Why is TurboTax 2019 asking if I took standard deduction or itemized last year when it knows about my TurboTax 2018 tax return?

[LinaJ2020]

Is this related to the state tax refund?  

Please provide the answer as instructed as the program wants to ask for verification purposes.  Besides, the TurboTax program is used by many new users or others who did not file with us in the past.  

For more information, please read State tax refund

@bjacobs468

[bjacobs468]

No, Federal program (Deluxe version). It asked near the beginning of entering Wages & Income as I used the "Walk me through everything" method. I'm not sure which section I was on specifically. In case it's relevant I also had to go back and "Update" the Wages and Salary (W-2) and Unemployment sections manually as it never brought me there.

[bjacobs468]

I'm not the only confused why TurboTax asks this question.

This comment comes from question "How can I check if I took the standard deduction or if I itemized my deductions in 2016? I did my taxes with TurboTax."

Amm2 (June 3, 2019 5:19 PM) writes:
"Why does TurboTax ask me this question every year? Doesn't it know we did that the previous year???"

[KrisD15 · Accepted solution]

The program does not know what you do outside the program. 

There are people that file through TurboTax and take the Standard Deduction, but later file a 1040X and Itemize. 

TurboTax asks because it does not have the authority to answer that question for you. 

[TheHobbitt]

Granted one could change it outside of the program.  Fix your software by telling the user what they selected in your software last year and ask if it still applies with an info link explaining that TurboTax is asking because one could have changed it outside of TurboTax before filing.

[DianeW777]

@TheHobbitt Thank you for your suggestion.  It's important to note that TurboTax must also follow and meet IRS standards for their approval and we will not know all the details involved.

Often customers do not like the same questions being asked year after year however each year is a new year with changes that can affect the tax return and for this reason it's best for you to respond as well as for reasons previously mentioned.