Home office deduction - unable to enter Indirect expenses - Premier 2024

[winexxx]

I have been taking the home office expense deduction in California for years.  This year, the home office expense form in Turbotax Premier 2024, will not allow me to enter Real Estate taxes, Insurance, Utilities.  These indirect expenses were always prorated for the size of the home office.  I can see the entries I made for these lines in the 2023 tax return, but in the 2024 Turbotax Premier version will not let me enter anything.  Is anyone having similar issues?

[KrisD15]

TurboTax Premier allows "Actual Expenses" for the Home Office Deduction. 

You do need to answer the interview questions in a way that makes that option available to you. 

Please go back through that interview. 

You need to indicate that you used actual expenses in previous years and also elect that method for 2024. 

[winexxx]

Hi Kris, many thanks for your quick response.  I am following the interview question - selecting 'enter actual expenses'.  I do not see a question that requests which method was used in previous years, but I did indicate that this office has been used since 2021 for the same purpose.  Still I am unable to populate indirect expenses other than mortgage interest and maintenance expenses.  

[MaryK4]

I would like to take a deeper look at this. However, I need a diagnostic file which is a copy of your tax return that has all of your personal information removed. You can send one to us by following the directions below:

TurboTax Online:

1. Sign into your online account.
2. Locate the Tax Tools on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. A drop-down will appear. Select Tools
4. On the pop-up screen, click on “Share my file with agent.”
5. This will generate a message that a diagnostic file gets sanitized and transmitted to us.
6. Please provide the Token Number that was generated in the response.

TurboTax Desktop/Download Versions:

1. Open your return.
2. Click the Online tab in the black bar across the top of TurboTax and select “Send Tax File to Agent” *
3. This will generate a message that a diagnostic copy will be created.  Click on OK and the tax file will be sanitized and transmitted to us.
4. Please provide the Token Number (including the dash) that was generated in the response.

*(If using a MAC, go to the menu at the top of the screen, select Help, then, “Send Tax File to Agent”)

 @winexxx

[winexxx]

Hello MaryK4, thank you for your help.  I've sent the diagnostics copy.  Attempting to send the token number here, but system will auto-remove number and flag it as an error.  Unable to send token.  Please let me know how I can get the token number to you.  Thank you!

[winexxx]

@MaryK4 

[winexxx]

Can someone from Turbotax please respond to this question?  It's been nearly 3 weeks since I posted it.  I am unable to send a token for the report I provided via this reply function or via private message to the @MaryK4.  Both systems reject the numbers.

 Horrible customer experience! 

[VolvoGirl]

You can post a screenshot of the token number.  

[winexxx]

[VolvoGirl]

@MaryK4   They posted the Token number.

[KrisD15]

The sanitized copy has been received, thank you. 

We open files using TurboTax Desktop

My view is not always exactly the same as your view, but this is what I see which could cause the issue you are dealing with.

As you know, the expenses are entered on the Federal section of the return in the TurboTax program.

Please return to 

• Federal Taxes
• Deductions & Credits
• Employment Expenses
• Job-Related Expenses    UPDATE

If two jobs are showing, delete one

Select Edit for the Home Office

Be sure you select "I wasn't in any of those professions or situations" on the "Is your work part of one of these professions or situations?" screen

Your California State Tax return seems to be limiting for what could have been claimed on the federal return. Selecting the answer above tells the CA state return the expenses were not claimed on the federal return. (See your California Form 2106 FORM 2106 FEDERAL/STATE ADJUSTMENT SUMMARY BOX LINE 1a) 

Also select "None of these apply to me" on the "Do any of these less common situations apply" screen

You have only 6 months as use in 2024, change if appropriate

Home Mortgage Interest is entered

NEXT SCREEN-

"Tell us about your home expenses" does not have real estate taxes entered, please enter in the space provided

Please enter each amount as shown in the snips below

You must click in the entry box (you may need to also backspace and clear the zero) on the screen  to get the dialog box to appear.

These expenses were not entered on your return's file

@winexxx

[winexxx]

Thank you Kris for your reply.  Please see below issues - added to your step by step list in Green.  

Federal Taxes Deductions & Credits Employment Expenses Job-Related Expenses    UPDATE - SA: Done

If two jobs are showing, delete one - SA: only one job shows

Select Edit for the Home Office - SA: Done

Be sure you select "I wasn't in any of those professions or situations" on the "Is your work part of one of these professions or situations?" screen - SA: Done

Your California State Tax return seems to be limiting for what could have been claimed on the federal return. Selecting the answer above tells the CA state return the expenses were not claimed on the federal return. (See your California Form 2106 FORM 2106 FEDERAL/STATE ADJUSTMENT SUMMARY BOX LINE 1a) 

Also select "None of these apply to me" on the "Do any of these less common situations apply" screen - SA: Done

You have only 6 months as use in 2024, change if appropriate SA: this is intentional

Home Mortgage Interest is entered

NEXT SCREEN-

"Tell us about your home expenses" does not have real estate taxes entered, please enter in the space provided - SA: unable to enter real estate taxes - the box is purple, I am unable to zero out the existing zero, or overwrite it

Please enter each amount as shown in the snips below

- SA: unable to enter insurance - same as above

- SA: unable to enter utilities - same as above

- SA: unable to enter other expenses - same as above

You must click in the entry box (you may need to also backspace and clear the zero) on the screen  to get the dialog box to appear.

These expenses were not entered on your return's file

[winexxx]

@KrisD15  Update:  I managed to enter the expenses - but please note, there is definitely a bug in the Federal / Deductions & Credits / Home office deduction form.  

It took me about 30min to enter 3 line items of expenses - I had to go to the CA form and just run through the questions there again.  Then go back to Federal Deductions / home office - click MANY times on any field, attempt to delete existing zeros, hit enter, attempt to jump to any field - for a pop-up to materialize for each on of the expense lines that allowed me to enter a value.  I was not able to determine what in the end triggered the pop-up ... this form seems broken.  Please have a developer take a look at it.  

Thank you for your help,@KrisD15

[DawnC]

When you are on the screen with the pop-up, or a stuck $0 entry, try to delete the entire supporting details pop-up sheet.   When you click in the filed, you should be able to click on the Edit menu and choose Add supporting statement.   When that pop-up opens, click the Red X up top to remove the supporting details.     Then you should be able to enter the amounts in the fields.   

[JohnnyPayCheck]

I am not able to enter a number in the utilities field in home office deductions. Can someone help wit this ?