Turbo Tax Premier 2021 Taxes Form 1040/1040-SR line 12

[melquist]

Married, filing jointly, total of $406 cash donations.  Error message with standard deductions entry of $300.  I  changed it to $406, actual number, since we do not qualify for the instructed $600 entry.  Still says error.  Tried the $600 that is supposed to be the right amount for a married couple to see what would happen, and an error message again.  I don't know how to fix this.  I want to enter what we actually did for cash donations, $406.  I do use Intuits It's Deductible, so that was imported while preparing my taxes.  Thank you for anyone who can give advice.

[DoninGA]

Do not import your cash donation from ItsDeductible if you are only receiving the Standard Deduction.

For the TurboTax online editions -

The problem appears to be that a charitable donation was entered in the Deductions and Credits section of the program when you are only eligible for the Standard Deduction.

Click on Tax Tools on the left side of the online program screen

Click on Tools

Click on Delete a form

Scroll through the all the forms, schedules and worksheets listed and delete all the Charitable Organization forms listed.

When completed with removing forms click on Continue With My Return at the bottom of the list.

Click on Federal on the left side of the screen

Click on Deductions & Credits at the top of the screen

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Wrap up tax breaks

Continue through the screens.  After the screen showing that you are getting the Standard Deduction the following screen is Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act.  Enter the amount of the cash donation.

The federal review and the Final Review should no longer show an error for the charitable donation.

[melquist]

Thank you!  I am making a copy of your instructions so that I don't make a mistake.  I will go back and do what you said with a return to report how it went for anyone else running into the issue.

[melquist]

It didn't work.  I deleted the $406 I donated and imported from It's Deductible.  I did exactly what you said.  The $300 still showed as an error and didn't go away.  I tried changing it, deleting the form, etc, and it ended up causing problems with my taxes.  It won't accept $300 which is what Turbo Tax puts in, not me, and it won't accept $600, because we are married filing jointly as would be expected...we only donated $406.  It rejects any change and actually starts to cause other problems shifting me into tax underpayment penalties.  Turbo Tax took all my entries and said I am best going the standard deduction route, but this charitable contribution issue is wreaking havoc.  Why doesn't Turbo Tax fix this glitch.  I doubt I am the only one having this problem.  Thank you.

[melquist]

Has anyone else found a solution to this issue?  Thank you!

[AmyC]

@DoninGA is correct. Since you are not itemizing, delete all the charity. Delete every form, every donation, everything. Log out of your return. Take a few minutes. Let your program get happy and reset - missing the charity. Log back in. Continue following the directions and input only $406 cash donations exactly as described above. Then go through all reviews.

[melquist]

Sorry, did everything you said as well as what Donna said to do.  Deleted imported It's Deductible.  Went back to the deductions charitable contributions to manually enter my $406 spread over 3 charitable organizations.  Saved Turbo Tax.  Closed it.  Went back to do a smart check, and it still shows the $300 number.  I changed it to $406, but it won't accept it.  I have given up. When I do an analysis of my taxes, it says it is ready to file.  Do I have to pay to go to an accountant to do my taxes over this one simple glitch in the Turbo Tax Premier software?  It will let me file, but I would think the IRS is going to reject it over this?  I am so frustrated with this.

[AmyC]

You stated that you went back in and broke up the charity amounts. That is not what you want to do. Delete those. Please follow these steps from @DoninGA and enter only one time in the one box described, the exact cash donation you desire of $406.

Please:

Continue through the screens.  After the screen showing that you are getting the Standard Deduction the following screen is Charitable Cash Contributions under Cares Act.  Enter the amount of the cash donation.

The federal review and the Final Review should no longer show an error for the charitable donation.

[melquist]

I gave up and deleted the cash donations, charities, etc.  and finished my taxes without it.  It wasn't worth the grief, because no matter how many times I did the instructions I am seeing here, it kept showing up with the $300.  Thank you though for posting.  I am sure it will help someone else who runs into the same problem.