Turbo tax desktop not generating form 1116 to report Foreign tax credit carryover for general category

[AG2020]

Hi,

I have general category foreign tax credit carryovers from 2022, 2023, and 2024, but I have no general category foreign-source income in 2025. I entered the carryover amounts, but TurboTax is not generating Form 1116 for the general category.

When I tested by entering $1 of general category income, Form 1116 was generated correctly. However, I do not actually have any general category income for 2025 and still need to report the carryovers from the past three years.

Could you please advise how to properly report this so the carryovers are retained without having to enter dummy income?

Note: I do have passive category income and carryovers, and TurboTax is generating Form 1116 for the passive category correctly.

Thank you!

[DaveF1006 · Accepted solution]

It depends. If you are using the Windows or Mac-installed version.

1. Switch to Forms Mode (click the "Forms" icon in the top right). 
2. In the list on the left, click Open Form.
3. Search for Form 1116 for the General Category.
4. Look for Schedule B (Form 1116). This is the specific schedule the IRS introduced recently to track carryovers.
5. Manually enter your carryover amounts in the appropriate year columns. This "forces" the form into your return without needing any entries in the "Wages & Income" interview.

If you are using the online version, you have no access to the forms. Instead, you would enter this differently to force the Form 1116 and Schedule B (Form 1116) into your return.

1. Go to federal>deductions and credits>estimates and other taxes paid
2. Click Start or Revisit next to Foreign Taxes.
3. When you get to the country summary, select "RIC" (Regulated Investment Company) from the dropdown
4. On the screen that asks for income and taxes, leave them both as $0 (or blank).
5. Proceed to the "Foreign Tax Credit Carryovers" screen and enter your 2022, 2023, and 2024 amounts.

By entering $0 instead of leaving the section entirely, TurboTax should recognize that a Form 1116 calculation is "in progress" and generate the form to track the carryover.

Let us know if this works. If you use the software, 

[AG2020]

Thanks for the help! Income was already entered as 0 but I also changed taxes paid as 0 from blank. I can now see general category form 1116 generated. Solution was to enter 0 in income and taxes paid as suggested by you.

[AG2020]

Hi,

Forms 1116 are not getting generated for normal carryovers but AMT carryover forms are not getting generated. Any reason why AMT 1116 are not getting generated?

[DaveF1006 · Accepted solution]

Turbo Tax usually leaves out the AMT version of Form 1116 if you don’t owe Alternative Minimum Tax. If your regular tax is more than your tentative minimum tax (shown on Form 6251), you aren’t subject to AMT. In that case, the IRS doesn’t require you to include Form 1116 (AMT) with your return.

Even if the form doesn’t generate, TurboTax typically keeps track of your AMT carryover in its AMT Foreign Tax Credit Computation Worksheet.