deductions

[pstephan173]

if I know I won't meet the amount needed to use my deductions, do I have to still put them in?

[DoninGA]

Do you still have to put them in?  No you do not.

[Carl]

IN such a case, the only reason to enter them on the federal side, would be if you are filing a state tax return and you think itemizing on the state return might help with state taxes.

[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,