had their taxes done by a CPA.