COVID charitable deduction $300

TurboTax ONLINE

Click Tax Tools on the left side bar

Click Tools from the drop-down

Click the "Topic Search" box on the screen

Type or scroll down to    standard deduction and exemptions

Click GO 

The next screen gives you an option to change your selection from Standard to Itemized and back. You do not need to change your selection

Scroll down to the bottom of that screen and click CONTINUE

The next screen is the Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act screen

IF YOU ARE CLAIMING STANDARD DEDUCTION enter the amount of cash contributions you made, up to  300

IF YOU ARE ITEMIZING DEDUCTIONS enter 0

Scroll down and click Continue

Click Continue on the next screen

DESKTOP

Go to Step-By-Step input (top right corner of screen)

Click Federal

Click Deductions & Credits along the top

Click “I’ll choose what I work on”

Edit or Update Donations to Charity in 2020 if needed, then click “Done with Charitable Donations”

Scroll down the “Your 2020 Deductions & Credits” screen and click “Done with Deductions”

Click Continue on the “Let’s Check Your Deductions and Credits” screen

Continue through the following interview questions until you get to the “Here Are Your 2020 Deductions & Credits” screen

Click Continue

If the next screen says “The Standard deduction is Right for You!” click Continue

ON THE NEXT SCREEN enter the cash contribution made in 2020 up to 300 and click Continue

Your 1040 should update

“The new "up to $300 above the line cash charity donation" is available for tax year 2020. This allows a Taxpayer to claim up to a $300 credit which is subtracted from income on the 1040 line 10c if the Taxpayer is claiming the Standard Deduction. (If you Itemize Deductions, all your donations will be listed on Schedule A.) “

If you need to amend your tax return to include the $300 charitable donation, you can do that by using the instructions below.

The good news is that you can e-file the amended return when it is available (late March)and will be a much faster and smoother process than mailing.

Follow the steps provided in the links below before you try to begin your amended return.

• How to amend (change or correct) a return already filed (and accepted at the IRS)
  • Review the information here to be sure you need to amend your return.
• Steps to amend my 2020 return

An excerpt from the IRS Form 1040-X Instructions:

• You should generally allow 8 to 12 weeks for Form 1040-X to be processed. However, in some cases, processing could take up to 16 weeks. Go to Where's My Amended Return on IRS.gov to track the status of your amended return. It can take up to 3 weeks from the date you mail it to show up in our system.

To enter charitable donations follow these steps (or use the information that worked for you in the 'Smart Check'.

1. Click on Federal Taxes (Personal using Home and Business)
2. Click on Deductions and Credits
3. Scroll down to Charitable Donations
4. On Donations to Charity in 2020, click on the start or update button

Or enter charitable donation in the Search box located in the upper right > Press enter > Click on Jump to charitable donation