$300 special charitable tax deduction

[HarrysGulf]

My question is about federal taxes.  I live in Florida, so state taxes are not an issue.  I am still in the process of entering data on my laptop using the desktop (CD) version of turbotax premier.  I have not yet filed my taxes with the IRS.

With that background, here's my question.  I entered an amount in the screen asking about that special charitable tax deduction.  While still in the process of completing my federal tax return, I find I need to go back and change / revise that dollar amount.

I don't see that amount listed anywhere in the "deductions & credits" tab / detailed listing.  How do I go back and revise that dollar amount?

As I progress through the program, I see a page entitled "Here are your 2020 & 2021 deductions & credits".  The amount I entered is shown on that page next to a line entitled "Charitable Cash Contributions", but there is no EDIT feature available on that page to be able to change / revise that dollar amount.

Thank you for your time & consideration.

[AmyC]

The charity deduction allowed without itemizing deductions is still listed in the section with the deductions. Return to the Deductions and Credits section. Scroll down to charitable donations and update your information.

[HarrysGulf]

Thank you for your prompt reply.

With all due respect, none of the lines listed under “charitable donations” refers to this $300 special charitable deduction.

In turbotax premier (2021), under the tab (at the top of the page) entitled “deductions & credits” and then scrolling down to the section entitled “charitable donations”, there are three (3)  line entries.  The first line is entitled “Import from Its Deductible Online”.  The second line is entitled “Donations to Charity in 2021” and $0 is shown.  The third line is entitled “Charitable Donations Carryover from 2020” and $0 is shown.

There is no line entitled with this special charitable donation and there is no info showing the specific dollar amount I entered in the turbotax program when the page asking for that info showed up while I was putting in my data.

I have a PDF file with all the confidential / personal info erased that shows a screenshot of that page of turbotax.  I’d be happy to share that PDF file / screenshot with you, but I don’t see a feature to allow an attachment.

Thank you again &  I’ll look forward to your reply.

[GeorgeM777]

It appears that you might have to start from the beginning to get back to the page where you can find and edit your original cash charitable contribution entry.   Because you are using the TurboTax CD version, go back to your federal section, click on Deductions & Credits, then click on "Done With Deductions," (bottom right of the page).  Continue through the application.   You will then arrive at a page entitled Cash Charitable Contributions Under Cares Act" or similar page where you will be able to enter the amount of your cash charitable contribution.  

The page where you enter your cash charitable contribution will only appear if you are taking the standard deduction.  Moreover, if you later decide to itemize your deductions, you will likely have to return to the page were you entered the amount of your cash charitable contribution and delete the entry.   

[HarrysGulf]

Thanks for your reply.

I went back to the beginning of the program.  The tabs at the top are: personal info; federal taxes; state taxes; review & file.

I selected the federal taxes tab.  The tabs at the top show: wages & income; deductions & credits; other tax situations; federal review & smart check.

I selected “deductions & credits”.  The next screen showed “how do I want to enter my deductions & credits” and I chose “I’ll choose what I want to work on”

The major sub headings on that screen are: your home; you & your family; charitable donations; cars & other things you own; education; tax relief related to COVID-19; medical; estimates & other taxes paid; retirement & investments; employment expenses; other deductions & credits.

Under the sub heading “charitable donations” [clothes & other items, money, miles driven, stock] it shows a button labeled “Get Extra Help”

There are three (3) line items listed under the sub heading “charitable donations”: Import from ItsDeductible Online; Donations to Charity 2021 [where $0 is entered]; Charitable Donations Carryover from 2020 [where $0 is entered].

Under the sub heading “Charitable Donations”, I selected the button Visit All.

The first screen was Donations to Charity and I selected YES to the question: Did you make any Donations to Charity in 2021?

The next screen shows: Do you have an account with ItsDeductible Online.  I selected NO.

The next screen shows: Donations and I selected YES to the question: Do you want to enter your donations for 2021?

The next screen shows: Let’s enter your donations one at a time.

The first line says: Who did you donate to in 2021? [enter one charity at a time]

At this point I’d like to note that when I originally entered that dollar amount into the program for the $300 special charitable tax deduction – no info was asked about charitable organization's names, etc.  Unfortunately I did not take a screen shot of that page, but it simply had language indicating that the dollar amount entered was rated to that special charitable tax deduction.

So, at this point, I made up a bogus charity name and entered it into the blank box.  Further down that same page it asks: What did you donate?  Of the four (4) options, I chose Money and then selected the ADD button.

The next screen shows: Tell us about the money you gave to “bogus charity”.  It asks: How often I gave and I selected the “one time” button.

It then asks” Amount of donation and I entered $100.00 and then selected “Done with this donation.

I’d like to note that this $100.00 amount is different from the amount I originally entered for the special charitable tax deduction highlighted in the RED comments above.  I wanted to be able to differentiate those two numbers in any following screens that may appear.

The next screen shows: Review your donations to “bogus charity”.  I didn’t enter any other donations and selected the button DONE (in the lower RH corner).

The next screen shows: Review All Your Charities [only the one “bogus charity” & amount are shown.  I then selected the button Done with Charitable Donations.

The next screen shows: Do you have charitable donations carryovers and I selected NO.

The next screen comes back to: Your 2021 Deductions & Credits.

The sub headings listed are exactly the same as noted above.

Under the sub heading Charitable Donations – it shows the exact same three (3) lines that are noted above.

The only change is the line: Donations to Charity in 2021 – where it now shows $100.00 where previously it showed $0.00

I then selected Done with Deductions (bottom RH corner of screen)

The next screen shows: Let’s check your deductions & credits – and I selected the Continue button.

The next screen shows: Do you want to enter your sales tax info – and I selected NO and the Continue button.

The next screen shows: Retirement Income Results – and I select the Continue button.

The next screen shows: Here are your 2020 & 2021 Deductions & Credits.  Under the heading Deductions, it shows The Standard Deduction amount.  Also, under the heading Charitable Cash Contributions, it shows the dollar amount I originally entered the first time for that special charitable tax deduction.

It also shows a heading for Credits and shows my tax withholding amount.

The turbotax program then moves you on to the tab “other tax situations” (at the top pf the screen).

So, I think that brings me back FULL CIRCLE in that I am still not able to find a way to change / revise the amount I initially entered for that special charitable tax deduction.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks again for your time & consideration.

[DaveF1006]

Go and erase all of your charitable donations you entered into the program. This includes the section where you initially entered for that special charitable tax deduction.  Then go to tax tools>tools>delete a form and delete all forms that reference charitable donations including all worksheets..

After everything is erased, then go to federal>deductions and credits. Scroll through this entire section until you reach a screen that says the Standard Deduction is Right for you. In the very next screen, reenter in either $300 or $600 if married filing jointly. See if this works.

[HarrysGulf]

Some of the specific steps you listed didn’t seem to be available on my version, but I focused on your final suggestion about getting to the screen “The Standard Deduction is Right for You”.  Through some experimentation / manipulation, I was able to locate that screen – and just as you suggested, I can now see the option of changing / revising the amount I entered for that special charitable tax deduction.

Thanks so much to you & all the others who offered suggestions.  I think I can take it from here.  Have a great day.