Can I skip the itemized deduction questions if I know they won't add up to enough to exceed the standard deduction?

[xmasbaby0]

If you want to skip entering your itemized deductions you can do that.  Many people will not have enough itemized deductions this year to itemize, and will just be getting their new higher standard deduction.  The thing is, though, that some of those deductions could make a difference on a state return even if they do not affect your federal return.  Information flows from your federal return to your state return, so it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and enter them anyhow.  It cannot hurt you.

The following states allow you to itemize deductions on just the state return: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Wisconsin, 

[BillM223]

Yes, unless you live in a state that allows itemized deductions but on a different limit than the federal. That is, some states allow you to itemize in the state even if you took the standard deduction on the federal...and the state gets the itemized information from what you entered on the federal.

[Charles218]

So what do I do if I just want to take the Standard Deduction and skip all of the questions involving Itemized Deductions?

[JillS56]

Yes, you can skip itemized deductions if you know you do not have enough.   Just skip entering any of the itemized deduction information.   Once you go through the Income and Expense and the Deduction and Credits, if there is nothing entered in the itemized deductions, TurboTax will default to the standard deduction.