I keep entering 300 under "Cash Charitable" (because I donated more than $300 but that's the limit), and I keep getting the error "Cash Charitable is too large." Help?

Employee Tax Expert

Feb 13, 2021 9:52:14 AM

I recommend reviewing your input as follows to ensure the amounts are being pulled into your tax return correctly.

You can take a $300 adjustment to income for cash donations and take the standard deduction in 2020 if you are unable to itemize your deductions.

You will make this entry in the Federal interview section of the program.

Select Deductions & Credits
Scroll down to All Tax Breaks and select Charitable Donations
Select Start to the right of Donations to Charity in 2020
Proceed to enter the details of your charitable cash contribution by entity as applicable in this section.
Once you have completed entering your details, select Done with Charitable Donations

Continue through the screens until you see the screen titled Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act. You will be able to confirm the amount of your cash contributions on this screen. The adjustment here is limited to $300 as you mentioned in your post.

Your input in both of the sections above will ensure you are either able to take the deduction if you are able to itemize, or will pick up the adjustment if you are taking the standard deduction.

Cash charitable donations information

New Member

Mar 6, 2021 12:56:45 PM

Based on several sources the limit for a couple filing jointly is $600, not $300.

Level 15

Mar 6, 2021 1:00:45 PM

@johncolburn41 wrote:

Based on several sources the limit for a couple filing jointly is $600, not $300.

Based on the only source of any authority, the

IRS

, the maximum cash contribution when filing as Married Filing Jointly is $300 on a 2020 federal tax return.

IRS Form 1040 (2020) Instructions for Line 10b on page 29 - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf#page=29

Line 10b
If you don't itemize deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040), you (or you and your spouse if filing jointly) may be able to take a charitable deduction for cash contributions made in 2020.
Enter the total amount of your contributions on line 10b. Don't enter more than:
• $300 if single, head of household,
or qualifying widow(er);
• $300 if married filing jointly; or
• $150 if married filing separately

Level 1

Mar 6, 2021 1:05:41 PM

The limit for 2020 is $300. It will be $600 in 2021.

You can read more here:

Special $300 tax deduction

Why sign in to the Community?

I keep entering 300 under "Cash Charitable" (because I donated more than $300 but that's the limit), and I keep getting the error "Cash Charitable is too large." Help?