Is the charitable deduction ($300/$600) for non itemizing filers for 2021 eliminated from the taxable Social Security calculation since it is now a deduction rather than an adjustment to the AGI?

[Critter-3]

It is still on line 10b of the form 1040 just like last year ...

[Texas Roger]

Critter 3: The form you are showing is dated 2020. I have not seen the completed form for 2021. 

[DoninGA]

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@Texas Roger wrote:

Critter 3: The form you are showing is dated 2020. I have not seen the completed form for 2021. 

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The IRS Form 1040 for tax year 2021 (Draft) shows the charitable contribution on Line 12b - https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1040--dft.pdf

[Texas Roger]

A draft of the 2021 form 1040 shows the up to $600 deduction for charitable contributions instead of itemized deductions on line 12b right under 12a which is the line for standard or itemized deductions. This would remove it from being an adjustment to income. It remains to be seen whether the final 1040 leaves it on line 12 or moves it back up to be an adjustment to income. 

[SteamTrain]

Hmmm...what does the new desktop 2021 actually show for the form 1040.

(I won't install it yet)

Sometimes the new software uses the prior year forms displayed in Forms Mode until several weeks later, after the IRS finalizes the form...chaos ensues for the early birds

[Lgabb]

Thanks. I was actually referring to Line 6 of the Taxable Social Security Worksheet which, for 2020, reduced my "other than" Social Security income which then reduced the amount of taxable social security. In 2020, the charitable contribution gave a double benefit as it reduced the amount of taxable Social Security and then again reduced the AGI. That $300 deduction became a $550 deduction for those with Social Security income. From what I can gather online for 2021, the deduction increases to $600 for MFJ filers but it is now it is added to the standard deduction rather than subtracting from the AGI. My thought then was that it would eliminate the Social Security reduction. The current 2021 Turbo Tax still shows a $300 reduction in Line 6 on my Social Security worksheet but I was wondering if that is an error needing to be fixed or maybe there are special instructions that I'm unaware.

[rjs]

The Social Security Benefits Worksheet is in the Form 1040 instructions. The IRS has not yet released the Form 1040 instructions for 2021, not even a draft. So no one can say for sure at this time exactly how the calculation is going to be done. TurboTax can't update the calculation until the IRS releases the instructions containing the 2021 worksheet.