Can i claim sales tax on an auto plus general general sales tax spent.in turbotax under estimates and other taxes paid / sales tax it seems like you can only enter one

[wsebay]

when you actually open sales tax option you get either easy guide where you can put auto sales tax or you can choose enter my receipt totals but not both. how can i enter the general sales tax receipts as well as sales tax spent on an auto

[xmasbaby0]

You can enter the sales tax you paid for the car you purchased in 2017 by going to Federal>Deductions and Credits>Estimates and Other Taxes Paid> Sales Tax.  You will be asked if you paid sales tax on a major purchase, and you will be able to enter the sales tax you paid for your new vehicle. 

Sales tax is an itemized deduction.  If your state has a state income tax, you have to choose between using the deduction for your state tax paid OR the sales tax deduction, whichever is higher.  The TT process will suggest one or the other as you prepare your return.

“Major purchases” that you can enter for the sales tax deduction include:

Motor Vehicles (cars, trucks, motor homes, RV’s, sport utility vehicles and off-road vehicles

Aircraft or boats

Mobile homes

Manufactured housing

Building materials for major home improvements

You cannot deduct: furniture, jewelry, home electronics such as TV’s or computers

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1901222-which-deduction-should-i-choose-sales-tax-or-income-tax

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/2566624-how-much-sales-tax-did-i-pay-last-year

Note:  You seem confused by how to enter the major purchase and general sales tax.  Go through those screens very slowly and carefully.  They can both be entered.

[wsebay]

i enter sales tax on auto under sales tax>easy guide and complete that and it adds the sales tax table amount to the tax spent on auto not the total that i would like to enter that i actually spent during year on general sales tax.  under the heading  >How do i want to enter my sales tax info??? it only gives you two choices easy Guide or enter all my receipts between both choices it says >OR not AND. totally confused

[xmasbaby0]

Choose the Easy Guide.  Go carefully through the screens that ask you what state you lived in and the dates you lived there and then enter the sales tax rate. Next,  you will come to a screen that asks if you had any major purchases.  Click Yes--keep going to enter the car, the price of the car, the sales tax paid on the car, etc.

[wsebay]

yes i accomplished that i still want to enter additional general sales tax that i paid on things purchased all year long in state it amounts to and additional $2300.00 in sales tax spent. i see that box or and cannot get it to take additional general tax spent. im really stumped this year. always fill in general sales tax spent during each year but this year had addition car purchase???

[xmasbaby0]

By using the Easy Guide you have already let TurboTax calculate your general sales tax for things purchased throughout the year, and you also entered your major purchase.

[wsebay]

so because you had a major purchase you have to accept general sales tax rather than any additional sales tax spent thru out the year the general that turbo tax cal is about $874.00 i thought i could also include somehow additional general sales tax spent through out the year. I also want to thank you for your help

[xmasbaby0]

Your other choice is to total all of your receipts and enter that figure.  When you use the Easy Guide, the software uses a formula that takes your income and your general sales tax rate to find a total for all of those "general" purchases + you got to enter the sales tax rate for the major purchase separately and say how much the car cost.
Remember, this is an itemized deduction.  It will only affect your tax due or refund if your itemized deductions exceed your standard deduction.  If your state income tax is a better deduction for you, the software will suggest that instead of the sales tax deduction--you cannot take both.  (And you are welcome).

[wsebay]

still confused and here is why i only see a way of entering car tax under easy guide  if i enter all tax spent under >>all my receipts tab it does not give me a place to enter car tax separately and afraid by adding car tax and gen sales tax receipts together the amount will put up a audit flag

[xmasbaby0]

At the very beginning of the Easy Guide is where you enter the general sales tax rate for your locality.  A couple of screens later you enter the major purchase with the purchase price of the car, the sales tax rate, and the sales tax total that you paid.  Then TT adds up your "major purchase" tax and your general sales tax and tells you your total on a later screen.

[wsebay]

so basically you answer is you cannot do the car tax as well as a whole year of additional receipt totals because you have a large purchase you have to live with a calculated lower gen sales tax figure vs what you actually spent

[xmasbaby0]

No--you are mis-construing it.  You are getting both.  If you are dis-satisfied with using Easy Guide, then total all of the sales tax on all of your receipts and use that figure.

[wsebay]

ok when i add car tax and all general tax spent together  and record in total tax spent box but no where to identify car amount separately i actually get $217 more in refund $

[xmasbaby0]

Well then use it.  Just save all those receipts. Keep them with all the rest of your important tax documents.

[wsebay]

this is 1st time i used this answer xchange  thanks have a good new year