Unemployment Income: Help with 1040 Sched. 1 line 8 and Calif Sched. CA (540) line 8f.

[davekro]

I completed and filed 2020 Federal, but now as I am trying to manually complete 2020 Calif State return (using downloaded forms because TT no longer has a 2020 CA download avail.).

Quest. 1----What amount should be on Sched 1 1040 line 8?

Looking at the 2020 Sched 1- 1040 instructions for line 7 & 8. I received $27,400 in CA unemployment benefits in 2020.

Instr. for line 7 seem clear that I should enter the 10,200 Fed exclusion amount of $10,200 in line 8 (I assume of Sched. 1 1040). But I see I had entered on that line in my already filed form  -20,400. I don't recall how I arrived at 'that' amount.

Instr. for line 8 says to use the Unemployment Comp. Exclusion Worksheet. I copied that from the Sched 1 Instr.

    Line 1: add three numbers from 1040 lines 1-7. Done

   Line 2:  Sched. 1 lines 1-6, just Bus. Income for me. Done

   This is where I get lost...

   Line 3: "Use Line 8 Instr. to determine the amount to include on SCh. 1 line 8, and enter here" ... [Sch. 1 line 8 Instr. from the 1040 Sch. 1 Instructions says to  "use the Unempl. Comp. Exclusion worksheet! "??? this is what I am trying to fill out???] 

Quest. 2----[What form "Use line 8 Instr." is the UCE Worksheet  asking me to refer to?

Quest. 3------ Am I supposed to enter -10,200 or -20,400 into line 3 on this UCE Wrk Sheet?

   Line 10: amount is $10,200 (pos. # I assume)

   Line 11: Subtract Line 10 (pos. $10,200) from line 3 (either a -20,400 or -10,200) and enter the number on Sched. 1 line 8.

Quest. 4----Am I correct that subtracting the positive 10,200 from the potential line 3 amounts would yield either -30,600 or -20,400?

Quest. 5---- What amounts would be entered on CA (540) Calif. Adjustments line 8f, Column A, and 8f Column C?

It may be me, but I cannot make any sense of these instructions after hours trying.

This is a wall I have hit, and cannot get past. My wife very anxious to get this 2020 plus the 2021 State returns done tomorrow morning, then on to 2022 and 2023 Fed & State, before Monday to mail them all off. She has been exasperated and I cannot blame her.

Thanks for any help, all.

Dave

[AmyC]

Unfortunately, this is considered out of scope due to the age of the return.  Call the state and get them to walk you through it. For general questions, call CA FTB at 800-852-5711 open 8-5 Monday - Friday.

Unemployment and 2020 tax returns | FTB.ca.gov

Best wishes!

[davekro]

All my returns for state and federal '20 through '23 are in the mail.

Thank you all for your help on the various threads here in this wonderful community.

Dave