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Level 2
March 28, 2020
Question

Capital Loss Carryover bug

  • March 28, 2020
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

I think there is a bug with how Capital Loss Carryover is calculated in TurboTax Deluxe 2019 (Desktop, Windows).  It seems like the bug has been introduced in a recent update to TurboTax Deluxe 2019 because a tax return I started on 3/7 does not show the problem, while a tax return I start 3/28 shows the problem.


The problem is when transferring a 2018 tax return where "2018 Form 1040, line 10" would have been a loss if you could enter a negative number on that line.

 

Here is how to replicate the problem:

  1. start new return
  2. transfer a 2018 return (a .tax2018 file) where "2018 Form 1040, line 10" would have been a loss if you could enter a negative number on that line
  3. go to forms view, and view the "Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet" form
  4. in the "Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet" form, observe "2018 Capital Loss Information Smart Worksheet, D, Taxable Income" is 0 (this is incorrect; it should be the negative number from "2018 Form 1040, line 10" if a negative number could have been entered on that line)
  5. in the "Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet" form, observe "line 1" is 0 (this is incorrect; it should be the negative number from "2018 Form 1040, line 10" if a negative number could have been entered on that line)

 

    1 reply

    macuser_22
    Alumni - Champ
    Alumni - Champ
    March 28, 2020

    I don't see how it can be other then zero when the 2018 1040 line 10 instructions say "subtract line 8 and 9 from line 7. If zero or less, enter 0".

     

    There was a bug that was adding the 2018 line 9 UBT (if any) to line 10 when it transferred that made the carryover income incorrect.  That was fixed in the update.

    **Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**
    fourteenAuthor
    Level 2
    March 28, 2020

    See IRS publication "2019 Instructions for Schedule D", page D-12 where the "Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet" instructions are.  Those instructions specify for line 1 ("Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet, line 1"):

     

    Enter the amount from your 2018 Form 1040, line 10, or your 2018 Form 1040-NR, line 41. If the amount
    would have been a loss if you could enter a negative number on that line, enclose the amount in
    parentheses

     

    Thus, the amount on "Capital Loss Carryover Worksheet, line 1" can/will/should be a negative amount if "2018 Form 1040, line 10" would have been a loss if you could enter a negative number on that line.

     

    And as I mentioned, that is how TurboTax Deluxe 2019 used to behave and automatically filling it in when transferring a 2018 tax return.  However, after some recent update the behavior has now changed and I believe the new behavior is incorrect and is a bug.

    macuser_22
    Alumni - Champ
    Alumni - Champ
    March 28, 2020

    I know I can "override" but I would prefer to use an updated and fixed version if TurboTax.

     

    >There was a bug that was adding the 2018 line 9 UBT...  That was fixed in the update.

     

    Where was this reported, that there was a bug and that it was fixed?

    When accepting and doing the updates using the "Check Now" button when TurboTax starts up, after the updates have completed there is a "confirmation screen" with links to what has been updated.  However those links are sadly broken.  Your "That was fixed in the update" sounds like you have access the information of what forms and/or functionality was updated in each update, yes?



    @fourteen wrote:

    I know I can "override" but I would prefer to use an updated and fixed version if TurboTax.

     

    >There was a bug that was adding the 2018 line 9 UBT...  That was fixed in the update.

     

    Where was this reported, that there was a bug and that it was fixed?

    When accepting and doing the updates using the "Check Now" button when TurboTax starts up, after the updates have completed there is a "confirmation screen" with links to what has been updated.  However those links are sadly broken.  Your "That was fixed in the update" sounds like you have access the information of what forms and/or functionality was updated in each update, yes?


    It was reported to a moderator a while back.   When I tested it recently that seems to have been fixed.

     

    Since the prior bug is fixed and that is exactally what they were messing with, I am just guessing that they overlooked that they need to transfer the amount from 2018 line 7 minus 8 & 9 and not just line 10.  

    **Disclaimer: This post is for discussion purposes only and is NOT tax advice. The author takes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information in this post.**