Tax Year Prior to 2020: Itemized Deductions Greater than Standard Deduction; Itemized not being included

[DC9]

Sorry....I misread that! Never mind....🙄

[DC9]

HOWEVER.....shouldn't I be able to see a Schedule A in the Forms list? I'd like to be able to see the numbers all in one place, rather than schlepping through the Easy Step pages.

[xmasbaby0]

Your standard deduction is based upon your age on the very last day of the tax year.  The software uses your date of birth as entered in My Info.

2018 Standard Deductions:

Single   $12,000  (+ $1600 65 or older)

Married Filing Separately    $12,000  (+ $1300 65 or older)

Married Filing Jointly  $24,000  (+ $1300 each spouse 65 or older)

Head of Household  $18,000  (+ $1600 65 or older)

Look at line 8 of your Form 1040 to see your standard or itemized deductions.

2019 Standard Deduction Amounts

Single                                  $12,200  (+ $16,50 65 or older)

Married Filing Separately      ( $12,200   (+ $1650 if 65 or older)

Married Filing Jointly         $24,400   (+ $1300 for each spouse 65 or older)

Head of Household           $18,350  (+ $1650 for 65 or older)

[VolvoGirl]

Are you using the Online version?

If it's giving you the Standard Deduction and  not showing you Schedule A you can check the actual amount of itemized deductions by using by going to

Tax Tools on left

Tools - Topic Search (top left box)

Type in  itemized deductions, choosing.  It should highlight that in the list, click on GO

Then Click on "Change my deduction". That will display the actual amount of itemized deductions vs. the standard deduction.    (Be sure to uncheck "Change my deduction" after checking it so you do not lock in the wrong deduction.

How to change between the Standard Deduction and Itemized Deductions

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/accessing/help/how-do-i-change-from-the-standard-deduction-to-item...

This year deductions are changing and several will be limited.  There is a max 10,000 limit of State, local, property, and sales tax (SALT) deduction.  And employee job expenses have been suspended.  You can only deduct Medical/Dental that's over 7.5% of your AGI.

FAQ on 2018 changes

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-reform/help/how-will-tax-reform-affect-my-federal-tax-return/0...

Deductions that have been suspended for 2018

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-reform/help/which-federal-tax-deductions-have-been-suspended-b...

[VolvoGirl]

Oh if you have the Forms list you have the Desktop program.

For the Desktop program

If it's giving you the Standard Deduction and  not showing you Schedule A you can check it 4 ways.

1 You can switch to Forms Mode and open A from the top of the left column Open Form and pick schedule A out of the list on the right side.

2 The easiest way is to go up to Show Topic List on the top bar and scroll down the list to

Standard Deduction vs Itemized Deductions

That takes you directly to the

The Standard [or Itemized] Deduction is Right for You screen

3 You can check the actual amount of itemized deductions by going up to Search and type in

itemized deductions, choosing

Then click on Jump to itemized deductions

Click on "Change my deduction.

4 OR go up to Federal (Personal for H&B)

Deductions and Credits

Click on Done with Deductions at bottom

Continue on though 3 screens and you will get to the Standard Deduction is right for You screen

That will display the actual amount of itemized deductions vs. the standard deduction.    (Be sure to uncheck "Change my deduction" after checking it so you do not lock in the wrong deduction.

[denisincalif]

Thank you. That solved my problem.

[Docmomof2]

Initially had itemized deductions recommended, as higher than standard.  During error correction, program reverted me back to a standard deduction.  Now refund much lower.

I am not being offered the option of choosing itemized deductions following the instructions above.

Other suggestions?  Seems like the program is glitching.

[xmasbaby0]

Are you making the common mistake of just adding up all the amounts for your itemized deductions without considering the caps and thresholds that must be met?

STANDARD DEDUCTION

Many taxpayers are surprised because their itemized deductions are not having the same effect as they did on past tax returns.  The new higher standard deduction and the elimination of certain deductions, as well as the cap on state and local taxes have had a major impact since the new tax laws went into effect beginning with 2018 returns.

Your itemized deductions have to be more than your standard deduction before you will see a change in your tax owed or tax refund.  The deductions you enter do not necessarily count “dollar for dollar;” many of them are subject to meeting  tough thresholds—medical expenses, for example, must meet a threshold that is pretty hard to reach.  The software program uses all the IRS rules that apply to the expenses you enter, and it tells you if you have enough to use your itemized deductions or if using the standard deduction is more advantageous for you.  Under the new tax laws, some deductions have been capped—there is a $10,000 limit to the itemized deductions for state, local, property and sales taxes.

Your standard deduction lowers your taxable income.  It is not a refund. 

2019 Standard Deduction Amounts

Single $12,200   (+ $1650 65 or older)

Married Filing Separate  $12,200   (+ $1300 if 65 or older)

Married Filing Jointly $24,400   (+ $1300 for each spouse 65 or older)

Head of Household $18,350  (+ $1650 for 65 or older)

Look on line 9 of your 2019 Form 1040 to see your itemized/standard deduction amount

If you want to force itemized deductions:

HOW TO FORCE ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS

https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900142-how-do-i-change-from-the-standard-deduction-to-itemized-or...

[DaveF1006]

You may have limitations on some of your itemized deductions that are not allowing to take full deductions. For an example, if you have medical deductions, IRS excludes the first 7.5% of AGI for medical deductions. Tell me the type of itemized deductions you claimed and we can see why the program is not recognizing your itemized deductions.

[Docmomof2]

Thanks, but that’s not the case with me.  TurboTax CPA looked at it with me.  Program was glitching and not allowing me to proceed properly.  He couldn’t fix it.

 I went online and re-did the whole return and it worked.  I had to buy another Deluxe program to do it.  Might be out some funds.

[Docmomof2]

Thanks, but that’s not the case with me. And I did follow directions to change to itemized deductions. The program simply was not working. I got a turbo tax CPA on the phone. He looked at it with me and agreed that the downloaded program was not operating properly.  He couldn’t fix it. He advised me to go online and redo the whole return. I did it and got the correct numbers/refund. This was a matter of >5k for me.  There’s definitely a glitch in the program that needs to be fixed.

[jbl1]

I am having the same problem - i.e., itemized deductions exceed standard deduction but TT is choosing standard deduction for me and there is no schedule A in the forms section.  And when I go to the summary page of credits and deductions, the amounts that I entered for my itemized deductions do not show and I am not given the option to "change my deductions."  However, on the screen where you choose which deductions to enter, the figures for my itemized deductions do show.  When I originally entered my information, TT chose itemized deductions.  When I went back in to check all my figures, it did this  - i.e., picked standard deduction and won't let me choose itemized.  

Would/could it help to re-name this file and start over with a new file? Or will I have to do my taxes by hand?

[VictorW9]

Click this link for instructions on How to Switch from Standard to Itemized Deductions. 

[NCperson]

would you mind posting below what you are inputting on those screens as itemized deductions? 

are you filing married-joint, HOH or single? 

[jonmartoc]

my itemized deductions are $10,000 -Taxes $12,727 interest and, $7,815 charitable. totaling $30,542. Turbotax is recommending the Std, Ded. saying my itemized are $26463. is there a limitation?