cant change from standard deduction to itemized

[Anonymous]

Turbo tax online will not let me change from standard deduction to itemized deductions. When I click on the box it keeps returning to the same page.  It says the refund is the same either way. But my medical expense deduction alone is larger than the standard $13,850 deduction for  single seniors plus my total income reported on line 7b. When I view the print copy  there is no Schedule A and there is an inconsistency between lines 11b, which says there is a 10,000 plus taxable income, and  0 tax on line 12a.

What do I do to correct this?

[macuser_22]

For 2018 and 2019 many taxpayers that itemized in the past will find that they can no longer itemize because the standard deduction has doubled so all of their itemized deduction s no longer exceed the standard deduction.

Only if all itemized deductions exceed the standard deduction will it be of benefit.

Not all itemized deductions count the full amount. Medical expenses are reduced by 7.5% of AGI so if your AGI is $30,000, for example, then only medical expenses more than $2,250 would be an itemized deduction.

The 2018 tax law also caps the total of Sales tax OR State and local income tax, Property (real estate and personal property) taxes at $10,000.

Mortgage interest on loans after Dec 16, 2017 may be limited.

The Mortgage must be secured by the property to qualify.

Interest on home equity loans and lines of credit are deductible only if the borrowed funds are used to buy, build, or substantially improve the taxpayer’s home that secures the loan.

You can check the actual amount of itemized deductions by using the Search Topics for "itemized deductions, choosing" (under "My Account, Tools" in the online versions). Click on "Change my deduction". That will display the actual amount of itemized deductions vs. the standard deduction. (Be sure to uncheck "Change my deduction" after checking it so you do not lock in the wrong deduction.


2019 standard deductions

$12,200 Single
$18,350 Head of Household
$24,400 Married Jointly

Add an additional $1,300 for over age 65 or blind
This amount increases to $1,650 if the taxpayer is also unmarried.

[ReginaM]

Yes, you can switch to Itemized Deductions by following these instructions while in TurboTax:

1. While in your Tax Home,
2. Select Deductions & Credits,
3. Scroll down and select Wrap up Tax Breaks,
4. Select Continue until  you get to this screen:
5. Select Show me the breakdown of my itemized deductions.
6. Select Change my Deductions:
7. Select Itemized Deductions.

[Anonymous]

The problem is that when I click the itemized deduction box the screen just keeps coming back to the same page.  The program is not accepting choice.  I have tried this multiple times.

[Anonymous]

The itemized deduction box is highlighted, but after I click continue it comes back to the same page.

[macuser_22]

It changes the deduction amount on the 1040 form line 9 which in turn can change the taxable income and the amount of tax or refund. What else were you expecting it to do?

[Anonymous]

I am expecting it to change the amount on line 9. But it is NOT happening.  It keeps going back to the page where it asks  Which Deduction do you want to take this year?

[macuser_22]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I am expecting it to change the amount on line 9. But it is NOT happening.  It keeps going back to the page where it asks  Which Deduction do you want to take this year?

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Works fine for me, but I am using the desktop version.   

The screen where you choose tells you the amount of the itemized deduction and the standard deduction, is the itemized more than the standard?  TurboTax defaults to the greater of the two.

[Anonymous]

The amount is the same in both options.  Perhaps  we are concentrating on the wrong problem.  Somewhere Turbo Tax is not  totaling correctly the  deductions which would normally be entered on Schedule A.  Specifically,    on the page that reviews the deductions it says that the Medical Deduction is $51,000, but when that gets translated to which type of deduction to take, it insists that I take a standard deduction of $13850. since the refund is the same for both options. Interestingly, the refund amounts is what I'd get with itemized deductions. But the 1040-SR says $13850 on line9 so it is wrong. I can't submit it that way!

[bappleby]

A very similar problem is happening to me. TurboTax itself is telling me that itemizing is better for me but they on the actual tax forms it is using the standard deduction. It is definitely a software error that needs to be fixed.

[bappleby]

Please post if you figure out how to fix it!

[JamesG1]

@babbleby

Are you able to access the link Change my deduction?  To change from standard deduction from itemized deductions, follow these directions:

• Down the left side of the screen, click on Federal.
• Across the top of the screen, click on Deductions & credits.
• At the screen Your tax breaks, scroll all the way to the bottom.
• Click on Wrap up tax breaks.
• Continue through a few screens and you get a screen Based on what you told us…..is best for you, you click on the link at the bottom Show me the breakdown of my itemized deductions.
• At this screen you can see whether the software selected standard deduction or itemized deductions.

There is also the link Change my deduction.

Your deduction of state and local income, sales, and property taxes is limited to a combined total deduction of $10,000 ($5,000 if married filing separately). You may be subject to a limit on some of your other itemized deductions also.

In addition, you can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that exceeds 7.5% of the amount of your adjusted gross income on line 11 of IRS Form 1040.

Did you elect, either intentionally or unintentionally the Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act?  The deduction may appear on line 10b of the Federal 1040 tax return.  This deduction may have been selected when your tax return was still electing the standard deduction.  This deduction can confuse the software in making the standard deduction / itemized deduction determination.

[bappleby]

Thank you! It was definitely an issue with 10b. By many trial and error entries, I was able to get out of its brain that I was using the standard deduction (TT agreed that itemizing was best for me, and I selected it, but I still got stuck in 10b error purgatory). I THINK it's fixed now but 10b is definitely causing problems for folks.