The full amount of my mortgage interest of $3126 is not reflected in the total itemized deductions. It only reflects $745. Where can this be corrected?

[DaveF1006]

It depends.  it doesn't matter if you submitted your payment to intuit BUT what does matter if you submitted your return to the IRS.  If so, you will need to amend your 2020 return. You will be able to amend by mid-to-late March if this is the case.

If you haven't submitted return, you can still make changes. You can log into your landing page in Turbo Tax and if it says in progress, you can make changes.

[maureen-tatsch]

I have submitted payment to Intuit, but have not yet submitted my return.  I am still able to make changes to the return, but I'm not getting it to recognize and point to the itemized deduction instead of the standard deduction.  I made a change in the mortgage interest section and now the itemized deduction is more than the standard deduction, but the return is still listing the standard deduction.

[JamesG1]

At some point did you elect, intentionally or unintentionally, the Charitable Cash Contribution under CARES Act?

If so, you would see the entry on line 10b of the 2020 Federal 1040.  Its existence could be confusing the standard deduction / itemized deduction election.

If you are in TurboTax Online, the screen Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act appears as the end of Deductions & Credits. First you have to pass the screen Based on what you told us, the standard deduction is best for you at the end of Deductions & Credits.

But you have to qualify for the standard deduction before the screen appears.  So you may need to change the value of one or more itemized deductions to $1 so that you qualify for the standard deduction.

Then follow these steps: 

• At the top of the screen, click on Deductions & Credits.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Wrap up tax breaks.
• Continue through several screens.
• At the screen Based on what you told us, the standard deduction is best for you, click Continue.
• At the screen Any Charitable Cash Contributions? delete the dollar amount. 
• Continue through Federal Review to make sure that things look correct.
• Then restore your itemized deductions dollar amounts.

See also this TurboTax Help.  Hope this helps.

[maureen-tatsch]

I am able to delete a charitable contribution and the program qualifies me for the standard deduction; then I can choose to change to the itemized deduction, and re-enter my cash contribution. At this time the program gives me the correct amount of the refund. However, when I review the return, it still shows the standard deduction amount. When I "wrap up tax breaks", it changes the refund amount again because something is not allowing the itemized deduction amount to show up on the return.

[Cynthiad66]

 Yes. There is an issue with the contributions deduction and TurboTax is working to fix it.  We do not have an estimated date of correction, at this time.  I suggest you check back often to see if the correction has been made.

There is a problem with the Contributions section of the Itemized deductions and also the above the line $300.00 deduction.  Because of the many changes due to the CARES Act, IRS is still developing the forms and publications on this issue.  Last update was January 13th where everything is still in draft.  Once IRS finalizes the forms, we will be able to update TurboTax to accurately reflect your Contributions deduction.

Here are some of the changes due to the CARES ACT

The new legislation allows tax deductions on two types of charitable gifts. First, it allows up to $300 given to a qualified charity to be claimed as an above-the-line deduction. After the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018, increased the standard deduction, many taxpayers had less incentive to donate to charities. Instead, they took the standard deduction and stopped itemizing.

For taxpayers who will itemize deductions, the CARES Act effectively suspends the limit on deductions for cash contributions to public charities for 2020.  “That allows individuals to completely wipe out their AGI, and their tax liability, with a charitable contribution.

[maureen-tatsch]

Is there any chance that TurboTax would send an email when this problem is resolved? 

Is there ever a situation where the program looks at the itemized deduction correctly?  I know that I cannot clear my form and start over (because I've tried).  Would it look at the itemized deduction if I clear sections of the return and re-enter them...or would I be wasting my time?

[Cynthiad66]

There is no solution that offers an email for Charitable contribution.  The best thing is to check back as often as possible to see if it has been corrected.  Please try this work around in the meantime.

You should try to clear the Charitable contributions and re-enter them.  Sometimes it clears everything.

OR, in the meantime, you can try this workaround.

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

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 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.) “

[maureen-tatsch]

I have tried several "workarounds", but nothing is allowing me to itemize my deductions.  I can make the system look at my itemized deductions and show the correct amount of my refund...until I "wrap up my deductions"...at which time the system always defaults to the Standard Deduction.  Is this expected to be fixed soon?  I'd really prefer not to file my tax return with the standard deduction.

[KrisD15]

Are they within $300 of one-another? (Standard vs Itemized?)

[maureen-tatsch]

Actually they are...the itemized amount is $12,469.00.

[AmyC]

In that case, the standard deduction is better for you. The standard plus $300 beats your itemized deduction.

[maureen-tatsch]

Thank you for the explanation.  I have filed my return.